Beaten Up By Restaurant Owner Because I'M A Vegetarian

[mcgriffith]

Was in Songkla once back in the day. Probably before some of you were born...

Ordered Vegetarian Fried Lice. Was most emphatic about the no meat business.

Plate came, I started scarfing. Uh-oh.

Called the waiter over, and pointed out all the little bits of shrimp, and pork, and chicken in the meal.

I'll never forget his words:

"Oh, but we no charge you"

[Benjie]

So how much Thai food has peanuts in it anyway... Phad Thai, and it's optional. Som Tam, VERY optional and typically only added to 'Thai' style som tam and even then it's easy to leave out. Then.. peanut sauce I suppose. Now you're getting into really fringe dishes like Miang Kham that has some peanuts on the side. Really it's not that common, and easily left out in most dishes.

Massaman Curry, Satay, SomTam, Phad Thai - Surely thats 3-4 of the top 10 Thai foods right there.

[mkawish]

This all reminds me of the following:

McDonald's To Settle Suits On Beef Tallow In French Fries

Published The New York Times: March 9, 2002

The McDonald's Corporation plans to issue an apology and pay $10 million to vegetarian and religious groups for using beef flavoring in its French fries. The action is part of a proposed settlement of lawsuits charging that the company misled consumers...

http://www.nytimes.c...ench-fries.html

The plaintiffs argued that as McDonald claimed to use only vegetable oil the fries were in fact vegetarian. I always wondered -- if your were a REAL vegetarian -- what were you doing in a McDonald's in the first place?

BTW aside from any touristy / farang type vegetarian restaurants, if you see a sign with the Thai letters 'JA' in any town that is a sign for Thai-style vegetarian but they can go through A LOT of palm oil.

เจ -- denotes vegetarian

[mkawish]

Was in Songkla once back in the day. Probably before some of you were born...

Ordered Vegetarian Fried Lice. Was most emphatic about the no meat business.

Plate came, I started scarfing. Uh-oh.

Called the waiter over, and pointed out all the little bits of shrimp, and pork, and chicken in the meal.

I'll never forget his words:

"Oh, but we no charge you"

So, you were that guy at my in-laws' restaurant some years back?

The waitress was so excited that she just plainly forgot to charge you for the fly in your soup either.

And as for the vegetarian fry lice you ordered, it was truly a specialty, quite uncommon in Songkhla, Haadyai or Parttanee. :jap:

Edited September 18, 2010 by mkawish

[jackr]

you fraggin' people have been in thailand for too f'n long. this dude goes to a restaurant and has this happen to him and you're saying 'oh, you weren't really beat up were you?', 'why'd you leave your wife in there like that?'. i'd like to know the name of the place. go over there and take a piss in the corner of his restaurant.

Is that so?

taking a piss in the corner of somebodys reatuarant is not going to help you to live here a long time is it?

He has a point. The response to the op's ordeal is a bit lame, though I guess any thread differing from the 'where's-the-best-nosh / my-electric-bill-is-high / a-karaoke-bar-has-set-up-shop-within-three-astronomical-units-of-my-condo' norm is too much to bear for many folk. If I were a singleton with time on my hands, reckon I'd have me a bit of fun with this place, eh what what.

[Onidzuka]

Let me get this straight, not only are you a vegetarian but you also DITCHED your wife like that in the middle of the restaurant?

I don't care if the man had guns with him, you can't call yourself a man and just leave your wife like that and come crawling back later.

[Gonzo the Face]

WOW Tom Mix Returns !

It would be nice if posters of all ilks could and would post like the adults they are supposed to be.... not some teenager on a hormone OD.

Post real guys.... com'on

[ChiangMaiFun]

Let me get this straight, not only are you a vegetarian but you also DITCHED your wife like that in the middle of the restaurant?

I don't care if the man had guns with him, you can't call yourself a man and just leave your wife like that and come crawling back later.

Jeeze give the guy a break... she is Thai and he felt that she could handle it better 'the Thai way' - I agree with him. I'm sure he didn't leave her in danger - get real - this was a minor blow up by a selfish and arrogant owner not 'Gunfight at the OK Coral' or whereever it was .

