Vegetarian Chinese food sounds like it should be easy. China has a 2,000-year Buddhist vegetarian tradition. Tofu, vegetables, and noodles are everywhere. Yet finding genuinely vegetarian, halal certified Chinese food in London is harder than you would expect.
Here is what to look for and what to avoid.
Why vegetarian Chinese is not always halal
Two things complicate it:
1. Cross-contamination. A vegetarian dish cooked in a wok that has previously held pork is not halal. The wok needs to be cleaned to specific standards. Most non-halal kitchens do not do this 2. Hidden ingredients. Stocks, sauces, and seasonings often contain non-halal ingredients. Oyster sauce, fish sauce, lard, chicken stock, Shaoxing wine. A vegetable dish can contain all of these
So a "vegetarian" dish at a non-halal restaurant is not the same as a halal vegetarian dish. The base ingredients are vegetarian, but the cooking process and seasoning may not be halal.
Vegetarian Chinese dishes that are usually halal at proper halal restaurants
At a 100% halal Chinese restaurant like ours, vegetarian dishes are genuinely vegetarian and genuinely halal. Some of the best:
- Hand-pulled noodles in vegetable broth - the broth is made from mushrooms, scallions, ginger, and Chinese cabbage. No animal stock
- Cold sesame noodles - wheat noodles, sesame paste, soy, vinegar, chilli oil
- Mapo tofu (vegetarian version) - silky tofu, fermented bean paste, Sichuan pepper, garlic. Substitute the minced meat for shiitake or remove entirely
- Stir-fried Chinese broccoli with garlic - simple, fresh, deeply savoury
- Vegetable dumplings - cabbage, mushroom, glass noodle, chive
- Cucumber salad with garlic and chilli oil - cold, sharp, addictive
We can adapt most dishes on our menu to be vegetarian. Just ask when you order.
What to avoid
Some dishes look vegetarian but often are not:
- Egg fried rice - frequently cooked with chicken stock or in oil that has held meat
- Hot and sour soup - usually has chicken stock
- Spring rolls - common to find pork, prawn, or oyster sauce in the filling
- Fried tofu - the oil is often shared with meat dishes
- Sweet and sour vegetables - the sauce sometimes uses non-halal vinegar or Shaoxing wine
If a dish description does not specify, ask. A halal certified kitchen will know. A halal-friendly kitchen often does not.
Vegan Chinese food
Vegetarian and vegan are not the same thing. Vegan rules out:
- Eggs (in noodles, dumplings, fried rice)
- Dairy (rare in Chinese food but appears in some fusion dishes)
- Honey (common in glazes and dressings)
Buddhist Chinese cuisine is largely vegan by design. Some dishes use mock meats made from wheat gluten (seitan), tofu skin, or mushroom. Outside specialist Buddhist restaurants, you have to ask carefully.
Where to eat vegetarian halal Chinese in London
A few options:
1. The Greedy Sheep - our menu has a vegetarian section. Halal certified kitchen. Most dishes can be adapted 2. Buddhist vegetarian restaurants - typically vegan, sometimes incidentally halal. Worth checking certifications 3. Halal Chinese restaurants in West London - some offer vegetarian options, mostly Cantonese style
We are at 8 Little Newport Street. Open 12pm to 10pm daily.
A note for vegetarians eating with meat eaters
If you are a vegetarian eating out with meat-eating friends, a halal Chinese restaurant is one of the easiest places to share food. Everyone can eat from the same table. No one has to compromise. The vegetarian dishes are not afterthoughts - they are part of the cuisine's tradition.
That is what we set out to do at The Greedy Sheep. Group dining where everyone eats well, regardless of their diet.
Come hungry. Leave greedy.
