Is there anything to be somech on to eat kosher fish and parve in a non kosher or fish restaurant when traveling? I usually don’t do it but I know modern Orthodox people who do it. And I was wondering since I travel a lot and it’s a very big hardship not to have any real food to eat for a few days at a time.
Answer:
Eating at a non kosher restaurant is forbidden, regardless of the style of food at the restaurant, even in extenuating circumstances.
Sources and Explanation:
Eating kosher involves much more than just the visible ingredients in front of you. A piece of salmon or a bowl of noodles may seem innocent but in fact could involve many Torah prohibitions. This could be caused by absorbing taste of non kosher items from the pot it was cooked in. Or from the knife it was cut with it may have residual grease, oil or bits of non kosher food. In addition, preparing even the most basic foods in the modern kitchen involves an array of “kosher sensitive” ingredients, from spices to oil to flavoring to preservatives and so on, all of which can can potentially pose problems of non kosher foods and of forbidden mixtures of milk and meat. Even in fresh produce there are concerns of insect infestation that non Jewish establishments are not concerned with. Eating in a non kosher restaurant also involves a prohibition of Maaris Ayin, as it looks as he is eating regularly at a non kosher establishment.
