Shanghai’s major vegetarian players do a commendable job of feeding the herbivores among us, but dining out at the same few tried and true restaurants can get a little tedious. If you’re ready for a change, you might want to check out one of these lesser-known purveyors of meat-free fare.

New Age Veggie

What: Fusion vegetarian cuisine that’s a little too adventurous.

Why: Actually, don’t. Avoid it all costs.

How Much: RMB 50-80 per head for lunch sets, RMB 80-100 per head for dinner

Where: 5F, Super Brand Mall, 168 Lujiazui Xi Lu. Tel: 5047 1880

Walking in to New Age Veggie is like re-entering the 1980s. From art deco glass cut outs to overstuffed seats adorned in red velvet, the atmosphere is over-lit and underwhelming. After noticing the hole in our tablecloth and trying to ignore the pervasive strains of China Telecom's hold music on the stereo, we turned to the expansive menu in hopes that this vegetarian mainstay could redeem its John Hughes décor with some delicious meatless fare.

The cold dishes of the day gave our table an inflated sense of reassurance. A mixed salad of tofu, cilantro and cucumber (RMB 12) whet the appetite and stir-fried yard beans (RMB 14) would have been a hit if not for the bits of tofu poorly masquerading as pork.

The highly-recommended black pepper steak (RMB 32) was a trifecta of disappointment, missing on flavour, consistency and presentation. The dry-fried green beans (RMB 32) were harmless, if a bit greasy, but the dish is better executed at practically every restaurant in town.

The Spicy Eight-Treasure dish was decidedly unspicy and featured bland calamari-flavoured tofu and krab meat along with six other unidentifiable "treasures" and the soup of the day – Leaf Mustard Soup (RMB 28) – was as bad as the translation.

As soon as the China Telecom music reached a point we had never waited long enough to hear while on hold, we knew it was time to get the bill and grab a quick post-lunch snack. Save yourself the same fate by avoiding New Age Veggie.

Jendow Vegetarian

What: Taiwanese vegetarian buffet

Why: Because it’s hard to go wrong with more than 200 dishes to choose from

How Much: RMB 158 per person for the buffet, spirits extra

Where: 2787 Longhua Lu, near Tianyaoqiao Lu. Tel: 6457 2299

Just around the corner from Longhua Temple, Jendow serves up an endless variety of vegetarian food. With more than 200 dishes to choose from, this Taiwanese buffet is a favourite of vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. When we visited, half the restaurant was populated with travelling monks, testimony to the all-you-can-eat establishment's authenticity and unparalleled herbivore experience.

The restaurant offers every vegetarian food under the sun spread out over 2,500 square metres and the immediate impression is overwhelming. We tried to tackle the buffet head-on by sampling as many items as we could fit on our plates before heading back to pile up on our favourites, which turned out to be faux meat options.

The made-to-order Taiwanese braised “beef” noodles (actually made with mushrooms) were spot-on. “Lamb chops” tasted more like chicken l’orange from a Chinese restaurant in America, but were delicious all the same. Taro cakes masqueraded poorly as duck – although they were amazingly tasty, they just weren’t particularly ducky. A loaf of “ham” aroused both scepticism and curiosity, so we threw a couple slices on our plate and dolloped on some honey mustard. After the first bite, we quickly ran back to the station to grab another plateful before the hoards of hungry monks could beat us to it.

Not all the dishes were hits – skip the Japanese and Korean options – but there's so much variety that any misses can be tossed aside to be picked up by the smiling wait staff. Save room for the dessert spread, especially the chocolate covered strawberries and Häagen-Dazs stand. The texture of the walnut carrot cake with raisins, a crowd favourite, was airy and light, but offered a surprisingly dense flavour.

For non-Buddhist diners, Tsingtaos flow freely and you can grab spirits from the full bar for an additional price. Teetotallers can sip on fruit juices, smoothies, non-alcoholic beers, tea and coffee. The buffet is RMB 158 per person, but if you come early and take your time savouring a long meal, it's a steal. After a weekend of drinking, Jendow Vegetarian is a perfect Sunday brunch option that won't leave you feeling glutted and guilty.

Lucky Zen Restaurant

What: Simple Buddhist dishes in a Zen setting

Why: It’s cheaper than buying vitamins, and tastier too

How Much: RMB 60-80 per head

Where: 428 Madang Lu, near Hefei Lu Tel: 6373 0288

Just a couple blocks south of Xintiandi, Lucky Zen is part vegetarian restaurant, part New Age shop. The menu not only features home-style Chinese cuisine, it also sells everything from crystals to teapots, which serve as decoration and centrepieces around the monochromatic restaurant. A serene gu zhen recital playing overhead completes the Zen-like atmosphere.

Unlike the majority of Buddhist restaurants around town, Lucky Zen goes easy on the fake meats, focusing instead on fresh, seasonal vegetables and mushrooms. We drank our healthy teas, RMB 8 for a cup of wolfberry and chrysanthemum or ginger and jujube, and over-ordered for a meat-less feast of epic proportions. The enoki mushrooms wrapped in tofu skin (RMB 18) came accompanied with fennel, but were a bit on the soggy side and the turnip radish potstickers (RMB 12) were oily mouthfuls which didn't offer much in the way of nutrition or flavour, but slotted into the comfort food category nicely.

The puff pastries filled with char siu “pork” (RMB 18) were a disappointment, with a texture more akin to jelly than meat and a flavour reminiscent of hot dog. The asparagus topped with a gluten roll stuffed with bamboo shoots and mushrooms (RMB 32) on the other hand, was surprisingly delightful. The perfectly al dente spears offered a delicious contrast to the gluten's soft consistency.

To avoid an overly bland experience, order a selection of fiery dishes to spice up your meal. A serving of mala tofu skin (RMB 18) was sprinkled with peanuts and Sichuan peppercorns for a satisfyingly numbing experience. Our favourite bite of the night was also the most unhealthy: a deep fried plate of shiitake mushrooms seasoned with cumin (RMB 38). The fungi took our taste buds on an adventure, starting with the texture of calamari and the taste of fried chicken, but ending with the mushroom's earthy essence reassuring our palate.

Presentation isn't a priority at this healthy restaurant, and most of the flavours fall on the simple side. Despite some pitfalls, Lucky Zen's serene atmosphere and reasonable prices will keep us coming back for its healthy, vegetarian fare.