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August 11, 2013 at 3:20 am #608628
birdrescuerParticipantWe had dinner there the other night and ordered something that did not list any meat of fish. When the order came we realized that there was shrimp on the platter.(Because the shrimp were dried and desiccated it took awhile to realize what it was), We asked them o remove the dish and explained in several different ways that it is not safe to put things in a dish that isn’t on the menu. When I spoke to the waiter he only said, “We try to accommodate people with allergies.” I couldn’t get him to understand that people select their food based on what is on the menu and don’t expect to be surprised. So, if you choose to eat there, check out what they actually bring you.
August 11, 2013 at 4:14 am #795753
JeanineParticipantDo you or your dining companion have a shellfish allergy? Why not simply ask to confirm your order is safe rather than assuming? I know if my health depended on it, I’d let the server know immediately; there could be all kinds of allergy cross contamination in the kitchen. Not to mention that there’s probably fish sauce in plenty of the dishes….
August 11, 2013 at 5:11 pm #795754
birdrescuerParticipantIt is not an allergy. It is a religious proscription. I read a menu to order what I want and/or can eat. I think that is what should be in the food served and not something I didn’t order.
August 11, 2013 at 5:36 pm #795755
JanSParticipantby that reasoning, everything , including spices, should be listed on the menu? That might be a hefty order…and make for a very long menu. If there are certain things you can’t/won’t eat, I’d ask beforehand, just to be sure. The desiccated shrimp is a seasoning, I’m thinking, not a main ingredient, unlike whole shrimp.
August 11, 2013 at 6:58 pm #795756
Talaki34ParticipantI understand not wanting something unexpected appearing on the serving plate.
A suggestion for future nights out – look at a copy of the menu (many restaurants now post them online) and choose several options; call and speak with the Chef to see if the entrées will meet your requirements or what he/she can recommend that do not have the undesired foods including any add-ins like the shrimp. If food preparation areas are of a concern also, speak with them about that. Something to keep in mind is the time of day you eat. It is a lot easier to accommodate requests when not given during a peak meal hour. Instead try coming in 30 minutes before or after; this will allow the Chef time to pay closer attention to your needs.
Eventually you will be able to build a list of restaurants that can accommodate your specific wishes, you will gain some peace of mind and as an added bonus you will get to know on a more personal level the people who prepare and serve your food. Of course tipping appropriately for the added service is appreciated.
August 11, 2013 at 7:06 pm #795757
JeanineParticipantAlso, dried shrimp and shrimp paste are used extensively in Thai cuisine. If the restaurant is trying to be remotely authentic I would expect most of the dishes to contain some form of shrimp/shellfish. You might have been better off asking the server which menu items DON’T have shrimp in them. The restaurant did nothing wrong.
August 11, 2013 at 10:02 pm #795758
CandrewB1ParticipantFish sauce is used all the time at Asian restaurants without it being listed on the menu. You may want to research dishes before ordering.
August 11, 2013 at 10:08 pm #795759
birdrescuerParticipantDesiccated shrimp was not the the seasoning, it was on the plate as part of the dish. I am 70 years old and have been eating out for a LONG time. I really don’t need people to tell me how to order food. I am just putting out an alert. Take it for what it is worth and don’t lecture me please.
August 11, 2013 at 11:00 pm #795760
JeanineParticipantYou might as well put out an alert for every restaurant on the face of the earth.
August 12, 2013 at 11:08 am #795761
Talaki34Participantbirdrescuer – One of the many advantages or disadvantages of a forum like this is the anonymity one retains. Not knowing you, I could not possibly guess your age by your postings or how many times you have eaten out. My post was not meant to lecture, but to share some of what I do when looking for a new restaurant.
