{"id":76230,"date":"2012-06-07T17:33:36","date_gmt":"2012-06-07T08:33:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fukuoka-now.com\/?p=22753"},"modified":"2016-04-01T01:39:28","modified_gmt":"2016-03-31T16:39:28","slug":"a-fukuoka-vegetarian-survival-guide","status":"publish","type":"guide","link":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/en\/guides\/a-fukuoka-vegetarian-survival-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"A Fukuoka Vegetarian Survival Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a vegetarian living in Fukuoka, I\u2019ve had my fair share of difficulties getting a bite to eat, some of which I\u2019ve detailed in this month\u2019s dodesho<\/em> column. I\u2019m hoping to use this opportunity to share a few tips and recommendations for the vegans and vegetarians of this city. When I first arrived in Fukuoka, I didn\u2019t know any Japanese, which was obviously my major stumbling block when it came to menus. The following tips should help non-Japanese speakers navigate the shops and restaurants of Fukuoka with limited lingo.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013
\nUSING BUDDHIST CONCEPTS IN FOOD EXPLANATIONS<\/strong>
\nI came to Japan with the ill-founded idea that the country\u2019s Buddhist past would have left its mark on contemporary cuisine. After arriving, however, I found that Japanese people had a limited understanding of what a \u30d9\u30b8\u30c6\u30ea\u30a2\u30f3 (bejiterian<\/em>\/vegetarian) is \u2013 in fact, I recently met a new Japanese friend who needed confirmation that \u201cmeat\u201d included ham! However, I\u2019ve recently discovered that Buddhist concepts can help to explain what we vegetarians will not eat.<\/p>\n

\u2022 \u83dc\u98df(sai shoku<\/em>) is literally \u201cvegetable food\u201d and denotes a diet that was practised by stricter Buddhist sects
\n\u2022\u00a0\u83dc\u98df\u4e3b\u7fa9 (sai shoku shu gi<\/em>) means \u201cvegetarianism\u201d
\n\u2022\u00a0\u83dc\u98df\u4e3b\u7fa9\u8005 (sai shoku shu gi sha<\/em>) means \u201cvegetarian\u201d
\n\u2022\u00a0 For added emphasis, go for \u5b8c\u5168\u83dc\u98df\u4e3b\u7fa9\u8005 (kan zen sai shoku shu gi sha<\/em>): \u201ctotal vegetarian\u201d<\/p>\n

So, if telling someone you are bejiterian<\/em> doesn\u2019t seem to have got the point across, try mentioning sai shoku<\/em>. The one issue here is that, as the translation suggests, sai shoku<\/em> is likely to get you vegan food which can be annoying if you eat eggs and dairy. Personally, I find that preferable to discovering prawns have infiltrated your rice.<\/p>\n

\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013
\nMORE USEFUL PHRASES<\/strong>
\nOther useful phrases for the vegetarian-about-town include:
\n\u2022 \u8089\u3068\u9b5a\u306f\u98df\u3079\u307e\u305b\u3093 (niku to sakana wa tabemasen<\/em>): I don\u2019t eat meat and fish.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u8089\u3068\u9b5a\u3092\u4f7f\u308f\u306a\u3044\u6599\u7406\u3092\u304a\u9858\u3044\u3067\u304d\u307e\u3059\u304b (niku to sakana o tsukawanai ryouri o onegai dekimasu ka<\/em>): Could you make a meal without meat and fish?
\n\u2022\u00a0\u53b3\u683c\u306a (gen kaku na<\/em>): strict. Insert this handy adjective in front of \u83dc\u98df\u4e3b\u7fa9\u8005 (sai shoku<\/em>) or \u30d9\u30b8\u30c6\u30ea\u30a2\u30f3 (bejiterian<\/em>).
\n\u2022\u00a0\u8089\u306e\u3060\u3057 (niku no dashi<\/em>): meat stock.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u9b5a\u306e\u3060\u3057 (sakana no dashi<\/em>): fish stock. It\u2019s worth being specific if you really don\u2019t want fish stock, but be aware it\u2019s very common in Japanese noodle dishes.<\/p>\n

