Check out an excerpt from my newest contribution to VeggieWala:

Chinese cuisine is always said to be particularly difficult to navigate as a veggie foodie. I’m not personally a vegetarian; however, I certainly appreciate the dietary, health, and moral factors, and sympathize with the troubles of eating as a vegetarian.

We ordered a variety of dishes, including imitation meat dishes, which are surprisingly meat-like in both taste and appearance. Because these mock meats are made of wheat gluten, soy, or tofu it easily absorbs mock meat flavors and provides a very unfamiliar texture. There were also sprinklings of mock meat in the recommended sticky rice ball. Delicious!

Of course, there’s no need to pretend to eat meat. There are more than plenty of pure veggie options that include silky tofu, and a plethora of bean based options that are beautifully presented. It’s surprising how delicately tasty the dishes were without any onion related foods used in the recipes. In addition to the spewingly beautiful presentations, the food was fresh and flavorful. Though, the Chinese would call the 100 RMB ($15) per person meal expensive. You come and judge; I say it’s worth it!

Lotus in Moonlight （荷塘月色）
Dongzhimen (东直门) Location
12 Liufang Nanli, Chaoyang District
朝阳区柳芳南里12号楼

他们说吃素菜的人吃中国菜比叫难。虽然我不是吃素的，但我明白也领略吃素的健康利诱和同情在中国吃素的是很难。佛教菜不只在中国可以吃， 但当然在中国佛教徒菜也有。我知道在亚洲有不同的佛教信念，所以不同的信念很可能有不同的吃法特别关于肉的。佛教信念不能对动物残酷，但有时候也吃肉。在中国，佛教徒菜都是素菜。

在北京有很多不同的素菜餐厅，一家比较有名的是《荷塘月色》。地址不太容易找到，但应该找找，他们氛围很好也在比较当地的小区。所有的商店都是面向当地人。那么，近去餐厅的时候，不是我想象一样，餐厅里大部分用木的大方优雅的中国设计。音乐也舒服安静。

我们点了多菜，也有假肉。假肉用豆腐或麦面筋来作的因为这些配料容易浸染肉的味道，但因为用这样的配料口感也不面熟有点儿不习惯也奇怪。如果你喜欢吃口感的话因该试试，如果不是的话也应该尝尝假肉的味道。在米饭包里也有假肉，非常好吃。

当然不一定要吃假肉， 有挺多的素菜拣选比如豆腐，土豆，豆子都很有吃也很好看。吃惊没用洋葱家的菜来做饭，但也有很好的味道。加上很好看菜也好吃。肃然中国人可能觉得每个人一百块的饭有点儿贵，还应该试试尝尝！