Vegetarian Chicken

I, being a vegetarian, have many times received requests to taste chicken with argument that it’s a vegetarian chicken. They are joking of course.

 

Last weekend we visited Shanghai Jade Buddha Temple. Me and my wife were among few vegetarians in our group. My wife spotted a sign board “Vegetarian Restaurant”.

 

Now to understand the emotions we felt at that time, imagine this: You are in a country where people don’t distinguish food by Vegetarian Food or Non-vegetarian food. Food is food. You are eating rice and some sabji (with no masala.  No salt. No nothing. Only boiled vegetables). Now you are roaming in some city from the morning and its almost afternoon and you haven’t taken anything other than pulpy orange gulps. Now you are in the sacred place of Buddha temple, and there is Vegetarian Restaurant signboard! Just part of the temple itself.

 

Sometimes some things can’t be expressed in words. For me this was one of the times and things.

 

We decided to have lunch at the restaurant immediately after we are done with the temple.(I even suggested to have lunch first and then continue for temple, which was rejected even before I finish the sentence.) The pakka non-veggies in our group also got ready to accompany us. May be Buddha had his magic on these guys.

 

After finishing the temple visit,

we took chairs on the restaurant.

Got the menu.

Saw the menu.

Got shock of lifetime.

Took some photos.

Left the place.

 

 

 

 

Gulp. Gulp. Gulp.