I hate it when people post and then are 'whacked' for it - he was obviously at the end of a Thai Tirade - and he is reporting the event - good for him! hey OP forget all these negative comments - thanks for reporting.

[venturalaw]

Was in Songkla once back in the day. Probably before some of you were born...

Ordered Vegetarian Fried Lice. Was most emphatic about the no meat business.

Plate came, I started scarfing. Uh-oh.

Called the waiter over, and pointed out all the little bits of shrimp, and pork, and chicken in the meal.

I'll never forget his words:

"Oh, but we no charge you"

Fantastic!

[naboo]

เจ -- denotes vegetarian

I thought that meant 'no meat, no flavourings or spices', basically plain vegetables.

I may be wrong, but I thought มังสวิรัติ was a better translation.

[Onidzuka]

Let me get this straight, not only are you a vegetarian but you also DITCHED your wife like that in the middle of the restaurant?

I don't care if the man had guns with him, you can't call yourself a man and just leave your wife like that and come crawling back later.

Jeeze give the guy a break... she is Thai and he felt that she could handle it better 'the Thai way' - I agree with him. I'm sure he didn't leave her in danger - get real - this was a minor blow up by a selfish and arrogant owner not 'Gunfight at the OK Coral' or whereever it was .

I hate it when people post and then are 'whacked' for it - he was obviously at the end of a Thai Tirade - and he is reporting the event - good for him! hey OP forget all these negative comments - thanks for reporting.

I really doubt that he wasn't thinking that she can handle it "the Thai way" as he ran outside of the restaurant. What I think he basically did was panic and put himself first before his wife and then lingered back in. Think of about how she felt when he left? Let's hope there never is a Gunfight but I know of one man I would not to have my back if things ever did go down. Whatever, it's retarded to be "reporting" when they edit out what restaurant it is so it just becomes another T.I.T. story in the pile which is unfortunate.

[Cnxforever]

Honestly I don't understand the whole story - if you are intolerant to pork - why would you object to a "Beef" stock used in a Tom Yum?

Secondly why would there be beef stock in a Tom Yum?? - Tom Yum is mostly served as Tom Yum Goong, Tom Yum Tale so mostly fish or seafood - nobody would use beef stock in a seafood broth.

Some people order Tom Yum Gai which would then be prepared with chicken stock but I have never heard about a Tom Yum Pork or Beef ?? The distinctive "Tom Yum" taste comes from the lemon grass and Nam Prik Pow - containing no meat at all.

"When our Tom Yum came out we noticed it had a beef broth." We pointed this out to the waitress who acknowledged this to be true then" - how did you "notice" it was a beef broth - and how would a- presumably - Thai waitress know the detailed ingredients of a dish served? Service personnel in Thailand does not usually get this kind of training.

While I can not understand the reaction of the owner and his staff - he should not have taken a threatening position towards you and your wife - but I somehow have the feeling you did not tell us the whole story here.

I have never heard about an intolerance to Pork unless it is a religious matter. Throughout my professional life I had meetings with people who are Vegetarians, Vegans, Lactose intolerant, Gluten intolerant, Diabetics, people who suffer from different allergies and other special dietary needs - to discuss there needs in detail and problems they encounter when leaving their homes to travel or dine out.

While many have genuine problems and concerns, but also many positive experiences with regards to places catering to their special needs - I have heard countless negative experiences just because some of these people now assume the rest of the world caters to them - which is not so.

They have lost themselves all tolerance when things go wrong. They develope an additude of "I have an intolerance, I am different, I am special". Because there is an industry out there in the West which now caters to them and makes a lot of money doing so, they presume they can expect special treatment wherever they go and have become very demanding but are not willing to pay extra for their "special requests" which can be very challenging for restaurants not prepared to cater to such special needs.

This causes unnecessary encounters like the one above. If you have - for whatever reason - the need for a special diet you should inquire - in detail - with the waiter or restaurant manager before you order to make sure the restaurant will be able to handle your request - if not go somewhere else. And you should not assume especially in a small restaurant in Thailand that they understand what you want if you defer from the regular menu.

