Kick Off the New Year with Healthy Options at Loving Hut in Matawan

A little over a month ago, a new restaurant quietly sprouted up on Route 34 in Matawan.

Loving Hut, an all-vegan eatery located at the intersection of Broad Street and Route 34 in the same strip mall as Dunkin' Donuts, opened it's doors in November and has been steadily gaining clientele through word of mouth, said owners J.K. and Christine Kuan.

This is the first restaurant the Matawan couple has ever owned, although it is not their first entrepreneurial endeavor. J.K. is an acupuncturist with his own practice, also in Matawan, and Christine is a Ph.D. student.

Loving Hut is part of a franchise with over 200 locations worldwide. J.K and Christine first experienced the inexpensive, all-vegan spot while living in California.

When they moved to Matawan, they were unhappy to have to travel long distances to New York City and Philadelphia to enjoy a nice vegan meal.

"I think we moved here because we had to open this restaurant. It's like destiny," Christine said.

They hope Loving Hut will be more than just a place to grab a bite to eat. They see it as a catalyst to encourage a vegan diet and compassion for animals.

"We want to promote a healthy, vegan lifestyle," J.K said. "We just have compassion for all beings, so we don't believe we have to have meat on the table."

Each location has a different menu, which the owner is allowed to design based on the tastes of the area.

J.K. and Christine said they tried to pick recipes from a variety of cultures, and use recipes that Christine modified from non-vegan ones and recipes that Loving Hut supplied as a suggestion.

"Christine's hobby is watching cooking channels," J.K. said with a laugh. Everything served at the small eatery is cooked right there on the premises.

They want to show their patrons that vegan eating is affordable, healthy, tasty and good for the environment. A poster hanging in the restaurant, which has a crisp modern decor, explains that eating vegan not only preserves animals, but conserves water.

J.K explained that many Loving Hut owners are subscribers to the beliefs of Supreme Master Ching Hai, a Chinese woman who is a spiritual teacher, artist, and humanitarian. She advocates alleviating world pain and finding spirituality through meditation and compassion.

The most popular items on the menu are the Heavenly Grilled Panini and the Yum Yum Wonton Soup. Diners also can select from various smoothies, appetizers and desserts to add to their vegan experience.

One young diner even left a note for the owners thanking them for the Yum Yum Wonton Soup with a mix of mispelled words and backwards letters. The taste for the soup spans all age groups, the couple explained.

"We have one woman who comes in every day and orders one or two Wonton Soups," J.K said.

J.K. and Christine are happy to see Loving Hut gain popularity in Matawan, although they say they didn't realize how much effort owning a restaurant would be. 

"You have to deal with a lot of small things, like the cake stand being broken," Christine said.

"But when you see more and more people come and enjoy the food and want to change their diet, it's rewarding," J.K. added.