I ordered from Liverpool's fully veggie and vegan Chinese takeaway and was shocked

Veganuary is in full swing and while I have been vegan for ten years, I have been unable to find a 'proper' Chinese takeaway. So, when I found out about Yummy Green, I just had to visit.

Located on Allerton Road, Yummy Green is a completely vegetarian and vegan takeaway owned and run by Mey Lieu, who is veggie herself. The menu features classic British Chinese dishes such Char-Siu Pork and Salt and Pepper Chicken, however, they are completely meat-free and do not contain any MSG. If you're not a fan of fake meat, there are a variety of vegetable dishes available too, and if you're looking for child-friendly options, Yummy Green offer meat-free burgers, nuggets and chips too.

The restaurant has been operating as meat-free for around 18 months and has amassed a following of happy customers, with a Google rating of 4.9 out of five stars. Often disappointed by meat alternatives, when I saw the fantastic reviews, I knew I had to give Yummy Green a visit.

Initial impressions

To provide as fair a review as possible, I asked my omnivorous partner to try the food with me, as it has been so long since I had a 'proper' Chinese that I don't really remember what it's like.

Myself and my dining partner shared the Sesame Prawn Toast, Crispy Chilli Chicken, Salt and Pepper Chips, Chicken Fried Rice and Curry Sauce, all of which are vegan. My dining partner also ordered the Egg Fried Rice and Spring Rolls - which are suitable for vegetarians but do contain egg. All together, we paid around £33 for our dishes.

Although I was dubious about how good the takeaway would be taste-wise, I was impressed as soon as I phoned to order, as although the menu clearly states which dishes are suitable for vegans, the staff member made sure to reiterate to me that the Egg Fried Rice and Spring Rolls were vegetarian only. They also asked if we had any allergies, and it was clear that ensuring customers knew what they were eating was of upmost importance.

The takeaway is collection only and cash only, so about forty minutes after placing our order, we headed to Allerton Road to pick it up. The venue looked like your classic British Chinese restaurant and was very clean and tidy. Our meal was ready and waiting for us, and the staff member read over our order to once again make sure that everything was correct and that we knew two of the dishes were not vegan-friendly.

Once home, we unpacked the order and found four fortune cookies and huge portions of food - and quickly realised we definitely did not need two rice dishes.

The food

As soon as we opened the tubs of food, I was blown away by the smell, which reminded me of having a meaty Chinese takeaway many moons ago.

I was also really impressed with the size of the portions, with eight pieces of Sesame Prawn Toast costing £5 and a hearty portion of Salt and Pepper Chips coming in at £3.80. My tub of Chicken Fried Rice was also generous, and could definitely have served three people.

I was most excited for the Chicken Fried Rice and Crispy Chilli Chicken, as when I order a Chinese usually, my options are boiled rice and tofu in black bean sauce.

As soon as I tried the rice I was blown away, as it tasted exactly how I remember fried rice, just without the egg. What's even more impressive is that they somehow got the taste absolutely spot on, without using MSG. The pieces of chicken in the rice genuinely tasted like chicken too, instead of an obvious substitute.

The Crispy Chilli Chicken was definitely the winner though, with sticky sauce and pieces of mock chicken that were so realistic I had to remind myself they were actually vegan.

The Sesame Prawn Toast was fantastic too, and tasted like the real thing. It was even better dipped in the huge pot of Curry Sauce we ordered, which smelled and tasted like proper chip shop curry sauce, something I haven't found in a decade. The Salt and Pepper Chips, an essential when ordering a Scouse Chinese, were perfect.

Although I could not try the Spring Rolls or Egg Fried Rice, my dining partner said both were delicious, adding that the Spring Rolls dipped in curry sauce were unbelievable.

Overall verdict

Although neither myself or my dining partner managed to finish all of the food we ordered, we were both extremely impressed and shocked at just how nice it was.

My dining partner said Yummy Green was possibly one of the best takeaways he had ever had, and that it was even better than his local meat-serving Chinese takeaway. With his usual order being Crispy Chilli Chicken, he added that the meat-free and vegan version at Yummy Green was 'absolutely fantastic'.

Overall, I would recommend Yummy Green as a brilliant takeaway for anyone to visit, regardless of what dietary lifestyle you follow. For vegans like myself, I would honestly say it is the best takeaway I have had, that truly tastes like the 'real' thing.