Despite being a fishing village itself where the seafood is abundant, there are still a handful of vegetarian options in Tai O. One of which is the Hoi Wan Vegetarian Restaurant. Rather than entering the main town from the Tai O Bus Terminal, head southward along the walkway surrounded by greens and wetlands for about 15 minutes to get to the local eatery – it will be one of the most authentic experiences dining in a village. 

You may be overwhelmed by the wide range of choices offered at the place but the classic ones never fail. Buddha’s Delight Pan-Fried Noodles (羅漢齋炒麵) comes with a generous portion of fried noodles topped with all kinds of Chinese veggies soaked in gravy-like sauce. Not only will you be delighted by how colourful the dish is but also the flavorful stir-fried veggies (which sounds counter-intuitive). What is also magical about this dish is that the sauce penetrates through the noodles that making its texture softer but meanwhile keeping its crunchiness. 

Another try goes to their deep-fried combo: taro rolls (芋頭卷) and tofu skin rolls (豆皮卷). The purple swirls of taro rolls are indeed quite cute to look at. Covered in a flaky golden crust, the pieces embedded with mashed taro offer two layers of textures in one bite: crispiness and mushiness. The taro flavor is subtle so no worries if you aren’t a big fan of it. As for the tofu skin rolls, the quality doesn't quite match their appearance. They are not fully stuffed with ingredients and are too greasy for any liking. But safe to say – there are still many more dishes on the menu awaiting your taste buds! If you are not a fan of vegetable dishes, the restaurant also serves meat options, such as Eight Treasure Duck (八寶鴨) or Salt-Baked Chicken (鹽焗雞). These are also characteristic of Cantonese cuisine!