Oh, and if you don’t like lentils or peas, be wary of anything with “dal” in the name (though “dal” refers to a range of pulses, though typically it’s some variety of lentil or dried pea [split pea, chickpea]) or “matar/mutter/or some similar spelling” which means “peas.”
I have yet to visit a Pho restaurant. I’ve not had poutine but I did try the US version – disco fries – within the past decade. I didn’t start eating sushi until this millennium.
As I mentioned in that thread, I lived in the area for five years and never had a muffuletta. I probably had po’ boys but don’t remember.
If you ever find yourself near a Hot N Juicy Crawfish restaurant, try one of their po’ boys.
Or gumbo (roux base). Heck, Cajun / Creole is probably the original fusion cuisine!
I’ve never had poke, and never will. Given my general dislike for fish and hatred for raw versions thereof, poke will never cross my plate. Ditto pretty much all Japanese cuisine as well. Don’t like the seasonings, greatly hate the ingredients. I think that Kobe beef is highly over-rated, too.
Which is weird, because I generally love every other Asian cuisine I’ve tried.
You need to have yourself a katsu curry.
I like Japanese when I want to feel like I’m eating something “clean” and not terribly heavy. I always feel light on my feet after a Japanese meal (unless I’m eating their katsu curry). You should also try some stuff from an izikaya.
I recommend Phở Đặc Biệt. I do wish the tripe was more like menudo instead of ‘crunchy’ (for want of a better word). My favourite is the tendons. I prefer the raw beef to the brisket, but it comes with both. And who doesn’t like Vietnamese meatballs?
deliciously slightly above room temperature.
I appreciate the suggestions, but it’s not just tomato. I am also violently allergic to peas and all forms of lentils (which is unfortunate, because I used to really, really enjoy lentils). It’s not just overt occurrences of these items - a sauce made with tomatoes may not look like it has tomatoes in it, but if it does it will trigger my allergies. Rice might have peas or lentils in it, and just picking the offending bits out will not work because if they’ve been cooked together it’s all off-limits to me. Attempting to eat at an Indian restaurant results in a LOT of problems with determining what is and isn’t safe to eat, often with language barriers thrown in.
As an example: when I look up a recipe like palak paneer nearly every single one includes tomatoes with the spinach. I have no doubt that it could be made without tomatoes, but presently that seems the exception and not the rule. Trusting other people to make something without an item I’m allergic to is a gamble - my worst allergic episode was triggered by someone who repeatedly assured me there were NO TOMATOES in the dish (she substituted ketchup instead 
) Now, transfer that from a private kitchen to a busy commercial operation where a lot of stuff is pre-made or comes in already manufactured so the cooks may or may not know exactly what is in absolutely everything, where someone might get careless, where there may be language barriers, and… that’s a nightmare for me.
I have problems enough eating at places with cuisines I’m familiar with, where I have a better idea what is and isn’t in stuff, and where I can navigate the hazards with more confidence. In a completely new to me cuisine it’s very, very difficult. I can never causally try it, much research is required first.
This is difficult enough to manage when it’s just one item I need to avoid, but Indian cooking commonly has multiple problem items. It takes every bit of enjoyment out of eating if you take just the smallest bite and are sitting waiting to see if it will send you to the hospital or not. I could attempt to cook my own, but I’ll have no way to know if I’m doing it correctly or not. It’s too much stress and work at this point.
Now, if I knew someone who was adept at Indian cooking who was willing to work with me, help me learn the techniques and the terminology… sure, that’s a possibility. But I don’t have that in my life at this point.
My chicken malai suggestion will not have tomatoes, peas, or lentils.
Does this mean you’re not that interested in cooking, or not a very confident cook? Because I’m sure many of us could recommend some really good indian recipes or books which would give you a great experience of indian cuisine, minus the offending foodstuffs - but if you don’t want to have a go, there’s not much we can do.
I mean, I have an Indian friend who doesn’t like spicy food or eat coriander, and she manages just fine!
My wife became vegetarian as a teenager and missed a lot of these things too. Lately with the availability of Impossible Burger and similar products I’ve been using it to make stuff for her like meatloaf that’s completely ordinary and mundane for the rest of us, but an exotic treat for her. I’ve never seen anyone so excited for meatloaf before. 
Sounds delicious. Here’s my decision tree:
Hmmm… yogurt is OK, as is the chicken. Oh, wait, it’s marinated in this thing called “masala tandoori” - does that mixture have any tomato, lentil, or peas? If I ask the restaurant staff will they know for sure or not?
