6 Vegan and Delivery-Friendly Chinese Noodles

Due to the current policies aimed to reduce the spread of Covid 19, Beijing restaurants are all closed for the forseeable. Lucky for us, delivery is still available in most parts of the city.

Many of my followers on Instagram have expressed an interest in supporting their local Chinese establishments during this difficult time, but are concerned about ordering from unfamiliar places on the off-chance their take-out comes with meat, egg, or is cooked in lard…etc. #veganinchinaproblems.

Well never fear, here are 6 delivery noodles that are pretty much guaranteed* to be vegan no matter where you order them from！

1. 油泼面 You Po Main (Hot Oil Noodles)

Hot oil noodles (Yóu pō miàn) are incredibly flavourful despite the minimal ingredients. It’s a little oily (you can’t blame the name for deceiving you!), but super indulgent and worth it! Admittedly these are always better when eaten fresh in-house, but we ain’t got that option at the moment in Beijing (unless you want to try making your own, in which case I highly recommend this recipe from The Woks of Life).

This droolworthy dish is prepared by pouring hot oil directly over raw garlic, scallions, cilantro, and chilli flakes to release their fragrance over a bed of fresh noodles. The dish is rounded out with a few splashes of soy sauce and black vinegar. The best ones also come with a few greens like baby bok choy, as well as some cubed root vegetables like carrot, Chinese radish, or even potato.

2. 热干面 Re Gan Mian (Hot Dry Noodles)

This dish originally hails from Wuhan, but is popular all over China. Thin wheat noodles are coated with a silky sesame sauce and topped with pickled vegetables, chilli and chopped scallions. The secret to the infamous chew of re gan mian is that the noodles are cooked once, dried and cooled, and then quickly boiled again just before serving. Personally, I love adding a splash of black vinegar and a little toasted sesame oil on my delivery order to freshen it up.

3. 凉皮 Liangpi (Cold Skin Noodles)

I know the English translation “cold skin noodles” gives very Halloweeny horror film vibes, but you must give liangpi a chance! It’s one of my favourite dishes to eat in hot weather (and it’s also generally quite cheap). Liangpi are chewy, bouncy wheat noodles topped with julienned vegetables, spongey gluten and a choice of sesame or chilli sauce. When I order Liangpi I always look for ones that offer both sauce choices together, because that’s the chaotic energy I live for.

4. 牛筋面 Niu Jin Mian (Beef Tendon Noodles)

Another noodle recommendation that will have you questioning whether Vegan in China is actually a carnivorous troll ;P. The noodle’s interesting name originates from the fact that this porous noodle supposedly resembles a beef tendon, but in reality, it’s just Liangpi’s thicker, chewier cousin.

5. 葱油拌面 Cong You Ban Mian (Scallion Oil Noodles)

Shanghai scallion oil noodles are easily one of my favourite comfort dishes, and great for when you need to take a break from spice. The ingredients list is basically the name - scallion oil, noodles, and a bit of soy sauce and sugar. It’s salty, sweet, umami, and one of those dishes that has you feeling nostalgic whether or not you grew up on it. I especially love the crispy green onions on top, the more generous the better!

6. 甜水面 Tian Shui Mian (Sweet Water Noodles)

These noodles are THICC, chewy and cooked perfectly to al dente. Actually, the texture of these noodles is quite similar to Japanese udon, but tian shui mian have characteristic jagged edges that help the sauce coat the noodles perfectly. The sauce is traditionally vegan and made with sesame paste, sugar, and a condensed soy sauce and often garnished with garlic, chilli oil, black vinegar, and Sichuan peppercorn for that classic Sichuan mala 麻辣 buzz.

*How can I guarantee that my noodle order will be vegan?

As anybody living in China knows, nothing is 100% certain. These noodle dishes are all traditionally vegan, and shouldn’t contain any animal products. I have tried to compile a list of noodles which are accessible to my vegan friends all over China, but of course, I have no say in how every restaurant prepares its own signature dish. To be extra cautious when ordering, I recommend copying this phrase into the “备注” (bèi zhù， special remarks) section of your delivery app:

我吃纯素。不要肉，鸡肉，鸡蛋，鱼或虾。请用植物油。谢谢。
Pinyin: Wǒ chī chún sù. Bùyào ròu, jīròu, jīdàn, yú huò xiā. Qǐng yòng zhíwùyóu. Xièxiè.
Translation: I am vegan. No meat, chicken, egg, fish, or shrimp. Please use vegetable oil. Thank you.

What’s your go-to for Chinese delivery? Did I miss any of your favourite noodle dishes? Sound off in the comments below!