Is Wonton Mee Vegetarian? (Pork & Shrimp Dumplings)

Wonton mee is egg noodles with dumplings and sliced pork, which makes it a pork dish even when it looks like just noodles. Here is what makes it non-vegetarian, and the plant-based version.

Key Takeaways

• Wonton mee is not vegetarian: the wontons are filled with pork and shrimp.
• It also comes with char siu (barbecue pork) and is often cooked in lard.
• The noodles are egg-based, so they are vegetarian but not vegan.
• Ask for vegetable dumplings, no char siu, no lard and a vegetable sauce.

TL;DR: Wonton mee is not vegetarian: it’s egg noodles served with wontons filled with pork and shrimp, plus char siu (barbecue pork) and often lard. A vegetarian version exists.

What’s in wonton mee

• Egg noodles: vegetarian (egg), not vegan.
• Wontons: dumplings filled with pork and/or shrimp.
• Char siu: sliced barbecue pork.
• Stock / lard: the sauce and cooking fat often contain pork.
• Choy sum (greens): vegetarian.

So every protein element is pork or shrimp.

The vegetarian version

Vegetarian wonton mee replaces the wontons with vegetable or mushroom dumplings and drops the char siu. Ask for no lard, no pork, no shrimp and a vegetable-based sauce.

The bottom line

• Vegetarian? Only the made-veg version.
• Vegan? Same, plus egg-free noodles.

See our Wonton Mee dish guide for the full breakdown.

Check before you eat. The Verify Veg app scans a barcode or reads an ingredient list from a photo and flags ingredients against your diet (vegan, vegetarian, halal, kosher, Jain and more). Download on the App Store - Android is coming soon.

Written by Samir Narain, founder of Verify Veg. Verify Veg helps people check packaged food against their diet by scanning barcodes and reading ingredient lists from photos.

Note: Verify Veg provides ingredient-based compatibility checks, not certification. Recipes and preparations vary by restaurant, region and cook, so always confirm with the restaurant, brand or vendor.