August 12, 2013 at 1:31 pm #795762
anonymeParticipantYou all make good points, including birdrescuer. But I would add that asking questions doesn’t always help. When I was vegetarian, I always asked very specific questions in restaurants. I once ordered a pasta dish at Palomino that listed every ingredient, including spices and the parsley garnish. What was NOT listed was the pork that featured prominently in the dish. Or the Mexican restaurant that insisted their beans were vegetarian; again, the pieces of pork “didn’t count” because they were just “flavoring”. Not all restaurants understand dietary restrictions very well, nor do all waitstaff understand or answer questions accurately. Vigilance is required…
August 12, 2013 at 2:34 pm #795763
KimberleyParticipantTalaki – you make very good points, as someone who is allergic to both seafood and shellfish, I may have to do what you suggest.
Birdrescuer does have a valid point. I once ordered a caesar salad at a very upscale restaurant in a hotel attached to my office building (One P.O. Square in Boston) and although I knew that the caesar dressing was made with anchovy paste (which I can tolerate in small doses), I did not expect neither tomatoes or actual anchovies on my dish (even after I asked the server what came on the salad).
August 12, 2013 at 3:17 pm #795764
JoBParticipanti once asked if Alaskan salmon was in a seafood fettucine and was told no..
the waiter was wrong and i spent the night at the emergency room
i am of the opinion that it is the responsibility of the restaurant to disclose the ingredients in a dish… especially when a customer inquires…
making a list of ingredients available on all dishes would prevent costly mishaps like mine
August 13, 2013 at 12:49 am #795765
SueParticipantAs JoB points out, even asking specific questions does not always get the right answer. Many years ago I ordered a peanut butter pie from a restaurant (not here in Seattle). I have no allergy to peanuts whatsoever, but some allergies to other ones (hazelnut and brazil nuts). The pie came with chopped nuts on top. I asked if they only were peanuts, and explained my allergy. The server assured me they were just peanuts – he said he shook them out of the container himself, so he knew. I took one bite and ended up in the emergency room. It turns out later that it was actually a product they called “chopped nuts with peanuts” and it contained 10 different types of nuts. I’ve also, as a vegetarian, ordered a veggie burger from a local place, took one bite and realized it was actually beef. I think if anyone has an allergy so severe as to be risky for the server to be wrong, or a conviction (dietary, religious, etc.) that 100% cannot be violated, then it’s going to be risky to eat out at all, because we truly have little control in the end and can only do our best to get our needs met.
August 13, 2013 at 5:58 pm #795766
queseraMemberThank you for the information! It’s one thing not to list absolutely all ingredients (of course no restaurant does that), but meat and seafood are not even remotely like forgetting to mention parsley. Meat and seafood are primary ingredients that many people do not eat. You can’t toss them in without listing them. Also, what you’re describing sounds pretty unappetizing no matter how much a person likes shrimp. Ew!
August 13, 2013 at 7:17 pm #795767
KBearParticipantSorry, Quesera, but in Thai cooking it IS like not mentioning parsley. I agree with comment #6. Seafood ingredients are used as flavoring in all sorts of Thai dishes, even ones that don’t feature meat or fish. It’s best to ask.
August 13, 2013 at 7:35 pm #795768
Spring ChickenMemberIf I had a severe allergy to any type of fish, I wouldn’t order something called “Seafood Alfredo” I’d get a steak. If I had severe allergy to any type of nuts I wouldn’t order anything with “nuts” because peanuts and tree nuts (though different allergens) are interchangeable in most recipes. Order carefully to minimize risk, but carry your Epi-pen too. If your religion abstains from shellfish choose kosher, vegetarian or most middle eastern (halal) restaurants.
Restaurant kitchens are hectic, there’s no way they can isolate one diner’s plate or guarantee no cross-contamination. It would be nice if the server knew every ingredient but that’s not realistic when it can change daily. Perhaps the chef uses “seafood alfredo” to disguise whatever leftover fish wasn’t sold yesterday, or maybe the ingredients label on that bag of crushed nuts changed since the last wholesaler delivery.
August 13, 2013 at 8:50 pm #795769
KimberleyParticipantIf you weren’t used to Thai cooking, how would one reasonably know they fish oil is used in most everything? I certainly didn’t, and happened to eat chicken pad thai five times in two weeks because it was delicious – then had a very bad reaction.
