A Vegan Lunch at Mr. Hui's Peacock Express in Florence AL

I heard a rumor that Florence AL has a secret vegan hangout. Mr. Hui's Peacock Express has an alternative menu for vegans. I was in the area with another vegan in my family. We ordered 2 dishes to split.

I am always suspicious of non-vegan restaurants making vegan food, especially with foods that are often cooked using the same pans, grill, or frying oil. We spoke to a person who seemed to be running the kitchen. He said he gets many vegan customers and he uses clean pans for vegan foods. It was not very busy at 3pm, so I thought it would be safe to trust him. There was no rush in the kitchen.

We were offered vegan menus with a really impressive amount of vegan options. He was able to answer many questions about the ingredients, and he seemed to be honest with the information. I did notice some items on the menu that made me suspicious, spring rolls for example. Almost no spring rolls are vegan. We didn't ask about them. We just tried to order the safest things on the vegan menu.
 
Tofu With Bean Sprouts

Tofu With Bean Sprouts at Mr. Hui's Peacock Express in Florence AL

If I remember correctly we were told that the Tofu With Bean Sprouts is made with a sauce consisting of sesame oil, vinegar, rice wine, salt, and pepper. This dish was one of the lighter choices. The firm tofu had a nice semi-chewy texture. Also the tofu had a mild floral aftertaste that I really liked. The bean sprouts were crisp and fresh. The sauce was light with a hint of garlic and a slightly oily mouthfeel. This dish was excellent! I would return just for this dish alone. It came with a side of rice. The price was about $7.00.


Eggplant With Garlic Sauce

Eggplant With Garlic Sauce at Mr. Hui's Peacock Express in Florence AL

The Eggplant With Garlic Sauce was our heartier choice. It was made with soft eggplant smothered in a slightly sweet brown sauce with red pepper. This sauce was smooth and thick. The red pepper gave it a nice flavor without adding heat. It was not at all hot from the pepper. I expected more of a garlic flavor because of the name, but I was not disappointed in this sauce. The eggplant was soft on the inside with a slightly chewy skin. It was not the most visually pleasing eggplant, but the taste was really good along with the sauce. This dish was almost as good as the first one. I enjoyed it very much! This came with a side of rice and was priced a little over $8.00.


The large dining room was clean enough and seemed very minimalist in style. There were some things being stored near the dining area that created a bit of clutter. There was no music to disturb the meal, so it was very quiet and peaceful at the time of this visit.

The regular menu was huge and should have something for almost any omnivore. The vegan menu offered more than expected. The service was friendly, helpful, and fast enough. The portions were generous, each dish being enough to satisfy 2 people. We each had leftovers to take home for a second excellent meal.

I will gladly return when possible, and I would recommend Mr. Hui's Peacock Express to anyone who enjoys Asian-style food. I'm glad I heard of this place. I had a very good meal!

Click here to see the Mr. Hui's Peacock Express vegan menu