It’s like they always say…if you can’t bring your veggie-loving butt to Asia, bring Asia to your veggie-loving butt!

This past weekend I discovered the most fantastic Asian markets right in Virginia Beach, stocked full of the freshest produce, cheapest bulk tofu, and mock meats for days. Besides the occasional reek of seafood, it was truly a vegetarian heaven.

Weekends for me are usually spent grocery shopping at Harris Teeter, paying terribly inflated prices for my Morningstar fix; but those days are over, my friends! While the Teet is still certainly good for the occasional tomato basil tofu salad bar craving and all the Diet Coke I can get my greedy little hands on, I’m now a changed woman. I bought at least a week’s worth of healthy and delicious lunches and dinners at these international markets, for less than the price of one dinner out. As soon as I got home, I rocked a serious Thai green curry that took only a half hour to make and lasted me for days, followed later by garlic stir-fried veggies, lo mein, chickpea masala, red curry, and more. All vegan…all fabulous…and all cheaper than dirt to create.

So where, you’re asking, can you find such a veggie wonderland? Well I’ll let you in on the secret that my co-worker, friend, and cruelty-free living guru Mylie (whom you may know from PETA Living) showed me:

• Grandmart (Virginia Beach). Tucked away in a shopping center, you’d look right past it if you didn’t know. But once you’re there, aim that cart to the right side of the store to see mountains of fresh produce. They’ve got all the typical goods (but hella-cheap and with the option of getting in bulk) and also vegetables that you never even knew existed. Keep going and you’ll see a wall fridge packed with every kind of tofu imaginable in every available quantity. Once you hit the middle of the store, you’ll see there’s an aisle for Indian food, an aisle for Chinese food, an aisle for Korean food, you get the idea. The best part is at the checkout lane, when you bag a whole cart’s worth of fresh food without breaking a sweat about the cash flow (and when you work in non-profit like me, that’s especially refreshing).
• Four Seasons (Virginia Beach). This tiny shop is just down the street from Grandmart, so you can easily knock both stores out in the same afternoon. It’s much smaller, but the rice selection, Thai basil, and mock meats are better than the Grandmart selection, in my opinion, so it was good to hit up this store on the way home. In the back, their mock meat fridge is full of veggie ham, shrimp, salmon, and everything you’ve probably never tried. They also have a good selection of Chinese kitchenware.

So what are you waiting for? Your stomach and pocketbook will thank you for checking out these hot spots!

As promised last time, I want to leave you with a few more restaurant selections that’ll tame your wild vegetarian heart. After you enjoy the above Asian markets, treat yourself to a delicious Asian dinner out. Enjoy!

• Kotobuki (Norfolk). The vegan lobster sushi roll exists, and you can get it at Kotobuki, along with countless other vegan seafood or vegetable sushi options. You can also enjoy vegan “beef” teriyaki, sesame “chicken,” tofu steak, and so much more.
• P.F. Changs (Virginia Beach). I know everyone’s heard of this swanky chain restaurant, but did you know that you can order almost everything on the menu vegetarian?! It’s true! Lemon chicken? It’s yours! Kung Pao beef? Yours again! Just let your sever know you’d like to substitute the meat for the five spice tofu (and be sure to specify you want the five spice and NOT silken tofu). This tofu is unlike any tofu I’ve ever tasted–it’s thick, hearty, flavorful, and seriously scrumptious.

I hope you enjoy your Asian-inspired vegetarian journey. All this talk has gotten me in the mood for Miso, so I’m off to my kitchen to whip up a little somethin’ somethin’!

Live veg and stay proud,

Christine

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