I Eat Mostly Plants Here. It Got Easier After Month Two.

Month one (annoying)

Everything arrived covered in pork fluff or mystery lard. I lived on cucumber, plain rice, and resentment.

Month two (better)

I learned three sentences, found two Buddhist restaurants, and stopped treating every dinner as a negotiation with the entire Sichuan canon.

What works now

1. Lead with 'no meat, no lard' before they cook
2. Wet market mornings for tofu and greens
3. Keep a freezer bag of dumplings for collapsed evenings

Halal friends: confirm the kitchen, don't trust the English sticker alone. Allergy folks: carry the card in Chinese and show it twice.

This isn't a purity contest. It's just lunch that doesn't make you feel erased.