A Meat-Eater Dating A Vegetarian

In July 2021, I met my hubby who observes an allium-free lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet. What this means is that he consumes dairy products and eggs on top of a plant-based diet, but avoids the five pungent vegetables: garlic, onion, chives, leeks, and shallots.

While the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, I'll admit I'm not a great cook and frequently fail to follow recipes to a tee. Taking away garlic and onion further cripples my less-than-flavorful dishes.

On the other hand, hubby used to operate a vegetarian zi char stall in Singapore, which offers home-styled local Chinese cuisine cooked upon order.

Igniting my competitive spirit, I spend my free time watching YouTube channels that feature plant-based recipes and often takeover his family kitchen to hone my vegetarian cooking skills.

Dining out wasn't easy for us in the beginning.

Our first dinner date was at a Thai restaurant which has a vegetarian menu separate from their standard offering. Despite ordering from the vegetarian menu and alerting the restaurant staff that we're on a vegetarian diet, we were repeatedly served dishes with fish sauce! I felt so apologetic towards hubby, and kept sending the dishes back to the restaurant kitchen.

Through subsequent dates, I learnt what to look out for and how to shortlist suitable dining options for our dates.

Nowadays, I do not mind eating at places that only serve vegan or vegetarian foods. I'm often pleasantly surprised at how some foods taste and how creative some dishes can be presented. I had vegetarian dim sum, vegetarian hotpot, vegan creamy pasta, etc.