The Vegan Guide to Chinese Barbecue (Shaokao)

A barbecue joint might sound like the least vegan-friendly type of establishment, but not in China! Chinese barbecue restaurants, also known as “Shaokao canting” in Chinese, are filled with delicious veggie options.

Some vegans may lament the issue of cross-contamination since the meat and vegetables are often prepared on the same grill. While I agree there’s a bit of a “yuck factor” in this knowledge, I personally don’t have an issue with cross-contamination because I don’t have any food intolerances and as long as I don’t order any meat, I don’t feel like I’m creating demand for animal products. Furthermore, if vegans limit their outings to vegan establishments, it can be socially isolating and it also doesn’t help bring awareness to the cause. So unless you have severe allergies, I encourage you to explore the vegan options at your the local Shaokao 烧烤 (Chinese barbecue). Below are some of my favourites!

烤年糕 Kǎo Niángāo (BBQ Rice Cake)

If you’re like me and a big mochi fan, but more of a savoury tooth, you’ll love kǎo niángāo. It’s crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and seasoned with the classic shaokao seasoning of cumin seeds, dried red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Order a few because it’s hard to stop at just one!

2. 烤茄子 Kǎo Qiézi (BBQ Eggplant)

As far as I’m concerned this dish is a non-negotiable order. Even if you don’t like eggplant much in your home country, I’ll place my bets that you’ll end up loving shaokao eggplant - it’s simply out of this world! It’s usually served split down the middle with lots of spices and garlic, and the way the flesh shreds off the skin and melts in your mouth is unbelievably sexy (yeah, I know, the word choice is interesting for a vegan… but you’ll understand when you try it!).

3. 金针菇 Jīnzhēngū (Golden Needle Mushrooms)

You may also know these mushrooms by their Japanese name, enoki mushrooms. They have a mild flavour, crisp taste. They can be served wrapped in tofu skin and grilled, or on their own bathed in delicious garlicky, scallion and chilli sauce. Also known as the “See you tomorrow” mushrooms (明天见）- the fun doesn’t stop with these little guys!

4. 烤韭菜 Kǎo Jiǔcài（Chinese Chives）

Call me an old-school vegan, but I still feel like a meal isn’t complete without something green on the table. While there isn’t much green to be found at a Shaokao restaurant, Jiucai (a.k.a. Chinese chives or Chinese leeks) are always on the menu. They have a subtle garlic flavour to them, and are much more fun to eat than stupid ol’ lettuce! If you just want a sample instead of a full order, there’s usually some to be found wrapped in tofu skin on skewers (豆皮卷韭菜 dòu pí juǎn jiǔcài).

5. 毛豆花生 Máodòu Huāshēng (Edamame and peanuts)

This is an extremely simple dish, but it’s such a great snack with a cold pint of beer on a hot summer night! The beans and peanuts are boiled in a mixture of soy sauce, garlic, and spices (fennel seed, Sichuan peppercorn, star anise, and cloves). It’s a nice, flavourful, fresh respite from all of the barbecued dishes.

6. 烤面筋 Kǎo Miànjīn (Seitan Sausage)

At first glance, these definitely don’t look vegan, but these sausage-like skewers are just pure seitan. They can taste quite meaty, which may turn some vegans off, but I quite like the chewy textural element plus the mega dose of protein.

7. 烤大蒜串 Kǎo Dàsuàn Chuàn (Grilled Garlic Cloves)

It’s not for everyone, but I personally love the taste of barbecued garlic. The barbecue caramelizes it so you don’t need to worry about that raw garlic stank, but it’s still firm and slightly crunchy.

8. 烤豆腐 Kǎo Dòufu (BBQ Tofu)

Of course you’ve gotta get some tofu! Shaokao restaurants serve it in many forms - tofu skin (豆皮), Japanese-style Chiba tofu (千叶豆腐), stinky tofu (臭豆腐), “pocket” tofu that’s crispy on the outside, soft on the inside (包浆豆腐), to name a few. Just keep an eye out for “鱼豆腐” - fish tofu, which is also popular in Chinese barbecue joints but not vegan (as the name suggests ;) ).

9. 烤土豆片 Kǎo Tǔdòupiàn (Grilled Potato Chips)

Who wouldn’t love a skewer of thin, crunchy sliced potatoes covered in salt and spices? Another favourite dish of mine, 土豆丝 tǔdòu sī (shredded potatoes) is also a common menu item at Shaokao restaurants.

10. 啤酒 Píjiǔ (Beer）

Nothing pairs with Shaokao better than an ice-cold beer. Luckily, most beer in China is vegan friendly (ex. Tsingtao Beer 青岛啤酒, Snow Beer 雪花啤酒). As of writing, Yanjing 燕京 beer from Beijing unfortunately has yet to confirm whether their filtration process uses animal products, but the ingredient list is vegan). If you want to check out the vegan status of your alcohol, Barnivore is a fantastic resource!

Extra tips for enjoying vegan shaokao

This list is not exhaustive, and each Chinese barbecue will have its own delicious vegan options to try. The most typical Chinese barbecue joints I’ve seen usually don’t have menus with pictures, which can be difficult for those who can’t read Chinese. To get the most out of the menu, here are some tips (assuming you don’t have a Chinese speaker with you:

Look for a section of the menu labelled “冷菜” (lěngcài) or “凉菜” (liángcài). Both terms mean “cold dishes” and have a lot of delicious appetizers like shredded tofu (豆腐丝 dòufu sī), spinach and peanut salad with black vinegar (老醋菠菜花生 Lǎo cù bōcài huāshēng). This section is also great if you are not comfortable with eating vegetables prepared on the same grill as meat.
Look for a section marked “蔬菜” (Shūcài - vegetables). This is mostly a safe bet. HOWEVER, on more than one occasion I have seen “蝉蛹” Chán yǒng listed here which are definitely not vegetables… they are cicada larva. Yuck!
Find a place that uses an app to order. App versions of the menu will typically contain pictures you can reference.

Have you been to a Shaokao restaurant before? What are your favourite dishes?