Vegan Chinese Menu for a Cocktail Party

Overview

A vegan chinese cocktail party is a specific brief with specific answers. Vegan party food has had a decade of serious development. The best vegan entertaining draws on Middle Eastern, South Asian, and East Asian traditions that were never built around animal products to begin with. Combined with a chinese approach, you get a menu that: family-style scales perfectly; dim sum format for cocktail parties.

What to Avoid

• all animal products
• dairy
• eggs
• honey

Menu Ideas

The following dishes from chinese cooking work well for this combination:

• har gow — Note: avoid all animal products and dairy in preparation.
• char siu — Naturally compatible with vegan requirements.
• mapo tofu — Naturally compatible with vegan requirements.

Drinks Pairing

Cocktails, wine, sparkling water. For vegan guests, verify all drinks are compatible — particularly wines (some contain dairy-based fining agents) and cocktails with cream liqueurs.

Quantity Guide

For a cocktail party of 15–80 people: plan $18–$55 per head for food, which should comfortably cover a two-course meal or a substantial buffet. For exact piece counts, use the Portion Calculator.

Make-Ahead Notes

Chinese food for a cocktail party responds well to advance preparation. I would schedule two cooking sessions: one 2–3 days before the event for any braises, sauces, or baked elements; one the morning of the event for final seasoning, garnishes, and anything that needs a fresh component.