The Best New Vegetarian and Vegan Dishes from Popular Beijing Restaurants
Whether you’re a vegetarian, vegan, or just preparing yourself for Meat-Free Mondays, Beijing isn’t short of great options for those avoiding meat and animal products. Of course, vegetarian dining doesn’t necessarily mean you have to frequent purely vegetarian restaurants – some of Beijing’s most popular dining destinations have excellent vegetarian options on the menu.
We've put together a selection of some of the best new vegan and vegetarian dishes to grace our favorite restaurants over the past few months.
RELATED: Sichuan Dry-Fried Green Beans: An Adaptable Dish for Veggies and Non-Veggies
Vegan Cauliflower Buffalo "Wings" – The Local, RMB 40
Gone vegan and worried you'll never again experience the sweet, sweet burn of a buffalo chicken wing? Well, worry not, The Local has got you covered with their cauliflower buffalo "wings." The spicy bites came into being as part of the menu for a Vegan Outreach hosted at The Local earlier this year, and they were such a hit with vegans and non-vegans alike that they stuck around on the menu. Non-vegans can ask for a serving of their standard blue cheese dip on the side.
Jerk Tofu – Gail's Caribbean, RMB 35
When Gail Ramroop, a Canadian-born Beijing resident with roots in Trinidad and Tobago, started offering her home cooked Caribbean food delivery service earlier this year, she quickly found that there was a big market for vegan versions of her most popular dishes. She now runs a dedicated vegan menu alongside her regular menu, packed with mouthwatering dishes like spicy jerk marinated tofu and curry corn (RMB 35). Add Gail on WeChat (ID: gailramroop) to place your order (minimum RMB 100, 24-hours notice needed).
Red Quinoa/Mushroom and Artichoke Ceviche/Peppers/Feta/Basil – Mosto, RMB 65
Carnivores may think of Mosto for their steak, and increasingly, for their excellent ceviche but the menu actually has plenty of options for vegetarians and vegans alike. We love the sound of this quinoa-vegetable ceviche combo (see picture at top) from their new autumn-winter menu, with its suitably autumnal red quinoa. Vegans can ask for the dish without feta cheese. Also look out for the seared tofu with soft polenta and spicy curry sauce (RMB 88).
Vegan Pizza – Ramo, RMB 58
Ramo's vegan pizza is generously topped with their homemade tomato sauce and finished with a hearty portion of shiitake mushrooms and bell peppers. This might be the only dish on the menu with "vegan" actually in the title but there are actually plenty of other vegan options (more if you are vegetarian) – we love their hummus flatbread (RMB 46), topped with homemade hummus, roasted onions and cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, and basil.
Roasted Crunchy Cauliflower With Red Pepper Sauce and Parmesan – The Big Smoke, RMB 40
Real talk, this is one of the tastiest cauliflower dishes in Beijing (The Local's cauli wings notwithstanding). A whole head of cauliflower is roasted until tender and charred on the outside, before being topped with a luscious roasted red pepper sauce (very reminiscent of romesco sauce), and finished off with buttery breadcrumbs and a heap of grated parmesan. Not one for vegans then, but a worthy order for vegetarians and non-veggies alike. Also of note are Big Smoke's fried pickled shiitake mushrooms (RMB 40), a new addition to the menu under manager Connor Brennan.
Looking for more recommendations? Check out this list of Beijing's best vegetarian restaurants and dishes from earlier this year, which includes favorites such as Great Leap Brewing #45 Brewpub's Green Machine Pizza and Slow Boat's Dongsi Doufu burger.
Of course, this is just a small selection of the great animal-friendly dishes available around town. Have a favorite? Let us know in the comments!
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Photos courtesy of Mosto, Ramo, Gail's Caribbean Cuisine, Robynne Tindall
