How asking about an ingredient will help you evaluate a restaurant’s worthiness

dining-out
butter
lchf
evoo
(less is more, more or less) #1

In my travels through LCHF-land, I’ve found a simple way to determine if a restaurant is worthy and capable of my patronage. I’m curious if this matches your experience as well?

(Eric - The patient needs to be patient!) #2

I recently ate at a very fine chinese restaurant and asked about no sugar / starch in the food. They replied proudly: “We make all of our sauces fresh for each meal.” An so they do. Turns out I know one of the owners. They are very proud of this. So no sugar it was and the waitress checked with us several times to make sure it was to our liking.

Asking about butter and EVOO is great. I eat at my University Dining hall once a week with business meetings and recently just ate some of the so called EVOO with a spoon just to check the flavor. Yuck. Rancid. So I carry a 4 oz bottle of EVOO from world markets with me now.

Contrast this to several local thai restaurants. They just can’ make any dish, even Nam Sod or Larb, without sugar.

(less is more, more or less) #3

I used to say; “I’m allergic to sugar,” but then, a well-run kitchen would respond that there’s sugar in their kitchen, somewhere, and that’s sufficient coverage for their legal purposes. It’s funny, too. Dishes will not have sugar added but might have fruit or other sugar ingredients that merely lack the convenient “sugar” name. "Oh, no sugar in our BBQ sauce!” “Hey, that’s great! Anything sweet in there?” "Oh, yes! We have apricots and molasses! You’ll love it.”

(A deep and breathy sigh follows.) “Just serve me some steamed broccoli and a side of butter.” See how the butter fall back works?

Sugar really is a culinary virus.

#4

First, I almost never get to pick the restaurant…
That said, its not difficult to find a suitable entree off a menu. I just focus on LC: a meat dish and a veggie side, hold the sauce, bring me butter.

Eating fat does not cause ketosis. Fat just helps increase caloric intake. Meat and vegetables are not very dense, so its easy to fall below our energy requirements. A chicken thigh and 8 ounces of broccoli is less than 300 calories. We need more than that on a regular basis, but if the occasional restaurant meal is just low carb, that’s not a problem.

(I Am The Egg Man ku-ku-kachoo) #5

My 2nd favorite Chinese restaurant local to me became my favorite after I went Keto. The top restaurant had trouble accommodating my specific requests, whereas Number 2 had no difficulty cutting sugar, rice/wheat flours, etc. In fact, they eventually mocked up a great spicy garlic sauce that they use just for me!

(less is more, more or less) #6

I know that. I’m not a fat-macro guy. What’s surprising is the disconnect between an artistry that insists on the best ingredients, or a factory-line of churn ’em in and out. If they care enough to keep real butter, they are likely to better understand the art of cooking.

Foodies and LCHF’ers should be able to agree on this.

(less is more, more or less) #7

So much win in this!