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Eating out, a vegan's nightmare!


mythil
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I am not sure how America is on this subject but I know for a fact that eating out as a vegan in my stretch of the wood, Portsmouth, UK.

 

Whenever I go out for somewhere to eat there is only really a salad on the menu I can eat, a small, green salad with the cheese removed. I've tried a few times to quiz the staff at bars and restaurants on what's in their food and if I could get some things changed to a vegan friendly option but 99% of them look overly confused and usually shake their head after coming back from the chef.

 

To this date I have only found two places I can eat out at in the city, one is a Cafe called "SMile" which does meat dishes and fully vegan dishes and they will even make their vegetarian dishes vegan for you (usually this means removing the cheese but I'm not complaining). However they only open until about 4pm which is a bummer.

 

Secondly is a sushi bistro which is very friendly and will try to make what you ask them (though I had to explain what vegan was to them.. monks in Japan are vegan so saying monk style food usually works) however due to the cooking and so on I've only really got two options which is a tofu bowl (though it's a lot of tofu and rice) or the Veggie Bento which I ask them to take the mayo out of.

 

Also, if I'm staying over a friends place or I'm staying with friends for a few days you can't really get take out. Well you may get the odd Chinese and Dominos will make you a no-cheese pizza but then again do I want to be eating that for days? It usually involved me buying food to make there, which can be a bit embarrassing.

 

Do you guys have any problems, suggestions?

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Hi mythil, my usual safest bet is italian resturaunts, they usually have meatless pasta with tomato sauce and stuff, and olives for side dishes

 

second best bet is indian, great food, but they sometimes use butter, and ghee, and yoghurt in some breads and stuff, but alot have dishes cooked with vegetable oils and stuff

 

then there's health food places, they'll usually have nice wraps and stuff, but maybe not the best atmosphere

 

and last but not least, is local resturaunts owned by locals, we've had a few things at local resturaunts where we know the owners, and they have been able to prepare a small menu especially for me, usually involves pasta, or stir fry type dishes, but yeah, the locals are usually willing to arrange something special for you if you call ahead, or just ask when you get there

 

 

though the pizza without cheese stuff... not worth the calories lol, not to mention, in my more naive years, when i was vegetarian, we looked up dominoes, said they used non-animal rennet cheeses, and had an occasional pizza with them, but almost every time there was meat or shit mixed up with the toppings, stopped eating pizza pretty quick

 

anyway good luck

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Hi mythil, my usual safest bet is italian resturaunts, they usually have meatless pasta with tomato sauce and stuff, and olives for side dishes

 

second best bet is indian, great food, but they sometimes use butter, and ghee, and yoghurt in some breads and stuff, but alot have dishes cooked with vegetable oils and stuff

 

then there's health food places, they'll usually have nice wraps and stuff, but maybe not the best atmosphere

 

and last but not least, is local resturaunts owned by locals, we've had a few things at local resturaunts where we know the owners, and they have been able to prepare a small menu especially for me, usually involves pasta, or stir fry type dishes, but yeah, the locals are usually willing to arrange something special for you if you call ahead, or just ask when you get there

 

 

though the pizza without cheese stuff... not worth the calories lol, not to mention, in my more naive years, when i was vegetarian, we looked up dominoes, said they used non-animal rennet cheeses, and had an occasional pizza with them, but almost every time there was meat or shit mixed up with the toppings, stopped eating pizza pretty quick

 

anyway good luck

 

I know what you mean. However say I'm going to stay with friends in another part of the country, I don't know what's around that I can eat. Even in Portsmouth we don't have the typical family place to eat apart from SMile, and I really like SMile as they are friendly and will let you know exactly what they are putting in your food and most things are cooked there, apart from the vegan burgers but then again it's not a bad burger if you like that sort of thing.

 

Pizza, yea I stopped eating it. I even got a bit wary of Chinese as they would do Tofu dishes but fry some of the stuff in animal based fat or something like it.

