Accidental Meat eating

[Hannah]

Oh God! I had the most horrendous experience tonight. I went out to a non-veg restaurant, and ordered a few side dishes, among them some Nan. They brought a few dishes together, including the nan. I started eating it, thinking it had eggplant inside, wasn't really paying attention, when the waitress brought another plate of nan. Suddenly it became apparent that iwas eating LAMB nan, had eaten half a plate without realizing. I was ill - emotionally and physically. I haven't eaten meat in nearly 30 years (since i was 15). I asked to speak to the manager, and rationally (though I was VERY upset) told him how upsetting this was. He was very apologetic, but my issue is, I feel very distraught about ingesting this animal, given my ethics and how strongly I feel about this issue.

Any suggestions, or wise words anyone? Of course it wasn't my fault, but i feel horrible. Maybe some ritual cleansing or something?!

Just needed to share this...

I better stick to all veg establishments in the future I guess!!

[tammy]

Hey Hannah

What a nightmare! Thank you for bringing this to the manager's attention and letting him know how serious a mistake this was. I know vegans who worry about this type of situation and refuse to eat at non-veg restaurants because of the potential for this type of situation.

It sounds like you're veg for ethical reasons, so of course there is an additional reason to be upset over this. I don't really know of any cleansing rituals... but would it make you feel any better if you took someone who would normally eat a meat-based meal out for a nice veggie meal instead?

Depending on how strongly you feel, perhaps you might want to follow-up with the manager to find out what steps he has taken to insure this doesn't happen again.

Which restaurant did this happen at anyways?

Tammy

[Hannah]

Thanks Tammy. That's a really positive way to look at it. I appreciate your input and idea. The restaurant is E&O in Larkspur, but I do have to say that they were very apologetic and responsive when I spoke with them. I wanted to stress to them the impact, seriousness, and implications that mistakes like that have on people who are veggie, and I believe they genuinely understood that. I just wish i had been more aware myself as well, but anyway, what's done is done, and it will make me more conscious in the future.

[Auri]

I am really sorry to hear about your experience. I have had similar experiences at 2 well known Indian restaurants in the Bay Area. In both cases, there was a piece of meat in a vegetarian entree.

There is an age-old tradition of vegetarianism in India and you would think that the management and staff at Indian restaurants would know that a piece of meat finding it's way into a vegetarian dish is not simply an inconvenience or minor irritation but a very disturbing experience. And based on a knowledge of that tradition, you would assume that the staff/owners would be far more conscious of this issue and take steps to organize their kitchen/cooking procedures accordingly. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

I have seen that in the usual style of these restaurants, the initial response and the eventual discussion with the Manager (regardless of the specific service issue - including the one we are discussing now) is rather aloof and does not leave you with the feeling that they fully understand or genuinely care. I am sorry to say this but this is not based on a few data points but from a very extensive history of going to Indian restaurants in various parts of the US and other countires as well. Yes, this phenomenon (the tepid customer service) does occur, perhaps at a lower rate, in some other ethnic cuisine restaurants as well as some American restaurants.

It was rather interesting to hear from some of my Indian friends that they would not take their pregnant wives to the Indian restaurants they normally go to, as they do not trust them to that extent!! Yes, that is the sort of "acceptance" / advanced fuzzy logic / paradoxical thinking that makes India very interesting - but I do believe that when it comes to operating a business serving others, you need to adhere to standards and really strive to achieve customer satisfaction - as is the norm or at least the avowed goal of businesses here.

I believe the long-term solution is in letting the public & these business owners know via letters to the editor, public forums, restaurant review sites etc. that they need to really understand and work on the customer service issue as well as ensuring hygienic practices in the kitchen. I have actually talked to kitchen staff and some managers and let's just say, the picture isn't that comforting. Of course from the meat contamination angle, patronizing all veg*n restaurants is a great idea as that will slowly and surely lead to more such establishments.

So, to borrow from another saying, let's think with our heads and not just our taste-buds or stomachs i.e. remember the importance of food safety/hygiene and customer service issues, and take some kind of action (beyond just talking to the staff there) when you have a negative experience at any restaurant (Indian or not). It's quite easy to do that in today's online environment.

Let's hope that through our words and actions, we will encourage the better ones and make them thrive - while slowly but surely driving the others to positive change or ... a new line of business!

P.S. I would be contradicting myself if I did not name the restaurants where I found the meat in the veggie dishes - they are Bombay Garden in Fremont and Swagat.

[veggiedude]

When you consider that the average American eats something like a pound of bug fragments each year in their processed foods, there is no way we can be totally vegan pure at all. Its more important that we don't voluntary eat the stuff, and that accidents will (and do) happen.

