Shing Wang Bubble Tea Cafe

Shing Wang signals the arrival of Miami's first all-vegetarian Chinese restaurant and one of its few purveyors of Taiwanese shaved ice and bubble tea. The latter is a milkshake-like beverage made from powdered milk, sugar, tea, and choice of main flavoring ingredient (mango, taro, etc.); viscous pearls of black tapioca pile up in the bottom of the cup. Shaved ice comes with a selection of toppings such as fruits, puddings, peanuts, condensed milk, beans, and rice -- zany! More conventional diners might choose to refresh their palate with slush ice soaked in fruity syrups. As for the food at this bright little self-serve shop: Select your mock meat (beef, chicken, pork) or seafood (shrimp, scallop, lobster, squid), all prepared from soy and wheat gluten products. Then pair it with one of a dozen-plus Chinese preparations such as black bean sauce, piquant ko-po sauce, or mixed vegetables; pepper steak or General "Tao"-style; noodle or rice dishes. Mixing-and-matching can potentially yield more than 60 distinct dinners, not including separate vegetable and tofu offerings. A cup of miso soup comes with each entrée, as does a heaping helping of jasmine or brown rice. The price for this hearty meal, at lunch or dinnertime, is a mere $6.95. Could these soy substitutes con a carnivore? Never. But vegetarians and vegans will deem it close enough, and most folks should appreciate it for what it is: fresh, flavorful, healthful Chinese food at an excellent price.