Does any one know of a restaurants that serve really good vegan food and non vegan food?

Question

in southern California

I know its a strange question

since I turned vegan

I haven't really eaten at any restaurants

just been eating home cooked food

I would like to take a friend out every now and again but I really don't know

where I could eat good vegan food while they eat non vegan food?

Answer 1

Generally I recommend Indian restaurants for this purpose.  Indian restaurants always have a vegetarian menu and non vegetarian and it is my experience that they are honest about it.  I never miss the meat in  Indian vegetarian dishes. And you can tell them if you want the food mild or spicy.

Answer 2

Hugo's in Studio City and West Hollywood. They have gotten ride of their separate vegetarian menu so it may not seem like they have a lot but they have several choices, which can be made vegan, and is quite tasty. My non-vegan friend took me there once and if I lived near I'd be taking out friends there all the time.

http://www.hugosrestaurant.com/

I do NOT recommend Japanese restaurants unless you really know the food. I'm Japanese so I know that they use fish products in everything from miso soup to the main dish and dipping sauces. In general, I would recommend India and Thai but if it's not a vegetarian Indian/Thai place then they usually don't have too many choices for vegans (butter and cheese in Indian dishes, eggs in Thai dishes). Rather, I'd recommend a Middle Eastern place if you are into falafels, hummus, etc. as you can eat that and your comrades can eat the meat dishes. (Some due use eggs to make falafels though so beware.) Or, carefully select a Mexican or Italian restaurant. Mexican, make sure the beans and tortillas are vegan. Italian, make sure the sauce and noodles are vegan.

Eating vegan at regular restaurants is a lifelong learning experience of experimentation. Sometimes talking to the waiter at a regular restaurant will open up your options and the chef will make something custom for you, (example, often get pasta made with oil instead of meat sauce). Talking to the staff about their menu sometimes also gets them to bring over the vegetarian or vegan staff to your table to help you out with your choice, (this happened at Elephant Bar so now I know how to customize there). If you get a veggie burger, it's imperative to know the brand (go for Boca not Gardenburger) and if they use butter on the buns or to grill the onions. In the end, it really is about grilling the staff to make sure the ingredients are free of the big no-no's. I once had a thoroughly delicious tofu burger and the next time I went there found out it contains cheese.

Answer 3

My favorite places for vegan dishes (that aren't specifically vegan restaurants... which you can find in your area if you google "vegan restaurants in souther cali") are Japanese restaurants. Because so few Japanese dishes call for egg or dairy, generally anything which doesn't include meat or fish is good to go for your dietary confines.

I love getting a good vegetarian roll with miso soup and vegetarian spring rolls (the kind that come in cold rice wrappers), and there's always agedashi tofu or seaweed salad or ginger salad. Delish!

Mediterranean restaurants are also good. Their food, when not containing meat, generally does not include dairy or eggs. You have yourself a safe bet with vegetarian grape leaves, falafel, pita, tabouli, tahini, humus, salad, and best of all, baclava.

In the end though, almost every restaurant will have a dish or two which fits into a vegan diet (aside from just a salad) and usually if there's only one ingredient which forbids you from eating it, you can ask the restaurant to prepare your meal sans that ingredient. Even places like the Cheesecake Factory have their share of vegan foods (try the avocado springrolls, you might p**s yourself with how delicious they are), and italian restaurants can easily be cheated in by nixing cheese meals for scampi pasta with spinach and basil.

Be creative!