Vegetarian and vegan at Ugly Dumpling: what to order and what to ask
The menu has real vegan dishes, not only side salads. The catch is that it is a dumpling restaurant, so cross-contact and broth are worth a question before you order.
Dishes marked vegan or with a vegan option
Vegan dumplings come steamed or fried in an order of six ($9.20 to $10.35). Spicy wontons in chili oil have a vegan filling option ($11.50 to $12.65), and wonton soup does too ($10.35 to $12.65). On the sides, edamame ($6.90), garlic stir-fried greens ($13.80 to $14.95), white rice and plain noodles are plant-based on their face.
The original menu also listed a vegan wonton in both its spicy and soup forms, so the option has been part of the concept from the beginning.
Vegetarian, but not vegan
Scallion pancake, cucumber salad, egg fried rice, cream cheese rangoon and mozzarella sticks contain no meat. Several contain egg or dairy, so they are vegetarian rather than vegan. Check the cucumber salad dressing if you avoid fish sauces or similar seasonings.
Questions to ask the staff
Ask whether the vegan dumplings are cooked in the same fryer or steamer basket as meat dumplings, and whether the broth in the vegan wonton soup is vegetable based. We cannot answer that for you because kitchens differ.
A vegan meal for two
Vegan dumplings, vegan spicy wontons, garlic greens and white rice comes to roughly $35 before tax and tip, using the low end of each range. The ordering guide explains how to pace the courses, and the full menu tags the vegan and vegetarian items.
Is Ugly Dumpling gluten free?
Mostly no. Dumpling wrappers, bao, noodles and pancakes are made from wheat flour, and soy sauce, which seasons many fillings and sauces, usually contains wheat too. That rules out the soup dumplings, dim sum, wontons and noodles for anyone avoiding gluten.
The dishes with the fewest obvious wheat ingredients are edamame, plain white rice and the garlic greens, but the greens may be cooked with soy-based sauce in a shared wok. If you have celiac disease, tell the restaurant before you order and ask what they can prepare separately. We cannot vouch for any dish as gluten free.
Five questions to ask before you order
Is the vegan filling cooked in the same steamer or fryer as the meat dumplings? Is the broth in the wonton soup made with meat stock? Does the chili oil contain shrimp or dried fish? Do the fried rice and noodle dishes use egg? Is the scallion pancake made with butter or egg?
Asking all five takes a minute and avoids unpleasant surprises. Staff can usually answer them, and a clear answer is a good sign.
Vegan dishes by price
Edamame is $6.90. Steamed or fried vegan dumplings are $9.20 to $10.35. Spicy vegan wontons in chili oil are $11.50 to $12.65, and vegan wonton soup is $10.35 to $12.65. Garlic greens are $13.80 to $14.95. If you order one of each of the last four, that is about $45 before tax and tip, which feeds three.
Questions people ask
Does Ugly Dumpling have vegan dumplings?
Yes. Vegan dumplings are on the dim sum list, steamed or fried.
Are the soup dumplings vegetarian?
No. The listed soup dumplings use pork, chicken, crab or shrimp.
Is the menu safe for a food allergy?
We cannot say. Tell the restaurant about the allergy and ask how it handles cross-contact.