\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013
\nVEGETARIAN-FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS IN FUKUOKA <\/strong>
\nArmed with the above phrases you should be able to find something to eat in all but the most obviously carnivorous places (yaki niku restaurants and ramen stalls, for example). If you\u2019re looking for a few tried and tested places, here are some restaurants that my vegetarian friends and I love:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Vege Garden<\/strong>
\n1-3-29, Takamiya, Minami-ku, Fukuoka
\nFortuitously, \u2018macrobiotic\u2019 is something of a health trend at the moment in Japan. I\u2019m not sure exactly what macrobiotic is, but I know it\u2019s vegan! This restaurant serves lovely vegan food, including delicious brown rice. http:\/\/www.geocities.jp\/vegegarden0425\/pc\/english\/<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2022 \u30ab\u30e8\u30ab\u30ea(Kayokari)<\/strong>
\n1-18-6 Takasago, Chuo Ward, Fukuoka
\nThis cosy restaurant serves warming curries with a variety of vegetables.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Grench<\/strong>
\n2-15-20 Kego, Chuo Ward, Fukuoka
\nWe stumbled across this on the old site of Mana Burgers and everything about it is perfect (despite the questionable name). The waitress was very accommodating, tweaking the lunch menu to avoid the fish, and there is fantastic, unlimited salad \u2013 real salad, not just shredded lettuce \u2013 and unlimited fresh fruit juice. A firm favorite.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Freshness Burger<\/strong>
\n3-4-2 Nishijin, Sawara Ward, Fukuoka
\nTwo words: Veggie Burger. And not just one\u2014you can choose from a bean burger or a tofu burger. Be warned, though, they are quite small\u2014it might be worth getting two. I went to the one in Nishijin but there are others branches around town. Fukuoka shop list here: http:\/\/www.freshnessburger.co.jp\/shop\/list.html?p=40<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013
\nMORE VEGE DINING OPTIONS<\/strong>
\nIf you need guaranteed vegetarian dining options, head to the nearest Indian restaurant. The oldest Indian restaurant in Fukuoka (Nanak, 1-1-4 Maizuru Ward, Fukuoka, http:\/\/www.nanak.jp<\/a>) is well worth a visit. Italian restaurants and general pasta dishes are also a good option because they can be easily prepared without the meat\/fish. Udon and soba dishes are a nice Japanese option and are fairly ubiquitous, but there is no better place to sample them than in Dazaifu\u2014surrounded by everything that is traditionally Japanese.<\/p>\n

As for food shopping and eating in, don\u2019t be afraid to approach supermarket staff with questions about whether different items contain meat or fish. Japan has excellent customer service\u2014take advantage of it! I\u2019ve found it very profitable to learn the kanji for different types of meat. And although I\u2019m still working on the huge number of kanji denoting different fish, sometimes it\u2019s enough to look for the fish radical, a squashed up version of this \u9b5a on the left of a kanji. This knowledge is useful when reading ingredient lists and menus alike, although it can feel rather perverse to learn lots of characters for things you will never eat!<\/p>\n

Cooking from scratch can be very rewarding and I recommend a good English-language Japanese vegetarian cookbook\u2014or should I say the only English-language Japanese vegetarian cookbook. It\u2019s called \u201cJapanese Vegetarian Cooking: \u2013 From Simple Soups to Sushi\u201d by Patricia Richfield. I ordered mine from the US Amazon online store but it was well worth the long wait for delivery.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, convenience store food, inconveniently, has hidden fish and meat in almost everything. Be especially careful to notice smears of red-orange fish eggs in otherwise safe-looking sushi. Again, pester the staff about what\u2019s safe to eat. I often buy sushi with small amounts of fish that are easy to jab out with a well-aimed chopstick. I wouldn\u2019t do it back home in the UK, but, like choosing to ignore fishy soup stock, there are some things I have just learnt to live with.<\/p>\n

I hope these tips help, and if you have anything to add or restaurants to recommend, please leave your comment below. Itadakimasu!<\/p>\n

\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013\u2013
\nBy Sara Whittaker<\/p>\n

Read Sara’s full opinion piece from the June issue of Fukuoka Now magazine: The Life and Times of a Vegetarian in Fukuoka<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As a vegetarian living in Fukuoka, I\u2019ve had my fair share of difficulties getting a bite to eat, some of which I\u2019ve detailed in this month\u2019s dodesho column. I\u2019m hoping to use this opportunity to share a few tips and recommendations for the vegans and vegetarians of this city. When I first arrived in Fukuoka, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6391,"featured_media":22754,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","categories":[355],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-76230","guide","type-guide","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-drink","location-fukuoka-city","en-US"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/guide\/76230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/guide"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/guide"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6391"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76230"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22754"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}