Vegetarian-friendly Dim Sum?

OP didn’t say vegan. As long as they’re not getting an animal protein as one of the main ingredients usually vegetarians ignore other things made from animals

1 Like

I didn’t know that. I separate out vegans for the milk, cheese, etc. but thought vegetarians wouldn’t eat, say, beef stock. But, hey, what do I know?

1 Like

I don’t know either. I eat anything softer than rocks

3 Likes

As do I :slight_smile:

2 Likes

This is something that will probably differ from vegetarian to vegetarian, as some are more strict than others. I don’t cook with animal stock/broth and try to avoid it when eating at restaurants. On the other hand, I don’t mind eating vegetarian food that is cooked on the same surface as meat products. Most traditional Asian restaurants are out for me, so I end up going to Chinese or Vietnamese restaurants that specifically cater to vegetarians or to put it delicately, ones that have a lot of non-Asian customers because they tend to be more aware or understanding of dietary choices and restrictions.

I speak Vietnamese decently, which helps, and there is a tradition of Vietnamese vegetarianism due to Buddhist influence. But at non-veg Vietnamese places, there can still be some confusion. I’ve been to several pho restaurants where they list “pho chay” which means vegetarian, but it still uses the same beef-based broth as regular pho. Or they will make a tofu banh xeo (sizzling crepe) but serve it with regular nuoc cham on the side (made with fish sauce). I don’t make a big fuss about it because it’s a dietary choice I’ve made. Most restaurants mean well and can accommodate as long as I don’t ask for anything too complicated.

4 Likes

Kind of like me avoiding the fake Shenyang dog meat at Northern Restaurant in San Gabriel.

i confess to trying the fake dog meat at the now defunct shen yang that was on garvey in MP. never having had dog meat, i couldn’t tell you how accurate an imitation it was. but i’d eat dog if it was the difference between starving or not.

and given that we allegedly taken like chicken, i’d probably make the best of it and make a chili garlic sauce and a ginger scallion sauce to go with the the dark soy sauce over rice.

Is that still on the menu there?

Has that finally switched? Apparently the deal fell through and it continued on as Shen Yang, serving Dongbei-style food, long, long afterwards. Last time I checked (a couple of weeks ago), it was still going.

1 Like

Me too.

But I’d definitely order it if it was real dog meat.

1 Like

When we were in Vietnam, suddenly I saw dead, cooked dogs hanging from hooks along the street. While I don’t have a problem ethically with this, because I’ve had dogs I’d have a hard time eating them. Plus in SE Asia family pets are being stolen for their meat.

Well Yelp seems to highlight it.

1 Like

really? i wrote it off months ago. they made the best naengmyeon in the SGV IMO. the last time i was there we were entertained by neighborhood drama through the front window as the wife of the store owner next door showed up in time to catch said store owner with his mistress.

1 Like

I agree - especially with the “more strict than others” bit. Like @hahngry (hi and welcome!), I don’t cook with animal stock/broth and do my best to avoid it when eating out. (I’ll ask if a vegetable soup is made with vegetable broth or a meat broth and such.)

I have vegetarian friends who are not comfortable with the idea of shared cooking surfaces and such (er, a grill used for both meat-based burgers and veggie burgers, for example) and others who shrug. (I’m in the “shrug” camp.)

We all seem to draw our own lines and are flexible/inflexible at different points, a lot of which may be based on why one has chosen to be vegetarian (or vegan) (animal welfare, factory farming, environment, animal rights, religious/spiritual beliefs, etc.).

2 Likes

Without wishing to pull this further OT, I wonder what it is about that space? When it was still the vegetarian place (Happy Garden? Happy Family?), I once witnessed the chef engaged in a vigorous, loud argument with a person I assume was the owner, out the door and onto the sidewalk, where it culminated with the chef throwing his wadded up apron at the owner, followed by giving him a shove before he stomped off.

ipse, bad feng shui?