Originally Posted by
rodjune
The NH lounge has several vegetable rolled sushi, rice triangles wrapped in seaweed with pickled plum "umeboshi." Miso soup is animal-product free sometimes and sometimes has fish-derived product in it if it has been prepared with dashi soup base.
I feel reasonably confident in saying 99% of the miso soup you get in Japanese restaurants has fish-based dashi in it. Yes, supermarkets sell miso without dashi, but that's just so you can add in your preferred amount while making it yourself. Vegetarian konbu (kelp) dashi is rarely seen outside temples.
And re: the OP's dietary requirements, if he's OK with South Indian food then he must be OK with fermented foods, since the batter for idlis, dosas etc is prepared through fermentation.