Dining Out as a Vegetarian in Palm Beach County Florida

When dining out, many vegetarians are frustrated by the lack of options that are available to them. Restaurants that offer American fare typically don't have anything more than Garden Salads or high carbohydrate side dishes like potatoes or breads to satisfy their vegetarian clientele. Because of these limitations, vegetarians often find that going out to dinner is a waste of time. That is unfortunate because we vegetarians enjoy an evening out of the house just like the rest of the population.

Although American cuisine may seem stale and boring to vegetarians, some restaurants do offer vegetarians a few menu items, but that is the exception and not the rule. So where can a vegetarian go for something delicious and different? The answer is simple--expand your horizons and start sampling the cuisine of different ethnic cultures. Many vegetarians aren't aware of the countless vegetarian possibilities that await them at ethnic restaurants, but the cuisines of many eastern countries are exceptionally vegetarian friendly. Of the various ethnic cuisines, there are three that stand out from the rest--Thai, Indian, and Japanese. All of these cuisines offer diners an array of dishes and they are easily accessible--you can easily find a Thai, Indian, or Japanese restaurant in Palm Beach County.

If you are not familiar with either cuisine, here is a brief tutorial about the food, what each offers vegetarians, and the best restaurants in the area.

Thai

Thai food is absolutely delicious! The dishes usually consist of curry or peanut sauces and the majority of the dishes can be served with tofu instead of meat or chicken. The red curry dishes contain coconut milk and are sweet and spicy (if you like). There is also Pad Thai, which is a dish with noodles and a peanut sauce. Pad Thai does contain eggs, so beware if you are a vegan. One of the biggest misconceptions about Thai food is that everything is served spicy. That is simply not true, though. Most dishes can be made mild. I do not particularly enjoy spicy food, but I love Thai, so don't be mislead by the rumors that all Thai food is horribly spicy.

The best Thai restaurants in Palm Beach County are Thai Lotus in Tequesta, Thaicoon in North Palm Beach and Lana Thai in Juno Beach.

Indian

Vegetarians are probably less familiar with Indian food than they are with Thai, and that is unfortunate because Indian food has so many options for vegetarians. Indian restaurants have an entire section of the menu devoted to vegetarian dishes. Although I was a little nervous the first time I ever tried Indian food, I was pleasantly surprised at the taste and texture. Curry is a staple of Indian cuisine along with a incredible array of spices, and the vegetarian dishes on the menu consist of potatoes, spinach, chick peas, and other vegetables cooked in various curry and cream based sauces. Like Thai, most people believe that Indian is spicy, and while it can be, you can order your dish mild.

The best Indian restaurants in Palm Beach County are India Garden in West Palm Beach and Saffron also located in West Palm Beach.

Japanese

Most people are familiar with Japanese food because there are so many restaurants around. However, most people don't know that Japanese cuisine is exceptionally vegetarian friendly. Japanese restaurants serve several dishes with tofu and lots of stir fry vegetables. Also, the veggie sushi rolls are great and don't forget the salads--seaweed or lettuce.

The best Japanese restaurants in Palm Beach County are RA Sushi in Palm Beach Gardens and Masa's Sagami in Jupiter

So the next time you're not in the mood to cook, head out to a Thai, Indian, or Japanese restaurant and experience something different and delicious.