RANT-Saigon Boat Cafe

[seattle66]

This past Sunday I went to Saigon Boat for a bowl of Pho, my special order is eggnoodles in lieu of rice noddles, this has never been a problem before and I placed my order with the young man tending our table he confirmed our orders and a few minutes later he brought out an order of eggrolls. I informed him, that no one ordered egg rolls, but my order was for eggnoddle that must be the mistake, he agreeded and removed the eggrolls. Then a few moments later my table recevied our food and I was given a seafood soup, I informed the server that my order was for pho with eggnoodles, he once again confirmed this and another few minutes passed he brought out a bowl of pho,after a few bites I noticed there were piceces of pork and shrimp in my bowl. Iam allergic to shellfish, I was instantly worried and called over the server and explained what was in the bowl and pointed out the pieces of shrimp, he clearly did not understand the dilema, nor spoke any english and I asked to speak to the manager. I explained to her that originaly I was brought a bowl of seafood soup and returned it because it was the wrong order and it was obvious that instead of cooking a new batch of the proper order of pho, they simply pulled out the pieces of seafood an replaced it with the brisket I had asked for. She was very accomodating and aplogetic and did not expect us to pay for the meal, which I appreciate. My concern is for those with allergies and the potentialy serious consequences this could incur. Luckily I only had a few bites before I noticed the shrimp, I immediately went home and took my allergy prescription and watched for any signs of a reaction, so far Im ok, typically with large amounts of shellfish I break out in hives and my eyes swell shut, this allergy only came on about 5 years ago and I learned about it the hard way with a trip to the ER,where I was diagnosed. Now that am aware, I stay away from shellfish. My concern is for those with more severe reaction to shellfish and the fact that the kitchen simply removed the seafood in the dish and replaced it with the proper order. Please be aware these are the kitchen practices of Saigon Boat. I reiterate the manager was notified and she acknowledges the mistake apologizing and said she would speak to the kitchen, but its still a rant because of the extra precaution and worry I had to take on for the next few day while I wait and see if I consumned enough of the shellfish to get a reaction. Please be Carefull.

Thank You.

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[JanS]

Did you explain that you were allergic to shellfish, and what the consequences to you (and to them) would be? I hope so. The kitchen needs to be aware that even if all shellfish had been removed, the broth still contained contaminant, since the shellfish were in it. Not only would it affect your health, it would affect their bottom line if you filed a claim against them. Glad you’re OK.

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[Jiggers]

Disregard the communication issue, but why would you risk yourself going into a place that sells seafood period! The kitchen is the dirtiest place in the restaurant. You are at very high risk of getting an allergic reaction.

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[seattle66]

I did explain my shellfish allergy to the manager and what the consequences to myself are and to others depending on the severity of the tolerance or lack thereof, mine is minimal but uncomfortable swelling & hives but a shot,a prescription along with some topical anti-itching cream from the DR. does the trick depending on how much I’ve consumed. But I can not say the same for others.

I have eaten at many other restaurants where they serve shellfish, this has never been an issue before, and I will not be attacked for going to this one. I enjoy Saigon Boat, hopefully this was a one time occurance, I wouldnt go again but I would like others to be aware.

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[Aurek]

I’m allergic to pork and never visit restaurants that have more than 1 major pork entry. It’s just not worth the cross-contamination risk.

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