Some foods:
Cornmeal - 1 insect per 50g
Canned mushrooms - 20 maggots per 100g
Peanut butter - 60 fragments per 100g
Tomato paste, pizza, and other sauce - 30 eggs per 100g OR 2 maggots per 100g
Apple butter - 5 insects per 100g
Ground paprika - 75 insect fragments per 25g
Berries - 4 larvae per 500g OR 10 whole insects per 500g
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[mike]

I would have been sick. What a horrible thing to have happen. Because I don't trust any restaurant really, except the all vegan ones, I've practically given up eating at restaurants. I assume that in the kitchen of a restaurant the staff can be doing anything, including using ingredients I don't want to consume, in dishes described as veg on the printed menu.
Who's there to watch and supervise at all moments?

I have pretty sharp taste buds and I have sensed animal fats and broth and refused to continue eating a meal I've ordered, even with reassurances from staff that it's veg food.

So I've learned to make extra, eat leftovers, have ready made snacks and avoid eating out. Be prepared.

Oh and another thing that helps is to study food recipes. Even if you dont cook you can read cookbooks for general knowledge. You can spot ethnic dishes on the menu that are normally prepared with animal products and learn to avoid them.

Like one type of indian bread is made with yogurt rather than water.


Good going for being veg for so long!!!

Mike

[tammy]

[Jeff]

I think it's best not to freak out if a little piece of meat is eaten accidentally. It's not worth getting upset about!

[Hannah]

I'm not sure i would call it "Freaking out", it just left me feeling spiritually and physicallly ill. I didn't dwell on it, but felt in some way it needed to be shared with a group of like minded people for emotional support after having a large piece of animal flesh in my mouth. Thank you for your input, but this is the way some people work through things...

[ramkalaiyer]

Last weekend I had dinner with Udupi Palace Newark ca Indian veg restaurant, I ordered Spl.Thali meal, While eating time I found some meat slice, I just stop to eat than I called waitress lady and show that meat slice to her even asked to her touch and see, She asked other waiter He shacked, both are went kitchen few minutes, after that they come back to me. The lady told me that sorry sir, we have north Indian dosa party, and the party host asked our chief Ganesh to make chicken curry for them by mistake that chicken mixed you thali curry. Sorry sir, I will take this thali meal back, make it for you new one. I told them it's okay. I like to make sure udupi palace rest. really making non-veg dishes at newark location I just called After two days spoken to that Manager Mr.Ganesh and check with him, I need to make birthday party at home you can make dosa and some chicken dishes. He asked me what style chicken dishes you wants north or south? also he mentioned package rare $15 per head. We are vegi people, to be very careful to use this type veg.restaurant. pls. pass this message to all our vegi community.
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[tammy]

I find it odd that a "vegetarian" restaurant would cater a private non-veg menu. Seems like that would disagree with the reason they are a vegetarian restaurant, at least in my thinking.

I know that I prefer to eat at veg restaurants under the presumption that it eliminates the worry of having meat contaminating a veggie dish. But your experience brings doubt to that assumption.

[Mark Hawthorne]

This has happened to me on a couple of occasions, and it's very upsetting. When I go to Indian restaurants, I do not order nan at all, because it contains dairy. (I recently discoverd a vegan Indian restaurant near Denver, and it was delicious!)
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[mike]

I've recently had a problem in the meat-eater social groups I belong too. I get so comfortable with friends I sometimes forget I'm with meat eaters!!!! Or I somehow think they know me so well that if they bring a meat based dish to share at a party they would let me know it isn't vegan. Boy-- I've sure learned the hard way to not eat anything prepared at home and presented at parties with meat eaters involved. I suddenly find myself aware just how few people understand a vegan's need to stay 100% away from animal products.

It's embarassing to spit out food so from now on- I'm avoiding all party food at non-vegan events. I've re-learned my lesson!

I really appreciate belonging to vegan groups and vegan potluck groups. I appreciate the care and thought put into the food prepared with all vegan ingredients. I am happy vegan social groups can become so strong and thrive.

Gosh, I wish everyone would hurry up and become vegan!

[Sarah]

I wanted to add that I just recently discovered that some Indian restaurants even use eggs in their naan. I had always assumed they would be egg-free.
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[mike]

Gosh, that no good. Keep the flatbreads pure please!

Homecooking... is the place to be...to be safe from animal products that is!

Wouldn't it be nice to have a local vegan restaurant and you knew the chef and they knew you.

[Sarah]

I know, that would be nice!! I've actually started an initiative to collect as much data as possible from restaurants on what is truly vegetarian and eggless and am posting it on my blog at www.goeggless.com. I have been receiving vegan info as well. If you have any restaurants you would like me to look into please email me at sarah@goeggless.com. This also eliminates my need to have to ask the waiter and rely on them when I go to a restaurant to know what I can eat.
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[mike]

Wow. Good Job Sarah. I learned a lot from the info you compiled. You're a great researcher to have working on this. I hope there are fewer captive birds forced to be slaves to produce eggs. And I hope it benefits human health.

[Sarah]

Thank you! I'm glad you found it helpful. Like I said let me know if there is any place you would like me to investigate/ tell me about. It takes time to get them to give me the nitty gritty details, but I definitely think it is worth it.
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