We often receive questions about eating out and how to stay safe. The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network in the US sent the following question to Ming Tsai, a devoted FAAN member and FAAN spokesperson. Ming is also a celebrated chef who has appeared on many cooking programmes on television, and is a popular chef/restaurateur of the Blue Ginger in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Answers to diet dilemmas

Dear Ming

My child has food allergies and we’re afraid to eat out. Do you have any strategies?

There are definitely things you can do to make dining out pleasurable and safe. Remember, restaurants should serve all people — just because someone in your party has an allergy does not mean you should not be able to go out for a meal.

The first thing I would do is go online and look at the menu of the restaurant where you are hoping to dine. If the menu isn’t online, or if you don’t have immediate access to a computer, call the restaurant and ask them to mail it or fax it to you, if possible. Read over the menu and see if there are any options that seem appetising to you. Next, call the manager, or better yet, ask to speak with the chef directly. You can then find out more about the dishes you’d like to try, and ask if the restaurant can prepare the dish to accommodate a specific allergy. If the manager or chef is not willing to talk to you about the menu or how you can be accommodated, that’s a great sign that you should steer clear of the restaurant.

From this short conversation, you should be able to get a good idea of your comfort level with this restaurant, which will help you to make a decision about whether to eat there or try somewhere else. Do this for every restaurant you want to visit. Calling even just a day ahead makes all the difference in ensuring a safe dining experience. Plus, it goes both ways— you are giving the restaurant a “heads up”, which means they can serve you more efficiently. The restaurant can prep a shellfish-free fryer or keep an allergen out of a marinade.

Many mistakes happen when restaurants are caught off-guard and do not have a sufficient system in place to handle serving guests who have food allergies. One phone call goes a long way in taking care of both these points.

Also, if you do end up speaking to the chef, be sure to go on a night when he is working.
Once you get to the restaurant, you should never feel like a nuisance for telling the manager and your server that you or someone in your party has these specific allergies and that they are life-threatening. You are responsible for getting that information out there; don’t hesitate to be as clear and thorough as you want.

A few things to keep in mind:

• Go early in the week, when restaurants tend to be less busy and therefore have more time to devote to you
• Make your reservation for the first seating—not only is the restaurant not as full but the kitchen has been used the least, meaning less possible cross contact with allergens
• If it makes you more comfortable, start by going out to lunch first, which is usually slower than dinner service
• Don’t forget to ask the most basic questions of the staff. Things that seem obvious to you and your party may not be to everyone. Ask questions such as, “Do you reuse your frying oil? Are you using a clean saute pan, tongs, or cutting board?” Cross contact is one of the easiest ways for an allergen to get into a dish, but is also one of the easiest things to prevent.

Remember, if the staff seems put out in any way by your questions or requests, do not hesitate to leave. Do not be embarrassed; do not feel bad—your first priority is safety.
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@2007 Food Allergy News. The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network.
Reprinted with Permission.