Vegetarian in Shanghai

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Before coming to China one of my biggest concerns was my dietary needs and whether they'd be fulfilled. Even though I knew I'd be coming to big metropolis Shanghai, I'd never been to asia and thus my head was swimming with thoughts of all those "interesting" carnivorous chinese dishes. Turtle soup? Snake anyone?

Well, I've now officially lived in this city for one full week, and trust me, you CAN be vegetarian here! (Yipee!) The first few days were rough but that was mainly because we were getting a lay of the land and the language. Even in my little international grocery store I've refrained from buying any fresh local produce, as told by my traveller's medicine doctor (avoid vegetables, and fruits without peels - although fruits with peels such as oranges and melons usually tend to be okay). So that's the grocery shopping life (minor woes, simply stock up on frozen veggies and applesauce 😊 ). But the restaurant life is another story!

There are certainly two Shanghai's - it is a dichotomous and two-tiered city, that is for darn sure. However if you do your research and get help (lonely planet guides, Shanghai City Weekend) you can find an absolute smorgasbord of tasty, affordable, and safe veggie delights.

If your looking for chinese vegetarian, it is definitely a little trickier as most chinese dishes use meat or meat flavouring. However because of the Buddhist religion there are a few well rated vegetarian chinese restaurants in the city - such as the vegan Jade Buddha Cafe at the Jade Buddha Temple.

If you are like me and don't necessarily hanker for chinese grub, then the city is your oyster! Indian, Italian, cafes, japanese, you name it, Shanghai's got it! I even found a health-food type restaurant, similar to Fresh but better (for those of you familiar with the joint in Toronto). It's called Element Fresh, and let me tell you - it makes Toronto's Fresh look measly and way overpriced. The ambiance and attentive staff are excellent, the food is so mouthwatering and fresh, and you can eat all the lettuce and vegetables you so desire!! We ate there yesterday for lunch and today for dinner. For dinner tonight Ollie and I feasted on:
Appetizers: hummus with fresh pita and veggies (the pita was so soft and flavourful), and cold vietnamese spring rolls (Ollie's dish, it contained beef)
Mains: a massive garden salad full of all the veggies you could want, including broccoli and tomatoes, and spicy talapia with rice, vegetables, miso soup and fruit (Ollie's fish dish)
Wine: 3 glasses of Spanish red wine
- so for 2 appetizers, 2 meals (including a serious fish meal), and 3 glasses of wine = $45 = unreal

Only in Shanghai!

So if you're apprehensive at all about traveling to China due to dietary restrictions, it is possible to eat and be merry here in Shanghai - so Bon appetit!

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Photos

Photo 2
mmm me and my wrap - tortilla full with fresh vegetables and teriyaki tofu

Photo 1
Ollie and his curried seafood soba noodle soup

Photo 3
yes - that is hummus, veggies, and pita!

Photo 4
my massive salad was bigger than me! Only $7

Photo 5
Ollie's beautiful looking Tilapia fish

Comments

[Krishna Shrinivas]

more vegetarian recommendations in Shanghai
After finding it extremely difficult to find vegetarian food and places to eat in Shanghai, I decided to blog my experiences to help new travellers to Shanghai. I agree with the writer of this blog. It is possible to be a vegetarian in Shanghai and have a good experience while doing so. I have begun compiling a list of places to eat and have posted some pictures on my blog - hope that is of use to any of the readers of this blog. My post can be found at: http://krishna869.vox.com/library/post/being-a-vegetarian-in-shanghai.html