Hi Stevie I'm so sorry I just saw this now while randomly on this page looking for another link! I have no idea if you'll see this, but I'll try to reply now in case. Sorry I missed it last time. I hope you had a great time in Taiwan. The explanation your girlfriend gave will certainly help to eliminate some dishes. However, I find that most Taiwanese chefs (and many chefs in other countries too) don't consider ingredients which contain dairy products. So labels are given (and wait staff will warn you) about fried eggs, and desserts made with eggs and dairy products, but they virtually always forget mayonnaise and dairy products in fake meat (including most at Minder), or in the fermentation of tofu. I think the reason it's more of an issue here in Taiwan is that the majority of vegetarians are Buddhist, who eat dairy but not egg, or I Kuan Tao, who eat both, so the food is naturally divided up based on egg, but people are unfamiliar and confused by veganism. When you ask about dairy they will honestly try to eliminate food which they've used dairy products to make (pizza is another example) but not dairy in ingredients. And yes that is a good point about the tongs. Personally cross contamination doesn't worry me much, because if a tiny bit of dairy gets onto my food I'm not supporting the industry. But I prefer vegan restaurants for that reason. That said, I sometimes do avoid the dishes right next to the salads and rolls with mayonnaise, since it tends to come off on the next plate along the line, especially if it's steamed vegetables, where it's sometimes enough to be visible. Though more upmarket buffets like Minder give everyone a new pair of tongs, I suppose the cheaper places which have one pair of tongs per dish are better for vegans. I had never thought about this. Thanks again for your reply! I hope you had a great time here in Taiwan. Please feel free to send me a message if you have any questions about Taiwan. Regards Jesse