Old Jesse is a local treasure, but it has 100+ dishes on the menu – making it tough for anyone to order perfectly. We have written an Old Jesse Ordering Guide for Omnivores, but vegetarians need not shy away – there are plenty of tasty meat-free options.
We’ve put together an Old Jesse ordering guide for our vegetarian friends to help you navigate the extensive menu. Here are some of our favorite vegetarian dishes at Old Jesse.
Old Jesse Vegetarian Ordering Guide in Pictures
Recommended Appetizers:
Xin tai ruan (心太软) literally translates as “the heart is too soft). It is “Dates Stuffed with Glutinous Rice”.
Fuzhu qiang mogu (腐竹炝蘑菇). On the menu as: Mixed Mushroom with Beancurd Sheet. Yuba, or tofu skin, stir-fried with mushrooms, cilantro/coriander, and chilis – but this is not even slightly spicy. The chilis are for color. This dish has converted many a tofu hater!
Sixi kaofu (四喜烤麸) – Braised wheat gluten with peanuts and mushrooms. On the menu as Ko-Fu (Braised Wheat Bean).
Yuxiang Qiezi (鱼香茄子) – Fish fragrant braised eggplant – no actual fish here. The sauce has chili, garlic, spring onion, and ginger.
Xiangcai Dougan (香菜豆干) – Dried pressed tofu with coriander/cilantro. On the menu as Dried Beancurd with Parsley.
Doumiao (豆苗) – Pea shoots sauteed in Chinese wine. On the menu as “Wine Sugar Peas”.
Sun gan ban mian (笋干拌面) – crispy young bamboo atop delicious noodles. On the menu as “Dried Bamboo Shoots Noodles”.
Congyou ban mian (葱油拌面) – A delicious Shanghai classic and not to be missed. On the menu as “Braised Noodles with Scallion Oil”.
Quick note on Shanghai Vegetable Rice: This name is deceiving — watch out! There’s meat hiding in this dish.
The menu has English descriptions in addition to Chinese characters, so don’t worry if you don’t know your 年高 from your 年糕 yet.
Address: 41 Tianping Lu, near Huaihai Lu; 天平路41号近淮海中路
Metro: Line 11, Jiao Tong University
Telephone: +86 21 6282 9260
Hours: 11am-2:30am
There’s so much more for vegetarians to discover in Shanghai! Check out our other veg blogs for more recommendations and useful phrases. If you’re looking for a further Shanghai foodie experience, join our Night Eats or Street Eats Breakfast where you’ll discover exciting flavors, hidden gems, and new favorites. We gladly accommodate dietary restrictions. Happy (meat-free) eating!
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