Indian Adventure

My parter in crime and i hit up the best vegan-friendly Indian buffet in Philadelphia last night - Passage to India, located on Walnut and Juniper (right between Broad and 13th sts.). For the record, i'd like to say that Samosa (located right down the block), the only all-vegetarian Indian buffet, was the best, but now it is closed... the owner passed away from a heart attack -rest in peace!
I'd say that about 75% of the buffet is vegan... if you're unsure about a veggie dish having cream, butter, ghee, yogurt, etc. in it, just ask the host... and if you think he's guessing, ask him to please ask the cook. This happened once, and the cook did indeed confirm my belief of dairy content and proved the host wrong. First, i'll start with the only negative aspect i see with this buffet - there are never any samosas available!!! Other than that, it's all good. Out of all the times i've gone (which is a lot!), my favorite, channa masala, is almost always offered. I'm sorry for my lack of knowlege of the names of the dishes, but on average there are about 5-6 vegan options, along with pakora, rice, naan, soup, and mini salad bar. The restaurant also provides a menu for you to order from, but i've never even looked at it - viva gluttony!!! All of the employees are so nice, and they provide a peaceful atmosphere. There is a tv up front, and they ususally play Inian music videos which provide some laughs from time to time.
As far as price goes, the lunch time buffet is cheaper than dinner time, and on weekends, they bump up the price agian. I think the weekend dinner price is around $11. Also, they are usually closed from 3-5 pm to prepare for the dinner buffet.
Now for the important question - "doesn't indian food upset your stomach?" NO! The past two times i went, i didn't eat naan (i think i have an intolerance to wheat), and my stomach was fine! I'm so excited!!!! I don't think any of the dishes that they offer contain gluten, except for naan. I belive that even the pakora is gluten free... in the past, i read that chickpea flour, not wheat, is used to coat the veggies. Sweet!

Intro...

Ever since i was 13 or 14 (i'm 28 now), i've struggled with digestive problems... although not life threatening, they are discomforting and often embarrassing. Through experimenting with my diet and educating myself, i chose to follow a vegetarian diet. Soon after, i was exposed to the animal rights movement- i then became vegan not too long after (that was 8 years ago). Still, after all this time, i am bothered by a tempermental digestive system. My main problem is this- I LOVE FOOD!!! To have to give up some of my favorite edibles is hearbreaking. It seems like when i went vegan, i spent so much time in my kitchen trying to emulate non-vegan foods - now, i'm trying to turn my favorite vegan foods into something i can digest.
My aim with this blog is to cover some of my experiences, what i'm eating, and other off topic things like music, restaurants, art, etc. Hopefully, i'll be able to make some connections with others who are experiencing similar problems... and we'll be able to help each other out!!! Just a warning - some of my posts will be about gross things that have to do with food digestion... i'm sure you get my drift. I've found that by talking about these unpleasant things with others, i'm not the only one experiencing them, and that we end up feeling better about our situation knowing that we're not the only ones out there dealing with it.