Went out for sushi...

And didn't eat any fish!! Usually I used to just eat it because people always order communially and share everything and I don't wanna cause trouble.. (that was the only time I would ever eat fish, I know its still bad though) but yeah lately I've been deciding that I don't want to do that anymore at all!

We went out for my boyfriend's brothers birthday and they were just ordering huge platters (and ordered while I was in the bathroom) and I was just going to regretfully eat it cuz I've had a cold and was just blah, until the waitress asked if anyone was a vegetarian. She was so nice, told me they had tofu to replace stuff in the sushi and told me the miso soup wasn't vegetarian (which made me wonder if it wasn't other places too) and yeah that really made me happy. So my boyfriend's mom was really nice too and said she would share a vegetarian sushi platter with me so I was very happy about that! I really didn't want to eat fish and I don't think I will again..

So yeah just had to tell you guys about that cuz I'm proud of myself (even though other people definitely helped me) and happy about it.

Also in a few weeks I'll be a vegetarian for a whole year! I was one for a year a long time ago too but I'm much more strict and serious about it this time. I really don't think I'll ever ever eat meat again.

 

What an awesome restaurant to be proactive like that! And good for you! Being someone's guest for dinner makes it very hard for me to stick up for myself and my beliefs--you did awesome! (Sounds like your bf has an awesome mom, too!!)

 

Good for you
I saw how to make vegan sushi on 'the post punk kitchen' and so badly want to try it now (haven't had sushi before, veg or otherwise).

 

Ooh, vegetarian sushi? I never got around to trying sushi, but is this any good? It always looks so pretty.
love,
mom

 

Perhaps the waitress is a veggie?

 

that is good of them to let you know.

Why most miso isn't veg: they use bonito, which is dried fish flakes to flavour the stock. They take them out before serving, which with language barriers and the definition of "vegetarian" may be hard for some people to understand. I do not eat miso out anywhere because of this.

If anyone is interested, we had sushi tonight. I'm vegan, bf is vegetarian, and we had omnis over as well.

We had hot and sour Szechuan soup (I know that's not Japanese) and the following rolls:
Seitan/green bell pepper
Avocado/carrot/green onion
Avocado/green onion/carrot/red bell pepper
Red bell pepper/teriyaki mushroom/miso mayo

here are some pics
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r252/Pamelacooks/sushi2.jpg
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r252/Pamelacooks/sushi3.jpg
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r252/Pamelacooks/sushi4.jpg


eta- also, there is this place by my mom's who will do a tempura veggie roll. It is amazing!

 

Maybe it was not so much the restaurant but the waitress who is veggie friendly. Either way that is great.

 

Thanks for the responses guys! Makes me feel good. =)


And drumminmama the restaurant was called Nano, its in Annapolis, Maryland. I definitely thanked the waitress and told her that I really appreciated it. Maybe I will write a letter, thats a good idea. Even if it was just her not the restaurant they should appreciate her and have more people doing the same thing.

And thanks RealPamela for telling us why miso soup isn't vegetarian. I never knew that.

You guys rock!!!

 

Sounds like you had a wonderful day, not only was the waitress great but your boyfriend's Mom sharing a vegetarian sushi platter with you was especially considerate.

 

As a veggie who has worked in restuarants for most of my life, I have always wondered:

Do you ever ask what menu items are available for vegetarians? vegans? lacto-ovos? etc? Most chain restuarant menus appear to clearly mark the vegetarian items, and every bigger restuarnat I've worked at have trained the servers to know and to be able to recommend vegetarian items.

Is it not the same in other places? I mean, I live in the province of Hickville, so if the people here are worldly enough to label "VEGETARIAN" by the vegetarian menu items, I've always just figured it must be the same in other places.

 

Miso soup isn't vegetarian!!! I love that shit. I can taste chicken brooth in a soup, like the 'other' soups they serve, but miso tasted vegetarian to me!!!

p.s. I know I should ask, but I don't trust servers in telling me the truth (I use to waitress and know what people will say just to please a customer WITHOUT doing the work).

that fuckin sucks. p.s way to go. sushi's generally the only time I eat fish. I wish they had tofu and stuff to replace the fish here, since the plain vegetarian sushi I find boring compared to the fish. Way to go!

 

Do you ask, treehugger? They might have tofu.. in fact they probably do and they will probably make up something for you if you ask. Think about it, asian food is big on the tofu so they most likely have it.

But yeah thats the thing. Just have to have the guts to ask if its vegetarian or if something could be made for you. I don't like asking though blah but it is a fantastic idea!

 

I've worked in a lot of resturants and have always found the servers and cooks to be willing to make something veggie for a veggie. The resturant I am currently working at has some veggie options, but offers a lot of things that aren't on the menu that we can whip up. Also, we are all educated on what is veggie and what isn't... for example our caesar dressing has anchovies as well as eggs.

I've never known a server to lie. At Moxies, for example, lying about menu content to a costumer has resulted in dismissal. We are talking about religious dietary concerns, and being a veggie is equal to religious dietary restrictions, and it has always been treated as such.

 

If you are a vegetarian and like sushi rolls I recommend the Gobo. The american word is burdock, and the japanese word is Gobo. It looks alot like carrots in color. It tastes good and is worth asking for. Not too many sushi places serve it.

It is the root of a medicinal herb highly valued in Japan.

 

the secret flavour when making miso is dashi, most dashi contains bonito as said before which is a type of fish. You can however find seaweed only stocks that you can add into your miso (which is only soy if you check the ingrediants) and this recreates that authentic miso flavour. Most restaurants however do use dashi which contains bonito. Miso on it's own doesn't quite ever tase quite like the real thing and this extra add in is the secret ingredient. I will try and take a pic of the one I use so you can look for it.

 

Yeah I went to Carraba's, an Italian restaurant, and they basically told me they could make anything I wanted (even without knowing I was vegetarian). And every like veggie mag that I read (like those peta thingies) always says that restaurants will make whip something up for you.

 

most chinese resturaunt chains will only use the seeweed and the broth of seaweed instead of fish flakes in tofu miso..i LOVE tofu miso..and here at least u can get MANY vegan or omni or vegetarian variaties

 

Don't be afraid to ask for something slightly different. The restaurant is glad to take your money, they should be glad to make you something. You aren't asking for a vegan, gluten-free, low-sugar, low-sodium, fat-free 5-course meal. They can throw some pasta and veggies together.

WATCH OUT FOR CARRABBA'S marinara. NOT vegetarian. Has anchovies in it.

Also, since it is a little more work for the server, please tip nicely. You should anyway unless the service is crap, but represent well