Last but not least Thailand is all about face - and this is probably what caused the problem in the first place. In this country you do not complain especially about small matters - if the dishes are not to your liking you leave them untouched (of course you are still expected to pay for them!) and never return to the place again - you do not cause a commotion or loss of face to somebody in public - but your Thai wife should know that.

Finally attitude - mistakes happen - get over it, accept them with a smile - sometimes a little joke will help, never get angry, always stay friendly and you won't have any problems anywhere in Thailand.

[Jingthing]

You certainly can get tom yum style soups with pork, usually served with noodles. VERY common street food.

Nam Prik Pow is NOT veggie. It has shrimp paste in it, sometimes dried shrimp.

Edited September 19, 2010 by Jingthing

[IanForbes]

The thread title is a bit misleading. You weren't beaten up were you? Sounds like a misunderstanding that escalated too far, but no one was beaten up.

This post is very baffling,as you commented you were beaten up????

I see verbal altercation but no violence whatsoever.When u have been beaten up come back and post it then u will know the first hand experience.Also if u said it was that bad why did u leave your thai missus in the restaraunt and u left,not good mate,you should have nutted the <deleted> and calmy walked away

That is my understanding as well. NOBODY was "beaten up". The OP was pushed and not allowed to leave... simple as that. However, that does not condone the actions of the owner. If everything the OP said is true then nothing more happened than a verbal confrontation with a supid restaurant owner. Almost EVERY restaurant owner i've ever had contact with was more than willing to meet a customer half way... even if it meant he allowed the customer to eat for free. If the OP is correct then I don't see that particular restaurant lasting very long. That would be just cause for being such an ignorant boor.

However, as unfortunate as it might be, a person who is allergic to certain food products has to take FAR more precautions when traveling in foreign countries. "Vegetarian" is NOT the same the world-over. You can't count on every country being the same. Some people are highly alergic to peanuts and can actually die. Being certain that nothing has been cooked in peanut oil can be a very real concern, and all dining plans have to be thoroughly researched BEFORE going out for a meal. But, being actually alergic to a certain food is far different than just being a vegetarian for personal reasons. .

[canuckamuck]

I have never heard about an intolerance to Pork unless it is a religious matter. Throughout my professional life I had meetings with people who are Vegetarians, Vegans, Lactose intolerant, Gluten intolerant, Diabetics, people who suffer from different allergies and other special dietary needs - to discuss there needs in detail and problems they encounter when leaving their homes to travel or dine out.

Food Allergy -- pork: A pork allergy is an adverse reaction by the body's immune system to meat. This type of allergy is rare and severe reactions are even rarer. The body's immune system produces immunoglobulin E (IgE - an antibody) and histamine in response to contact with the allergen. The specific symptoms that can result can vary considerably amongst patients from a severe anaphylactic reaction to asthma, abdominal symptoms, eczema or headaches

The same is true of Beef intolerance

Tom yum beef:

500g beef mince

2 stalks sliced celery

2 small carrots, sliced

3 heaped dessertspoons Tom Yum paste

1 large can light coconut milk

1/2 a cup or so of water

1/2 a bunch or so of fresh coriander

2 tablespoons of lemon juice (about or to taste)

2 cups uncooked brown rice

So, throw the rice in a saucepan with at least 4 cups of cold water, bring to a simmer and slam the lid on so it doesn't escape. Forget it, you have about 20 minutes.

Throw the meat in the pan with the paste and give it a mix, add the veg and mix again. Once the meat is browned you can add the coconut milk. Let it simmer gently while your rice finishes cooking and add the coriander and lemon juice to the beef just before serving

[jackr]

Last but not least Thailand is all about face - and this is probably what caused the problem in the first place. In this country you do not complain especially about small matters - if the dishes are not to your liking you leave them untouched (of course you are still expected to pay for them!) and never return to the place again - you do not cause a commotion or loss of face to somebody in public - but your Thai wife should know that.

