Spoiled for choice

More commonly, customers turn to the pros like Liu Yang for a huge variety of meal options.[Photo by Feng Yongbin/China Daily]

"When you go out to dinner with a mixture of vegetarians and meat eaters," says Nooxo manager Jairo "Jay" Jimenez, "you generally have to pick a restaurant that caters to one or the other."

Nooxo's focus is on vegetarian and vegan offerings, he says, but meat can be added to any dish.

"The focus is on taste," he adds. "I don't really like vegetables at all, so I'm a good test case."

The restaurant's name comes from an indigenous Amazon tribe and means "a drink". Most of Nooxo's offerings are drinkable or close: Soups, smoothies, and smoothie bowls dominate the menu. The power bowls have names with a little hubris, such as the Lentilnator and the Grainbow.

To appeal to customers who are lactose-intolerant－and Chinese who don't have the habit of consuming much dairy－all dishes are dairy free, using soy instead of cow's milk and coconut cream instead of conventional heavy cream. Dates are used to sweeten mixtures instead of sugar or honey.

The results are delicious.

"Every shop here has a signature product that will bring people back," says Hsu Li.