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Really man?? I almost never have trouble eating out or getting takeaway, only one pub/restaurant I've been in, in the past 4 years of being vegan hasn't had any vegan options (joe dafloes in southampton). All else fails you can just get jacket potato and beans or go for chips and salad in desperation. With takeaway my friends almost always choose chinese and I get whatever bean curd dish they have available, indians good too! Pizzas the only 'problem' but then like you said you can just say no cheese.

Recently I went to a local place for breakfast/brunch with friends, they all got huge meaty breakfasts whereas I just asked for loads of has browns, toast, beans, chips, tomatoes and mushrooms! No questions asked as it wasn't a problem!

Anyways hope you have better luck in the future mate

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Really man?? I almost never have trouble eating out or getting takeaway, only one pub/restaurant I've been in, in the past 4 years of being vegan hasn't had any vegan options (joe dafloes in southampton). All else fails you can just get jacket potato and beans or go for chips and salad in desperation. With takeaway my friends almost always choose chinese and I get whatever bean curd dish they have available, indians good too! Pizzas the only 'problem' but then like you said you can just say no cheese.

Recently I went to a local place for breakfast/brunch with friends, they all got huge meaty breakfasts whereas I just asked for loads of has browns, toast, beans, chips, tomatoes and mushrooms! No questions asked as it wasn't a problem!

Anyways hope you have better luck in the future mate

 

I guess I just go to the wrong places. Btw when you're in Portsmouth, check SMile, opposite Waitrose near the Southsea shopping center.

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Wagamama is good for eating out and Vegan. You've probably got one in your town centre. The menu doesn't label things as vegan, and some thing need to be modified in order to be vegan (their pickles are soaked in milk), but the staff are always helpful and knowledgable in how they can cater for vegans.

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Wagamama is good for eating out and Vegan. You've probably got one in your town centre. The menu doesn't label things as vegan, and some thing need to be modified in order to be vegan (their pickles are soaked in milk), but the staff are always helpful and knowledgable in how they can cater for vegans.

 

Nah, we have a Yosushi..

 

Also, Shwmae? O ble wyt ti'n dod?

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Sut mae! Dw i'n dod o Gasnewydd ar hyn o bryd. Wyt i'n Cymro?

 

Dw i'n dod o Abertawe. .... Mae fy hofrenfad yn llawn llyswennod

 

Okay I'm far better at spoken Welsh than I am writing it. Plus I've been living in England for a while, kinda got out of practice.

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Come visit Colorado. We have vegetarian restaurants all over Denver and a TON of health-oriented choices in Boulder. I love it and I never knew how good I had it until I realized most do not have these options...

 

Uhh yea.. Probably wont happen as I don't want to fly to American to eat out

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I like the beans and potato with a huge salad option too.

 

 

You are right OP .. it can be tricky. I work in London and have easy access to lots of Vegan friendly places - especially planet organic of lunch.. gorgeous!

 

However where I live is different.. that can be a bit tricky at times but there is always something.

 

I hear you with staying over at friends though. Initially I gave in and said.. oh I'll be veggie for the weekend rather than vegan.. but I soon stopped that and to be honest I just bring my own bits and bobs with me in a cooler.

 

You just gotta suck it up!

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I like the beans and potato with a huge salad option too.

 

 

You are right OP .. it can be tricky. I work in London and have easy access to lots of Vegan friendly places - especially planet organic of lunch.. gorgeous!

 

However where I live is different.. that can be a bit tricky at times but there is always something.

 

I hear you with staying over at friends though. Initially I gave in and said.. oh I'll be veggie for the weekend rather than vegan.. but I soon stopped that and to be honest I just bring my own bits and bobs with me in a cooler.

 

You just gotta suck it up!

 

Yea, I started taking my own food to friends houses when we play games or something. We all used to get Chinese a lot because it's what I could eat but now they want kebabs or whatever, nothing I can eat there so.. Plus if you want a non cheese pizza you still have to eat the whole thing yourself.

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