Zrou x Amiga/man-Chang: Japanese + Mexican + Vegan = Yes Please!

Drew Pittock, Contributing Editor | Sep 13, 2021 12:00 pm | Add a comment | 200 reads | Paid for

For the past nine months, Amiga has been serving up a fiery fusion of Mexican and Japanese cuisine from its colorful outpost on Yokocho Ichibangai. Led by the inimitable Miho Hosokawa who serves as head designer, resident DJ, and de facto tequila sommelier, the restaurant proved a bold vision that could only be realized with equally bold flavors, and over the past year, Hosokawa’s intrepid spirit, coupled with the support of Ichiban bigwig Ryoichi Noma and a bit of guidance from Pebbles’ Courtyard impresario Ray Heng, Amiga has truly come into its own.

Now, having noticed a boom in plant-based diners that spans the capital’s Western, Chinese, and Japanese communities, the izakaya-cum-taco stand decided to collaborate with Shanghai’s preeminent plant-based protein purveyor Zrou. As Hosokawa explains, all it took was one bite of Zrou’s flagship product to know that she had stumbled upon a natural taco filling, and not just because it’s made from all-natural ingredients such as non-genetically modified soybeans, konjac, coconut oil, and shiitake mushrooms. For the avowed devotee of Mexican culture and cuisine, Zrou offered Hosokawa’s kitchen a mouthwatering meat substitute that’s perfect for her beloved tacos, with just the right amount of spice and enough versatility that Amiga’s chefs could put their own spin on it.

The new menu features three vegan dishes including no-fuss tacos done right with Zrou, lettuce, avocado, and beans packed into a corn tortilla (RMB 48), a nacho fusion party of tortilla chips piled high with Zrou, pico de gallo, avocado, mustard, and cilantro (RMB 58), as well as a fresh salad option that includes Zrou tossed with lettuce, mini-corn, tomato, and cucumber, plus a light but flavorful dressing of sesame oil and Japanese vinegar drizzled on top (RMB 48). Pro tip: Swing by for a Taco Tuesday and snag three of those new vegan tacos for a mere RMB 29.9, or drop by on a weekend night to catch one of Hosokawa’s renowned DJ sets.

Meanwhile, a few doors down from Amiga is man-Chang, a more traditional Japanese joint modeled after a 1940s izakaya. They too were so wowed by Zrou’s potential that something truly incredible happened – Beijing got its first vegan meat fried udon dish! For just RMB 48, plant-based diners can dig into an authentic udon recipe of cabbage, carrot, bean sprouts, sesame oil, soy sauce, and of course, Zrou.

Needless to say, the plant-based revolution is alive and well in Beijing, as the capital’s myriad F&B communities begin to embrace the possibilities of a healthier, more sustainable food future. And we couldn’t be more thrilled that Amiga, a restaurant that’s already established itself as one of the more innovative risk-takers around, as well as man-Chang, a stalwart of Japanese culture and cuisine, are coming along for the ride.