Menu Risk
Chinese Menu Risk Decoder
Chinese menu risks are often hidden in sauces, broths, wrappers, marinades, preserved ingredients, and shared restaurant equipment.
Risk patterns
| Risk | Common signals | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Pork | Char siu, siu mai, dumplings, wontons, lard, sausage, ham, pork broth. | Does this contain pork, lard, sausage, ham, or pork broth? |
| Shellfish | Shrimp, oyster sauce, XO sauce, dried shrimp, seafood broth. | Does this contain shrimp, crab, oyster sauce, dried shrimp, XO sauce, or seafood broth? |
| Gluten / wheat | Soy sauce, wheat noodles, dumpling wrappers, buns, flour coatings, shared fryers. | Is there wheat, flour, regular soy sauce, or a shared fryer? |
| Soy | Soy sauce, tofu, doubanjiang, hoisin, black bean sauce, fermented tofu. | Does this contain soy sauce, tofu, bean paste, or soybean oil? |
| Sesame | Sesame oil, sesame paste, sesame seeds, chili crisp, hot pot sauce. | Does this contain sesame oil, sesame paste, sesame seeds, or sesame in the sauce? |
| Alcohol | Shaoxing wine, cooking wine, rice wine, red-braised dishes, marinades. | Is Shaoxing wine, cooking wine, or rice wine used? |
| Peanuts / tree nuts | Kung pao, dan dan, cold noodles, hot pot sauces, walnut shrimp, cashew chicken. | Are peanuts, tree nuts, nut oil, or nut garnish used? |
| Heat | Ma-la, Sichuan, Hunan, dry pot, water-boiled dishes, chile oil. | Can this be made mild or with chile on the side? |