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If you are a vegan and have even a skerrick of a social life, you are likely
to have to deal with the perils of dining in a non-vegan restaurant at some stage.
Unless all of your friends and family are vegan (or unusually passionate about
lentils), this will probably come up with alarming frequency. The thought of
sifting through yet another menu, searching for that elusive "safe" meal can make
restaurant dining a tense experience and staying at home an attractive option.
Determined to turn this around, I spoke to
Adam's first tip is a logical but often overlooked one. Call ahead. "If the chef has some warning, you will end up with something more impressive than if something is slapped together in the middle of a dinner rush." This also allows you to relax and enjoy your wine while everyone else is still deciding what to order.
If your meal is more of a spontaneous event (and vegans have just as much right
to spontaneity as anyone else), Adam says that, "You need to be aware that there
are animal products hidden in places that you may not expect. Thai and Vietnamese
restaurants offer a lot of great dishes full of vegetables and tofu that, on initial
inspection, look like a vegan dream, but what you need to be aware of is that
a lot of them are cooked with fish sauce or stock and the red curries are made
with shrimp paste. You need to be careful in Chinese restaurants too, because
they use a lot of oyster sauce. Most Asian countries' cuisines have a basis in
seafood that can be difficult to avoid." Seemingly safe dishes such as vegetable curries, soups and risottos prove to be a minefield too, with possible hidden ingredients including chicken stock, butter and parmesan cheese. The apparently reliable pasta may be made with eggs, although this is generally more expensive and time-consuming, so most restaurants steer clear of it. Even some brands of Worcestershire sauce are made with anchovies. "I know it's a cliché," said Adam, "but the devil is always going to be in the detail and it is hard to find food on the menu that is completely vegan." The important thing is to ask questions, according to Adam. "Don't limit yourself to asking about specific ingredients, though, because there may be something in a dish that you haven;t thought to inquire about." It is also imperative that you don't assume that they know what vegan means. "You have to be direct and specific - tell them that you are vegan and ask if there are any animal by-products in the meal at all. Chefs will use ingredients to enhance flavours, particularly butter and animal stock, without thinking." All of this might seem a bit on the negative side and have you hiding in your kitchen where it's safe, but I was optimistic when I asked Adam to let us in on the big secret that can change everything. What are the reliable meals that you can confidently order in a restaurant and know they are going to be vegan? It is at this point that my bubble burst when he replied flatly, "There aren't any." He went on to explain, "There is just too much variety in cuisines and individual styles of cooking for anything to be reliable one hundred per cent of the time. Nobody follows the recipe books any more." Of course, there will be times that there is nothing suitable on the menu, but Adam says this is no reason to be concerned. Vegans shouldn't be afraid to ask for what they want. "Special dietary requirements are more commonplace than ever - we are often asked for meals without dairy or gluten, and vegetarianism and veganism aren't really the eyebrow raisers they used to be. You are a paying customer with every right to ask for what you want, and your requests may make it a little easier for the next vegan who comes along." So there you have it: no secret password or instantaneous solution, but still a game plan. Call ahead if possible, ask questions and be assertive. If a particular establishment proves unhelpful, let them know about it, take your business elsewhere and make sure that next time, you choose the restaurant. Don’t be the one who always accommodates others - introduce your friends and family to some of your favourite haunts, not to mention some healthy and cruelty-free dining. A nd if you find a restaurant that is vegan-friendly and has great food, don’t keep it to yourself - tell everyone! Carolyn Tate is a freelance writer and editor based in Melbourne, Australia. She has been a vegan for around five years. If you have any comments or suggestions, email Carolyn at monsterorange@yahoo.com   Copyright 2002 Veggieheadonline.com
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