Thursday, March 24, 2005

To Vegan Or Not To Vegan...

I've had the opportunity (or misfortune, which ever way you want to look at it) to partake on my very first Vegan meal last Saturday (19/3). A very good friend, Gabby, invited Arnie and myself to a free meal (!) at a well-known Vegan restaurant in Gertrude Street, Fitzroy. The restaurant is called the "Vegetarian Orgasm." No, they don't sell orgasms as the board outside the restaurant says, but they sell "fine home cooked Vegan meals." So, the million dollar question: what is the difference between vegetarian and vegan? Well (doning the professor cap now) vegetarian is someone who basically does not eat meat but can consume dairy products, seafood, and (I think) meals that may only have vegetables and some animal product in it. A vegan, on the other hand, cannot consume anything dairy or any animal product. So, imagine my surprise when I saw Vegan Bloody Mary in the drinks menu. I was like, "what the hell? Isn't Bloody Mary vegan enough?" Apparently, worchestershire sauce has animal products (!) in it. Vegan Bloody Mary calls for vegan worchestershire sauce! Oh well, whatever makes them happy, I suppose...

So, after much deliberation and doubt, I decided on the Vegan Curry. Gabby ordered the Cannelloni while Arnie ordered the dairy Meditteranean Pizza. Surprisingly, vegan curry wasn't all that bad (thank God vegans can have coconut cream! Imagine curry without coconut cream... shudder!), although the vegan meat was a bit suspect. Being a meat eater, I could definitely tell the difference! Soy meat doesn't exactly fill you up like real red meat does, innit?

For a first timer, I actually liked the meal... although now, I have a huge craving for a Whopper (runs off to Hungry Jacks...)

Vegetarian Orgasm - 3 yums...

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