Welcome to Lao Wai!

Lao Wai is a Chinese-vegetarian restaurant. Our menu is primarily inspired by the genuine Sichuanese and Taiwanese kitchens. Our careful selections of basic and complementary ingredients together with our preparation methods are designed to please the palates of even non-vegetarians!

A little philosophy
Our food contains no eggs or dairy products. We use those ingredients which should be used in Chinese cooking and refrain from all inferior substitutes. For example we use spring onions instead of leeks, dried chili peppers for “gong bao” in place of chili sauce, fresh garlic and ginger rather than powders, rice wine instead of sherry, and so on. We grind our own spices and roast our own nuts and seeds. All sauces are prepared on the spot. Powder or prepackaged sauces are never used.
   We do not use MSG.

Our basic ingredients
Vegetables
Only fresh vegetables are brought into our kitchen. Fresh spring onions, baby corn, coriander, morning-glory, sweet basil, asparagus, longbean, water chestnuts, Chinese broccoli, taro, lotus root, and Chinese celery for example, are flown in regularly from the Far East.
   We use no canned goods.

Tofu (dou fu)
We use fresh organic tofu in all our tofu dishes. Tofu, also known as bean curd, is a very nutritious product made by curdling soybean milk. We feature soft, firm, pressed, and smoked tofu in our dishes.

Soy protein
For our soy protein dishes we use only GMO-free soy products from Japan and Taiwan. These products come in various shapes and flavors, but are used mainly for their texture to complement the vegetables and mushrooms.

Mushrooms
Both fresh and dried mushrooms are used frequently in our dishes: shiitake, forest mushrooms, champignons, oyster mushrooms, chanterelles (in season), cloud ears, and golden needle mushrooms.

Rice
All our dishes are served with jasmine rice of the very best quality. We make our rice often and in smaller quantities to ensure that it is always fresh. Everyone is happy to avoid “tired” rice.

Spices
We flavor our dishes with light, dark, and sweet soy sauce, fresh and dried chilies, chili bean paste, rice wine, Sichuan pepper, 5-spice, sesame oil, homemade chili-, herb-, and spice oils, black fermented beans, and plenty of ginger, garlic, and spring onions.

Food preparation
All our food is prepared with respect and with attentive care, in a wok. Nothing is made ahead of time and then reheated. Each dish is made to order. To attain maximum freshness certain ingredients are even cut, shredded, and chopped only after the order has been taken. We stir-fry in pure vegetable oil.
   We do not use microwave ovens.

A final word
Why not try one of our quality wines priced to give you excellent value? We also have interesting homemade desserts. Excellent aromatic teas. Flavorful cappuccino made from freshly ground espresso beans and specially prepared soybean milk, and there is more...
    We are only too happy to answer any of your questions. Please have a look at the introduction to our menu, with its suggestions for the best way to order when you are a party of two or more. And remember, you are not only welcome to dine at our tables, but also to look around our kitchen.