Eating Out

I dined last night at a Malaysian restaurant in Minneapolis. Eating out can be a horrific experience and I know that many celiacs do not trust the outside world in insuring they will not be contaminated. That is smart. I can not do that however. I live to eat and eating out is one of those occasions that I look forward to. So I do all that I can to be safe.

I called before we left to inform them that I could not eat gluten.

"Can you easily accommodate my diet?"

"We have many things on the menu without gluten."

Wow, I didn’t even have to explain what gluten was. This was good.

"And my waiter will be able to help me order?"

"Yes."

Ok, here we go.

At the restaurant it was a different story. The waiter looked at me utterly confused.

"Glu…"

"Gluten. No wheat." Thinking that most ingredients at an Asian place would contain wheat.

I told the waiter that I had called and asked kindly if he could talk to the manager and chefs.
He came back to the table and pointed to a couple veggie dishes that I could have. I still questioned when he pointed to one that said "special sauce." Hmmmm, don’t think so. After more explanation I settled on some curry veggies.

I was still nervous.

I found the manager and asked that my meal be made in a spotlessly clean wok. I made it clear that if my food touched anything with gluten I would be in trouble. Sometimes I like to say, "I am SEVERELY allergic to gluten." That usually gets their attention.

I am feeling fine today. It is worth taking the few minutes to explain to the restaurant what you need. You are their customer and if they are a good business they will be happy to help you.

Eat wisely and fully!