Build a meal, one component at a time
- Start with a vegetable dish. Sour and spicy shredded potatoes (酸辣土豆丝) are one idea to discuss with the kitchen; confirm the cooking fat and seasonings.
- Add a staple such as plain rice, or ask about noodles and their broth. Confirm each part of the meal separately.
- State whether you eat eggs and dairy. Use the vegetarian or vegan phrase below, then ask which dishes the kitchen can prepare that way.
Start with a complete meal idea
Start with a staple and a vegetable dish from the actual menu. Ask how both are cooked: rice, vegetables or tofu in the name do not identify the cooking fat, stock or sauce. Keep a second option in mind if the first dish uses a prepared seasoning that cannot be changed.
Choose a staple and a vegetable preparation from the menu, then ask what else can be made to match your diet. This gives the kitchen a practical starting point. If a prepared sauce cannot be changed, ask for another dish rather than leaving yourself with only a snack.
Two tofu dishes that show why the question matters
Hakka stuffed tofu in our guide contains a pork filling. Mapo tofu may contain minced meat even though tofu is the main ingredient. Neither should be chosen as vegetarian based only on the word ‘tofu’ or a quick look at a photograph.
Start with a dish that sounds suitable, then ask about the whole preparation. A kitchen may be able to make a change, but do not assume it can remove ingredients from a prepared sauce, broth or filling.
Make the request specific
For a savory dish, ask about meat, fish, seafood, meat broth, lard and animal-based sauces such as oyster sauce. For noodles, ask about both the toppings and the broth. For pastries, ask about the filling and the fat used in the pastry.
Vegetarian and vegan are different requests. If you avoid all animal-derived ingredients, name eggs and milk explicitly and mention honey if relevant. The useful result is a clear answer from the kitchen, not just a reassuring translation of the dish name.
Use examples as a starting point, not a promise
Wandouhuang is described in our sample guide as cooked peas and sugar made into a smooth sweet cake. That makes it an example worth understanding, while the vendor’s recipe still needs confirmation. A sweet snack is also different from planning a satisfying main meal.
A dietary preference is not the same as an allergy. If you have an allergy, tell the restaurant explicitly and ask about cross-contact as well as ingredients. A dietary tag or a ‘no meat’ request cannot provide an allergy guarantee.
Water spinach with shrimp paste · 虾酱空心菜
Water spinach stir-fried with fermented shrimp paste, garlic and red chili. The leaves carry a strong savory aroma while the hollow stems retain some bite.
Contains crustaceans from shrimp paste and is not vegetarian or vegan. Ask about chili if you prefer mild food.
Luohan zhai (Buddha’s delight) · 罗汉斋
A Cantonese-style braise of napa cabbage, mushrooms, soy-milk skin, tofu puffs, eggplant, water chestnuts and glass noodles, flavored with red fermented bean curd.
Contains soy and sesame. Sauces may contain wheat; versions with oyster sauce contain molluscs. Cooking wine is used.
Vegetable dumplings · 素馅饺子
Wheat dumplings filled with cabbage, shiitake, carrot, onion and Chinese chives. The selected steamed version uses plant oil, without egg or meat.
Contains wheat, soy and sesame; this version uses cooking wine. Check wrapper and filling if avoiding egg or seafood.
Lettuce with oyster sauce · 蚝油生菜
Blanched lettuce dressed with savory oyster sauce and garlic. This cooked vegetable side contains oysters in the sauce.
Contains molluscs; soy sauce and other seasonings may contain soy and wheat. This version also uses cooking wine.
Wood-ear mushroom salad · 凉拌木耳
Cooked, chilled wood-ear mushrooms with garlic, black vinegar, light soy sauce and sesame oil. This version has no walnuts.
Contains sesame and soy; soy sauce may contain wheat. Confirm added nuts if relevant. The mushrooms are cooked before chilling.
Before you order
- Ask about sauces, broth and cooking fat.
- Check the filling inside tofu, buns and pastries.
- For vegan meals, specify eggs, milk and other animal products.
- Communicate allergies separately and confirm cross-contact with the kitchen.
Phrases to show at the table
我不吃肉、鱼和海鲜，也不吃肉汤和猪油。
I do not eat meat, fish or seafood, or meat broth or lard.
我吃纯素，不吃肉、鱼、海鲜、蛋、奶、蜂蜜，也不吃含这些成分的汤、酱料或动物油。有哪些菜适合我？
I am vegan. I do not eat meat, fish, seafood, eggs, dairy or honey, or broths and sauces containing them, or animal fats. Which dishes would suit me?
这个含饮料吗？
Is a drink included?
这个是甜的还是咸的？
Is this sweet or savoury?
Turn curiosity into a shortlist.
Pick one food you are curious about and keep its Chinese name with your notes. Use the questions above when you compare it with a restaurant menu.
Browse dishes before asking the kitchen
