After struggling to make meals my family wanted, I knew that I had to spruce up my routine. I began chatting with different people about what they typically made for dinner, and a friend of mine mentioned that it could really help to shop at local markets and find fresh foods. I began looking around for places that had things like that, and it was really neat to explore the options I had before me. I found a local market that offered fresh vegetables, and it was cool to incorporate them into the dishes that I was preparing. This blog is all about creating special dishes that work for you and your family.
Those who attempt to follow a strict vegan diet will often choose to dine at vegan eateries, but there's no harm in ordering food at other types of restaurants — provided that you can feel confident about the ingredients that make up your meal. If your friends or your work colleagues plan to visit a local Chinese eatery, and you don't want to miss out on this gathering, you'll want to ask your server a number of questions that he or she can relay to those in the kitchen. Ideally, you'll be able to learn about whether a dish's ingredients will suit your vegan diet. Here are some specific things to check.
Soup Stocks
It's common to begin your Chinese restaurant meal with a bowl of soup, and most establishments have a variety of soups on the menu. Those that contain meat — wonton soup, for example — are obviously ones that you'll want to avoid, but you want to be sure that a soup that appears suitable for you doesn't have meat-based stock. Many soups contain beef or chicken stock, even if the soup doesn't specifically have chunks of meat in it. Ask your server to recommend a soup that has a vegetable-based stock.
Rice
Rice dishes are a popular choice at Chinese restaurants, and there are usually a number of variations of fried rice that will catch your eye. Many varieties of fried rice contain meats such as chicken, pork, and shrimp, but these aren't the only types that you'll want to avoid. Most types of fried rice contain eggs in them. The eggs aren't always apparent unless you look closely — if so, you may notice thin strips of fried egg throughout the rice. Unless your restaurant has a type of fried rice that doesn't include egg, you'll want to stick to boiled rice to honor your vegan diet.
Cooking Oils
You'll also want to talk to your server to determine if the Chinese restaurant has a fryer that the kitchen staff specifically use for meat-free dishes. If you're someone who does all that he or she can to avoid cross contamination with meat products, you might not like the idea of your vegetarian egg roll being fried in the same oil as egg rolls that contain pork, for example. Your server can provide you with confirmation on the kitchen setup, and you can then order the elements of your meal accordingly.
It may be a good idea to visit websites like http://www.lilacblossomrestaurant.com to see if local restaurants list vegan options from their menu.