Abe De Ramos

Financial writer Abe De Ramos is that rare thing - a vegetarian living in Hong Kong. Originally from the Philippines, De Ramos has been in Hong Kong for 11 years and a vegetarian for eight years. He became a foodie when he turned vegetarian and started thinking hard 'about what I eat and where I eat'. He says being a vegetarian is not as hard as some people might assume, and that many chefs in Hong Kong will cook something for him or make a substitution, such as replacing chicken with tofu in a fried rice dish. Several places in Central offer set lunches with a vegetarian option. Habibi Cafe is a favourite, while at Cafe Siam, the chef will always make a substitution.

De Ramos has also developed a love of Indian and Italian cuisine. On a recent road trip to the United States, he had an especially good pasta primavera at the Canyon Lodge restaurant in Yellowstone National Park. De Ramos found many US versions of Italian food to be inauthentic, but this one was full of fresh, organic vegetables and an addition of spinach 'that I would not normally expect, but it worked. The dish was great and simple.'