Palak paneer - oh, spinach and cheese, one of my favorites… oh, wait, all these recipes for it have tomatoes. Sure, I can leave that out if I cook it, but if I go to a restaurant can I ask them to leave it out? Will they? Is this all made up in advance so it’s all mixed together, or do they mix it up for each individual order? Hm… might be safest to pass on this.
The rice side - is it JUST rice, or is there something else in it? If there is something else, what is it? Inspect very, very closely.
Naan is probably OK. Good thing I like bread, because that might be the only thing I wind up eating.
It’s not a matter of liking lentils or peas, it’s a matter of the last time I ate lentils the inside of my mouth and throat and my tongue swelled up, nearly cutting off my oxygen, along with hives and rash all over my body, my eyes swelling shut, copious flows of snot from my nose, coughing up fluid from my lungs, followed shortly by vomiting and diarrhea. Even with medical attention it took three days for the last of the swelling and itching to subside and the level of steroids required were no fun.
Which is a damn shame because prior to that I really liked the taste of lentils I ate them frequently. In fact, it was a bowl of my own lentil stew (Mediterranean style) that damn near killed me.
So this isn’t a matter of “don’t like the taste/texture” or a bit of tummy upset. That’s a trivial thing. I’m talking about a life-threatening allergy which ups the stakes considerably. If I’m wrong about what’s on the plate in front of me it really could kill me. It will certainly be a mood-killer for everyone else around me. For my worst allergies the amount required is small enough that it may not be either seen or tasted.
I will keep that in mind and check it out. Thank you.
I am an extremely confident cook - due to medical necessity I do nearly all my own cooking from scratch so I can know what’s in it. By all means, suggest away. It’s just difficult when I don’t feel I can safely go out to a restaurant to sample an ethnic cuisine in reasonably authentic form, don’t have anyone locally with good knowledge of the cuisine to fall back on, and am completely unfamilar with the language/terminology.
I a similar problem with Mexican-style cooking - I finally started experimenting with it when a local restaurant owner inquired why, whenever my spouse was chowing down on a messy burrito plate I would only sip ice tea. He introduced me to tomato-less Mexican cooking, but there are very, very few Mexican restaurants I’d ever feel safe eating in. Most cooks in those places don’t have the time or interest to help me out. I use Mexican-inspired ingredients, but I don’t cook Mexican for others because in general what I wind up with that’s safe for me doesn’t taste at all like what they’re expecting. Hey, I’m happy with it and it makes my own cooking less boring, call it “Mexican-inspired”.
I’m sure there is a lot of great Indian food I could enjoy, but the barrier to entry is pretty high for me.
Understood, but the above still applies. Avoid anything with those words. I’m not questioning your reasons.
Sorry if I over-reacted - I’ve had too many experiences in life where my issue was dismissed as “not liking” or “being picky” or “inconsiderate” or “rude” or worse. As bad as the medical aspect is, the social handicap and the ignorance/reactions of others can actually be more of a burden at times.
My rule is that if someone says they don’t eat something, I don’t serve them that and make sure nothing I’ve made contains that (or I don’t lead them to food that contains that.) It’s really not my business what the reason is – whether it’s mere dislike or violent allergy, I’m not giving them anything with foods they are avoiding.
THANK YOU!
If only everyone else was so considerate.
I don’t have any allergies or aversions, but I can only imagine how frustrating it could be. “Oh. it’s only a little bit.” “You can’t even taste it!” “But you’ve never had it like this!” Etc.
Exactly.
This side conversation on food preferences / allergies reminded me of an article I read once in Slate (Christ, Sept. 2013-- almost 10 years ago??) where I thought of the author “what an ASSHOLE!”. 99.99% of the comments said pretty much the same thing.
tl;dr version: the author is preparing a mushroom risotto for some vegetarian friends coming over, and uses chicken stock without realizing it. Their significant other says “what are you doing?” and the author says “oops…but, shhh-- don’t tell” and then writes a lengthy rationalization of it, basically saying chicken stock doesn’t count as meat, so get over it already, vegetarians.
I’m a dedicated omniivore, but if I have vegetarian friends over, I not only am very careful of ingredients used, and put as much effort into preparing vegetarian options that are as delicious as meat-based options, I make sure that if I’m, say, grilling a veggie burger, it doesn’t touch any part of the grill that had meat on it.
Everybody’s ingredient preferences need to be respected, whether it be due to allergy, ethical considerations, or simple taste preference (I admit, re: the latter, I do have some picky friends who drive me nuts, but I don’t try to change or fool them).
Wow, that author lost me implying that a meatless entrée not being a REAL entrée. What an obnoxious tool.