Vegetarian, halal, and allergies

✅ Updated May 2026

Eating with restrictions is doable with a little preparation. For vegetarian, say 我吃素 (wǒ chī sù); note that dishes may use meat broth or oyster sauce, so add 不要肉 (no meat) or 不要鸡蛋 (no egg) if needed. Halal food is widely available at Muslim (清真, qīngzhēn) restaurants, often Lanzhou noodle shops. For allergies, carry a card written in Chinese naming what you cannot eat — peanuts (花生), seafood (海鲜) — since cross-contamination is common. Translation apps with camera mode help you decode menus.