That is generally the norm here, but one does not need to bend over and take it up the bottom. A Thai customer would not have it. This chump of a chef only reacted this way because it was a farang. To be fair, there should be zero justification for this.

[neverdie]

Without commenting on the actual event and rights/wrongs of the owner, the police reaction was exactly the same at it would be in Australia. Nobody hurt, just a bit of rough and tumble verbal, don't go back, and they would think you were wasting their time.

Sorry, what you are stating is incorrect. If this had occurred, as the OP stated but in Australia it would of been classed as an 'Assualt', its as simple as that and of course, if the Police were doing their job properly this matter would of been investigated and charges laid if the evidence supported that.

However, it didnt happen in Australia, so thats not really relevant, is it?

On the other hand, it doesnt surprise me that the OP and his wife were fobbed off here.

Edited September 20, 2010 by neverdie

[Amras]

SImply the owner thought you were being picky.

You asked for something without pork and then complained when you got something with beef. Even I would have thought what the hel_l. You never mentiond anything about lack of beef. You can't assume someone will understand your special needs or what you are implying. You said you can't eat PORK, not BEEF.

You said you were unfamilar with the area but you have been visiting Thailand for 10 years. Where have you been going for the last 10 years?

Sorry but too many contradictions to this story....and I feel its been exaggerated somewhat. Even the police in Australia may not attend especially if the situation has been defused and is over.

Some chef's what not, owners etc may over react, but like so many others have said...be specific, ask questions if it's something that really affects you and then you won't have misuderstandings in the future.

I don't think allergies are as prevalent in a lot of easter countries, compared to those in the west. We ensure our children grow up in a as sterile situation as possible for fear of them getting ill. The problem with this is during your younger years is when your body adapts, get's used to environmental 'allergens', including pollens, nuts etc etc. This is why Asthma, nut allergies etc is on the increase, because we aren't exposed to these things when we are yougn anymore. So i doubt as many ppl have issues with nut allergies in Thailand as in the US or Australia (and hence aren't catered for).

[eek]

You certainly can get tom yum style soups with pork, usually served with noodles. VERY common street food.

Nam Prik Pow is NOT veggie. It has shrimp paste in it, sometimes dried shrimp.

I discovered early on that a lot of advertised veggie food isnt veggie. Ive been vegetarian for 21 years, but I also have a couple of allergies, one being shellfish. I soon found out that shrimp paste was being used in some dishes when my lips started getting itchy and then *bam* DUCKLIPS! Sounds comical, but actually takes a couple of days for the swelling to go down, is often painful, and the allergy unfortunately gets worse with every reaction..so im very cautious about what and where i eat. Last reaction i had trouble breathing and took a long time for the swelling to subside even though i carry medication on me and take it as soon as i feel any reaction. I dont want to have to carry around a Epipen, but might need to just in case. So.. i never trust "vegetarian" food here unless im absolutely sure of how the food is cooked. Although i agree about taking responsibility for our own food choices and needs, at the same time i feel that restaurants that advertise that dishes are vegetarian should take responsibility in really understanding what they are offering..and be true to it. If you buy a toy that says "safe for small children", "non toxic" etc, you generally put faith in the manufacturer. There are many things we put faith in, and anyone/any place with some sense of responsibility will not fob their customers off, try to trick them, or have no consideration for them. But...as i said..i just dont trust places here, so i am careful, and if im in company that mainly eats meat, i will go wherever they go and eat something like fruit. The problem however in that case is that people start fussing about what i should be eating and that does my head in. Just wish people would leave my food choices alone. I dont tell them what they should and shouldnt eat!

--

Side note: and those who clicked minus on my rep just because i was doing my job as mod..well, thanks for shooting the messenger. Rather petty however, but fine.

[november222]

Side note: and those who clicked minus on my rep just because i was doing my job as mod..well, thanks for shooting the messenger. Rather petty however, but fine.

it wasnt me but , 'petty but fine'. thats a bit like viscious but fair (the dinsdale brothers - monty python). nice one

[Mestizo]

Just wish people would leave my food choices alone. I dont tell them what they should and shouldnt eat!