August 13, 2013 at 9:15 pm #795770
Spring ChickenMemberIf you have a severe food allergy you learn the basics about new international cuisines before you go. I googled “Thai food ingredients” with this result
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_cuisine#Ingredients
The ingredient found in almost all Thai dishes and every region of the country is nam pla, a very aromatic and strong tasting fish sauce. Fish sauce is a staple ingredient in Thai cuisine and imparts a unique character to Thai food. Fish sauce is prepared with fermented fish that is made into a fragrant condiment and provides a salty flavor. There are many varieties of fish sauce and many variations in the way it is prepared. Some fish may be fermented with shrimp and/or spices.
It’s saying there’s always fish sauce in Thai food. Even if you try ordering something without it the drop of fish sauce left in the pan or serving spoon might get into your food, so if fish makes you sick avoid Thai restaurants.
August 13, 2013 at 10:23 pm #795771
KimberleyParticipantThat’s certainly what I’ve been told at most Thai restaurants when I’ve asked for items plain with no fish sauce – they tell me it won’t taste good. My chicken pad thai incident happened pre-smart phone error so it wasn’t an option back then.
August 13, 2013 at 11:29 pm #795772
JoBParticipantSo ..
now it’s my job to not only know what i am allergic to and ask my waiter..
but to research any probability that anything resembling that which i am allergic and/or sensitive to could be put into the food i am consuming?
i am all for buyer beware.. but i think we have taken that adage to ridiculous extremes. A buyer can not make a good decision about anything without adequate information.
i am damn tired of having to not only do due diligence for anything i purchase or consume.. but go at least one step beyond that and protect myself from anything that could possibly go wrong even if i asked about possible problems and was given faulty information.
when i was served Alaskan salmon i was very careful to tell the waiter that i would be happy to choose something else if there was any possibility that even though Alaskan salmon was not one of the listed ingredients… i might end up consuming Alaskan salmon in that dish. it was right after the spill and i was having real problems with that particular fish.
If the waiter had asked in the kitchen, he would have been told that alaskan salmon was indeed a rather substantial ingredient in that dish that night. he didn’t ask.
i know this because i inquired the next day and spoke with the manager, the chef and the waiter..
he just decided i was a fussy woman and didn’t bother asking the chef.
the restaurant gave me a rather substantial gift certificate in compensation which i promptly gave to someone who didn’t have any fish allergy issues…
but that didn’t begin to compensate me for spending the night in the emergency room 2 nights before my wedding…
for being so sick at my wedding that i couldn’t eat or enjoy a glass of wine…
or for the honeymoon i didn’t get to enjoy.
or … for the 20+ year relapse of my chronic fatigue syndrome that was triggered by that event.
I carry an EPI pen.. someone else’s bad judgment won’t kill me.
But it might make me very very sick for a very long time.
as a customer, i believe it is my right to have any questions i might ask answered and to make informed decisions…
my customer experience at a restaurant starts with the menu and the knowledge or lack thereof of the wait staff.
if i do my best to make good choices and still end up getting sick, i am unlikely to go back…
no matter how good other people think the food is.
August 13, 2013 at 11:50 pm #795773
Spring ChickenMemberAugust 13, 2013 at 11:55 pm #795774
Genesee HillParticipantEat at home.
August 14, 2013 at 12:52 am #795775
CandrewB1ParticipantI am allergic to orange peppers. Once when I was at Azteca, I had the minimum-wage waiter double-check the fajitas were made with only red and green peppers. He said they were, but in hindsight, it seemed like he just wanted to get home. Well, after a night in the ER… because I am deathly allergic…
August 14, 2013 at 1:26 am #795776
Spring ChickenMemberI went to a pub for a glass of milk but they gave me 12 beers! I was sick all the next day!
OMG LET’S SUE THE BASTARDS!!!!
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