Hot Spicy Veggie Beef Soup at Nickie Cafe in Honolulu, HI

The brownish strip/piece in the center is a veggie-beef. Not so sure how much this photo can tell but it does look like beef. It is mushroom stem according to the menu. When I first tried this soup, I really thought they were real beef and grossed out even though the menu "clearly" stated that this is vegetarian AND "veggie beef" in it. What was I (not) looking, lol. Lots of fresh veggies & herbs. Actually, not spicy to me at all but nice flavor.