"Finding Vegan-friendly Restaurants in New Cities" by Laura Hanna
Before heading to Jordan, I found a fantastic blog post about common vegan foods in Amman. While the foods listed in the blog post are delicious, sometimes, it’s nice to know exactly what you have available before going out to eat. Thankfully, technology has advanced to make this easier.
I use an app called Happy Cow to find meals that are suitable for vegans. The app provides a list of restaurants with vegan and vegetarian options, as well as reviews from other members. Happy Cow is my go-to app for finding food while traveling.
Recently, I found the first fully vegan restaurant in Jordan while surfing Happy Cow. The restaurant is called Bayt Sara (meaning ‘Sara’s House’) aptly named after the chef and owner Sara. The restaurant featured many famous Jordanian dishes, like shawarma, as well as a plethora of multicultural meals, thanks to Chef Sara’s Romanian-Italian-Jordanian-Hungarian background. A friend and I headed to Bayt Sara to provide a review. Here is a list of my experience there.
While walking in, we were immediately greeted by Chef Sara. We sat in a booth and watched a litter of newborn kittens play on the floor. Chef Sara uses all tips to support over 160 stray cats in the community. She also sells tote bags to support her causes.
On the first day, we ate the “zinger” sandwich which was comprised of a homemade vegan mayonnaise, pickles, and fried tofu. We also had the Hungarian Goulash with homemade dumplings and sourdough bread.
For dessert, we split this huge slice of chocolate cake. It was decadent and moist and everything a chocolate cake should be. We also drank the mixed berry iced tea.
The second day, we had a burger and the shawarma sandwich. Once again, we were served a tray of the most delicious mayonnaise and pickles to go along with our meal. My sandwiches were clearly hand-made with delicious aromatics and warm spices.
If you find yourself in Amman, make sure to check out Bayt Sara. The food is delicious and inventive, and the environment is incredibly positive. You are sure to see a few friendly cats while dining. Also, make sure you download Happy Cow before traveling to find vegan and vegetarian-friendly restaurants while abroad.
Happy Dining!
Laura Hanna is a student from the University of Louisville who is studying in the Intensive Arabic Program in Amman, Jordan.
