Tianchumiaoxiang Vegetarian (Chaoyang)

After converting to veganism and going on to become a monk, the founder of this chain experienced improvements to his life. This inspired him to serve tasty vegetarian dishes eschewing eggs, alcohol and alliums in his restaurants. In the Kung Pao monkey head mushroom, the meat-like texture is harnessed in sweet and sour sauce with peanuts and bamboo shoots. No wonder it has been the restaurant's signature dish since the flagship opened in 2003!