Yep. Whole-heartedly agree with that. I do not eat vegetables. None. At all. While its somewhat socially acceptable to be a vegetarian, not at all for someone who is a "carnivore", for lack of better word. Tons of places offer vegetarian food, it's almost impossible to find a place that advertises anti-vegetarian food. And the minute I attempt to try to order anything without vegetables, I always get the lecture about I'm going to die, I need vitamins from vegetables, so unhealthy, blah blah blah... I'm grown, let me eat what I want!

-Mestizo

[Jingthing]

Pad krapow, hold the kpapow, krap!

[neverdie]

then *bam* DUCKLIPS! Sounds comical

--

Side note: and those who clicked minus on my rep just because i was doing my job as mod..well, thanks for shooting the messenger. Rather petty however, but fine.

Your right eek, I would love to see a photo of the DUCKLIPS.

Regarding your sidenote......its absolutely pathetic is what you should of said.

[Blinky Bill]

Well, the one thing this thread has proven to me (no surprise to me), is that this forum really has a large number of unintelligent posters making, what they consider in their own minds, intelligent comments which, to a moderately intelligent person indicates that the supposed intelligent comment is in fact, far from intelligent.

I am not including the OP in my statement above.

[eek]

Gawd Blinky..i was thinking to +1 your post because i liked it so much, then i suddenly thought maybe im included in your unintelligent posters list, so better not, as i will just look like a bigger fool. (please dont tell me either way..i wholeheartedly believe that sometimes ignorance is bliss! )

[neverdie]

Blinky, I went what the hel_l and gave you a greenie anyway......surely I wouldnt be in ur list of dummies

[eek]

then *bam* DUCKLIPS! Sounds comical

--

Side note: and those who clicked minus on my rep just because i was doing my job as mod..well, thanks for shooting the messenger. Rather petty however, but fine.

Your right eek, I would love to see a photo of the DUCKLIPS.

Regarding your sidenote......its absolutely pathetic is what you should of said.

Haha...well..i was thinking just for you i would pic of the lips, but i feel that would be disrespectful to the OP. I tend to try to make light of things, but wouldnt want the OP to feel that i am mocking his thread in any way. But yes, it does look quite funny. I laugh about it myself, just that im concerned about it getting worse each time it happens. Thankfully though, it rarely happens.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

You certainly can get tom yum style soups with pork, usually served with noodles. VERY common street food.

Nam Prik Pow is NOT veggie. It has shrimp paste in it, sometimes dried shrimp.

Depends. You can easily buy vegan Nam Prik Pow. A particularly good one is made by royal project I believe.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Just wish people would leave my food choices alone. I dont tell them what they should and shouldnt eat!

Yep. Whole-heartedly agree with that. I do not eat vegetables. None. At all. While its somewhat socially acceptable to be a vegetarian, not at all for someone who is a "carnivore", for lack of better word. Tons of places offer vegetarian food, it's almost impossible to find a place that advertises anti-vegetarian food. And the minute I attempt to try to order anything without vegetables, I always get the lecture about I'm going to die, I need vitamins from vegetables, so unhealthy, blah blah blah... I'm grown, let me eat what I want!

I think I've seen you eat a piece of cucumber once. And Mojitos have mint leaves in it, I think that counts as a vegetable.

Edited September 20, 2010 by WinnieTheKhwai

[Blinky Bill]

Gawd Blinky..i was thinking to +1 your post because i liked it so much, then i suddenly thought maybe im included in your unintelligent posters list, so better not, as i will just look like a bigger fool. (please dont tell me either way..i wholeheartedly believe that sometimes ignorance is bliss! )

Absolutely not, my dear. You and our friend below amoungst others are who are making the intelligent comments but really, there are some that go way below the realm of intelligence we come to expect on this forum.

Blinky, I went what the hel_l and gave you a greenie anyway......surely I wouldnt be in ur list of dummies

Mate, of course not. Please see above.

Edited September 20, 2010 by Blinky Bill