I'm supposed to go to a dinner with my family and family friends in two weeks, and the dad in the other family made a reservation for a sushi restaurant... They don't know I'm vegan, so it's obviously not their fault, but I'm conflicted on what to do...

Sushi restaurants almost always use the same cutting boards and knives for fish as they do for vegetables, and the chefs always have hands covered with raw fish. Even if I order vegetable sushi, it's guaranteed that it will be thinly coated in fish oil.

Should I be picky about this? I do find this quite gross and unsettling, but should I make this a reason to not go to the restaurant and socialize with family friends? Or is this a stupid concern that I shouldn't care about?

Please help... I need to tell my dad what I'm going to do as soon as possible......

Tough call I, among many others I assume, deal with this every day! If we are not growing or trading locally for our own food then we are always at the mercy of someone else concerning what we eat. I am a vegan, but would eat a mcdonalds fry here and there in a pinch while at work if I didn't pack my lunch and that's where the guys went - up until a month ago when I found out that apparently the frying oil has milk and beef broth in it.

Personally I want to start valuing my philosophy on life over my own shallow selfish desires of a "good time" out with friends or family. I admire those who sacrifice the typical "normal" doings in order to maintain a straight path and set aside even their own family to do what is right for those that cannot speak for themselves.

I have seen vids about people saying it's good to support vegan options at restaurants - supply will meet demand...but I don't really want to see anyone that continues to use animal products prosper in any way until that person or company decides to eliminate those animal products from the things they profit off of.

Very very tough to do these days and I fail all the time but taking these steps and being mindful is bringing me closer everyday to being the person I want to be.

Maybe skip this one? See if you can find a 100% vegan place around and invite the family there? Here in Cincinnati/Norther Kentucky I have found only one, Park and Vine, that seems to be acceptable and I can leave there with a clear conscience...hopefully you can find some options!

I eat at (good) sushi restaurants. They have to be super clean because they serve uncooked fish, which is very bacteria-laden. Most sushi places have vegan options.

The way I see it is:
1. The more people who order veggie sushi, the more types they will offer on the menu.
2. I Iike to show the omnis in my life that I can enjoy a good restaurant meal and social life without eating dead animals.
3. I really love veggie sushi.

I encourage locally owned restaurants that I go to to offer more vegan options on the menu. I tell the manager about how many people who aren't veg still like to eat veg at some meals, and how many older people are eating veg for health. One BBQ place near me that I spoke with now offers fantastic falafel pitas and falafel/veg shish ka bob, both delicious. And hummus with dippers for an appetizer. They used to have choice only of a sad side salad (hold the cheese) and unbuttered pitas for vegans. :/

As far as cross-contamination, I don't really concern myself with that, as long as it is a clean place that won't get me sick.

I've been vegan 11ish years, and this is my style. Everyone draws his own line in the sand, and this is mine. Good luck on your decision. Oh, and see if you can google the menu to plan your order, it is way easier to know ahead of time your choices.

I am certainly no expert as I'm new to this myself, but since the memories of being omni are still fresh in my mind, I will tell you what I think from both perspectives. My sister has been vegetarian for many many years, and while my family and I didn't understand why (she never talks about it), we have all made an effort to accommodate each other when we come together as a family. This means that sometimes she's had to (probably) sacrifice her own desires and eat at a restaurant she'd rather not, but it also means that my mum and I have each learned to cook very good vegetarian food for when we are at one anothers' homes.

My point is that now that I'm on the other side, I see how a person who is too rigid in their ways (on EITHER side) can push their loved ones away, whereas a little flexibility can go a long way in breaching the gap. In my humble personal opinion, as a veg*n I would rather go to a restaurant, order some veggie food and share time with my friends and family in a peaceful way, leading by example, rather than shun myself and potentially miss the opportunity to share why I do what I do, and help another person eventually come towards a decision of compassion.

Hope this makes sense

I go to sushi restaurants for either a sit down meal with friends or take out, probably once a week, ( I don't just get sushi) and as Ledboots said, most sushi restaurants are very clean atleast around the sushi 'bar' and seem to be fairly strict. I know the one I frequent the most, the bar is exposed in the seating area so you can watch them prepare it and their prep area is immaculate. Im fairly conscious of cross contamination, but as long as its not a sh*t hole restaurant, I don't think you have anything to worry about.

Personally I'm not bothered by contamination as long as I'm not eating the actual fish, but I can see how it would turn people away. Perhaps you could call ahead of time and tell them you have a mild fish allergy and if it would be possible for them to wash their hands, make your sushi rolls, and then make everyone else's? Just explain it very clearly in case English isn't their first language.

I'm not sure if you're intentionally keeping your veganism away from your family or anything, but it might be a good idea to tell them after you call about your 'fish allergy' and come clean so you don't walk into any awkward situations. Don't have to say the 'V' word yet if you don't want to. The idea of raw fish is kinda gross to a lot of people.

Thank you so much for your reply! I do understand your position on not supporting the restaurant... But I think the other family doesn't know much about veganism so I decided it may be a good opportunity to spread the message to more people by going and ordering veggie sushi. My mom's actually allergic to fish, so my dad told the other dad that my mom and I can't eat fish and the other dad (who's apparently a friend of the chef) told the chef to be careful. So I hope the cross-contamination thing is ok
In future occasions, I will try to either make the reservations myself or let others know beforehand that I'm vegan and don't appreciate the possibility of cross-contamination!

Thank you for your reply! Yes, I agree that ordering veggie sushi will show that people like it, and possibly lead to more options in the future. Also, I think I need to show my family that I can still participate in social gatherings as a vegan, and that it won't ruin my life ahaha
I actually haven't tried veggie sushi much, even as an omnivore in the past, so I'm excited to see what they have to offer
My mom is actually allergic to fish so we let the chef know to be careful, for both of us (Usually my mom doesn't mention her allergy, but this time because I'm vegan, we decided might as well say something). Hopefully this will solve the cross-contamination issue?

I haven't been vegan for that long so I'm coming across a few dilemmas here and there, but I really appreciate your reply! It really helps!

Thank you so much for your reply! This makes perfect sense, and I agree; being too stubborn can hurt my own relationships with others, as well as shed negative light on the vegan movement. Hopefully I can share some vegan knowledge with the other family as well and spread the message!

Thank you so much for your reply! My mom is actually allergic to fish, so we told the chef and I think he'll be careful about cross-contamination (not sure about eggs or shellfish, which my mom isn't allergic to... maybe they told the chef I'm vegan too, but I haven't confirmed that yet).
I hope my sushi won't be fishy lol
Thanks for the reassurance!

Thank you so much for your reply!
I apologize that I wasn't clear in my explanation: My family knows I'm vegan, but the other family that we are having dinner with did not. My mom is actually allergic to fish, so they called the chef to notify him, and although I'm not sure if anything about my veganism was mentioned, I think he will at least be more careful not to cross-contaminate. I think I will go to the dinner, and use it as an opportunity to spread the vegan message
Hopefully things go well!

Veggie sushi is one of my favorite foods ever! I honestly never thought about cross contamination because I assumed they were practicing sanitary kitchen habits. I am allergic to shellfish and get itchy from being near or eating from the habachi grill, but have never had an issue with my sushi. I hope you enjoy your meal with everyone

Once I was in a wellknown snackbar in Holland. They had a vegetarian option to be fried. I asked them to fry it in a non-meat fryingpan. But than the owner (franchiser I supose) said they were sold out for the vegetarian option. The next day the vegetarian option was disapeared from the menu. But at other snackbar it was still on the menu.

And what did I learn from this?