Chinatown for Vegetarian?

[scooter]

Hello - we'll be hanging with a vegetarian friend from out of town in a few weeks, and I thought a Chinatown jaunt might be fun. He's a somewhat picky eater - a vegetarian who isn't really into vegetables. (So, usually it's pasta dishes and cheese.)

Chinatown Ice Cream Co. and/or a bakery would already be on the agenda, but what to eat for the actual meal?

So, any vegetarians willing to weigh in on their favorite Chinatown treats?

Maybe this is a silly question. He's actually visited China, and found that they had trouble understanding the concept of vegetarianism.

[ArtemisNYC]

I've found Buddha Bodai to be a great vegetarian place. My friends have also told me that 18 Arhans is quite good, although I haven't eaten there yet. I think it's located on Centre Street.

[kwanito]

A tip for vegetarian dining in China, preface your order by saying you're a practicing Buddhist. It might not be the case, but you can pretty much ensure your meal will not have minced meats or seafood hidden at the bottom of a dish.

I recommend both Buddha Bodai & Vegetarian Dim Sum House.

[danicanyc]

i second the vegetarian dim sum house recommendation. i think it's better than buddha bodai.

[Chandavkl]

Depends on the boundaries of his vegetarianism. Many "vegetarian" dishes will contain animal byproducts (e.g., chicken broth). Is this OK? How about seafood?

[twiggles]

you could also try dim sum go go. the menu has vegetarian dim sum options, and they are explained fairly well.

[csw]

Try searching 'Buddha bodai'.

[Ike]

Yes, Buddha Bodai is very good. Yum. I believe the address is 8 Mott St. I prefer Buddha Bodai over Vegetarian Dim Sum House, although I've only had a few things at the latter place.

However, if you like alcohol, note that they do not serve it. And the night I was there with a big group, there were some Buddhist monks at a nearby table, so the servers said we could not BYO because the monks would be offended. Fortunately our group was OK with this. Personally I do not drink, and I thought this was fascinating.

[Sweatshirt Guy]

68 Mott. It is amazing! All veggie so no chance of getting "stocked" and great tasting. I just ate there Saturday . Try the Hot Steak Kew Appetizer and ask if they have the Ham and Pickled Greens special. It is great tasting. I eat there at least once a month and I am a devout carnivore! It is that good.

There is an all vegetarian dim sum place on Pell that is alright. Maybe I don't order right there because the place is always packed.

[jh158]

There's a place called Vegetarian Dim Sum -- cheap, tasty, all vegetarian. Mostly but not exclusively dim sum, and dim sum all day. Google it for the address. I love this place!