Gluten Free Chinese Food

[Nick-incollege]

What do you guys usually get at a chinese place, and what type of things do you watch out for?

[cyclinglady]

Chinese people who do not speak English well! Seriously, we attempted to eat in China town in San Francisco, but could not find a restaurant that really understood Our gluten-free needs. This was last year and now we check out websites recommended by folks with celiac disease. We have eaten at PF Chang's successfully and even though they have a good reputation, I still grill the manager. We have a local Chinese restaurant, but if the manager is not in, we leave. The cooks are Chinese and do not speak English well and the rest of the staff are not gluten-free savvy and Spanish is their first language.

Luckily, one of my best friends is Chinese and her Dad, a retired chef, cooks for us occasionally. That is the very best Chinese food I have ever eaten!

[Adalaide]

I'm going to second that. I would never, under any circumstances, eat somewhere where the people I was dealing with didn't speak fluent English. I suppose I would make an exception if I spoke a second language and could communicate effectively, but I don't. If I can't be sure that they understand my needs, I'm not going to risk my health for one meal. Sadly, at the time I was diagnosed there was no Chinese restaurant (that wasn't a chain) in my area that I enjoyed that had English speaking staff.

 

If you're going to insist, find out what brand of soy sauce they use. Keep in mind that if you watch all day, woks aren't always cleaned, they're often wiped out and just reused. So if their soy sauce has wheat, everything that goes in a wok is off limits. That probably just leaves white rice and steamed vegetables, at which point why are you paying someone to make you food you can microwave straight out of the freezer in it's own bag? (just my opinion of course)

[Georgia-guy]

Why do I do this to myself? I'm taking an old friend out to lunch for her birthday during her lunch break...I told her to choose a place by her work that was good. I was expecting something like Chiles, Red lobster, O'Charleys, etc. little did I realize, the only things by her work are fast food. And the only good place is the Chinese place. :-/ I have not seen her since New Years, so she's not really aware of my Dx, and I don't want to be the person that says "I can't eat anything there" after telling her to choose. So here's the question, other than steamed veggies and rice, what CAN I eat? Is duck sauce gluten free? I know some things I can't eat, but there's many things I'm not sure about. (Chinese isn't my favorite food, so it's not been on my "need to research" list)

[BlessedMommy]

Woks would not be safe for using between gluten free and regular items anyway. Woks get "seasoned" with regular use, so it seems that they would have the same CC issues as cast iron pans. 

 

Not Chinese, but I once went to a Thai restaurant and explained that I needed gluten free and asked what they had. They said, "Oh you're gluten free? The curry dish would be perfect for you. That's what we recommend for gluten free people."

 

I probed a little further on ingredients and they said, "Oh it's great for gluten free people because IT ONLY HAS A LITTLE SOY SAUCE." 

 

Needless to say, I found the door quickly and didn't get a meal there. Not sure why "a little gluten" is acceptable in a dish for a gluten free person. I'm sure that restaurant employee wouldn't eat a meal with "a little rat poison."

[BlessedMommy]

So here's the question, other than steamed veggies and rice, what CAN I eat? Is duck sauce gluten free? I know some things I can't eat, but there's many things I'm not sure about. (Chinese isn't my favorite food, so it's not been on my "need to research" list)

 

My suggestion is to go as simple as possible. I once went to a Chinese place without a gluten free menu and I simply ordered tofu, veggies, egg, and rice noodles--all plain without any seasoning whatsoever. I checked ingredients of the noodles and tofu with the server just to be sure.

I brought my own San-J gluten free soy sauce packets from home and I really enjoyed the meal. It was simple, but good. The less ingredients, the better. The more complicated the meal, the higher the chance of being glutened.

 

You could bring along a bottle of your own safe Chinese sauce. I like San-J sauces, they're tasty and certified gluten free.

[BlessedMommy]

Open Original Shared Link

[Georgia-guy]

I will have to look for some San-j sauce (I've never heard of it). But what about duck sauce? Would it be safe? Duck sauce was always my favorite part of getting Chinese.

[Georgia-guy]

Open Original Shared Link

Available at publix and (I think there's one nearby) food lion. :-)

[BlessedMommy]

It appears that duck sauce is likely to be safe, but of course, all ingredients should be read every time. Is the restaurant good about providing ingredient lists to people who need them?

 

If you're unsure, you could bring along a bottle of your own duck sauce.

[BlessedMommy]

Great! I'm glad that you have access to San-J. I love their stir fry sauces, it's nice to have something that is for sure gluten free for my stir fry, since many sauces have gluten.

[Georgia-guy]

I've never been to this one, and I can't find a website for them (mainly cuz I'm not sure the name of the place, I just know it's in the Kroger shopping center).

[Georgia-guy]

Great! I'm glad that you have access to San-J. I love their stir fry sauces, it's nice to have something that is for sure gluten free for my stir fry, since many sauces have gluten.

I had never heard of San j, so it will be a nice new guaranteed safe thing to try. Their website shows 7 different sauces, gonna have to look more to see if all are gluten-free, cuz I tend to mix it up in the kitchen (as in combine different cultural foods such as maybe Chinese sauce on some pasta).

[BlessedMommy]

Right now, we have their spicy peanut sauce, mongolian beef sauce, and szechuan sauce in the house. I really like their orange sauce too, but I can't seem to find it in as many grocery stores.

 

I like to keep a few sauces on hand and cook the stir fry mostly plain and then my kids and husband season as desired from available sauces. Stir fry is such a great, easy, and versatile gluten-free meal!

[Georgia-guy]

What does the szechuan sauce taste like?

[BlessedMommy]

Very, very hot! I don't care for it, but my husband likes it. 

[kenlove]

i just  order steamed  veggies and tofu at Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and all the other ethnic Asia places in Hawaii. Its safe and I bring my own sauce. Seeing      the kitchens in Chinese places will convince anyone that cross contamination possibilities are everywhere.

 

What do you guys usually get at a chinese place, and what type of things do you watch out for?

[kenlove]

reminds me of  a new  Thai place in Kona. Tried to explain that I could not have  flour in anything and noodles had to be 100% rice no flour -- so he took the flower off the table!

 

Woks would not be safe for using between gluten free and regular items anyway. Woks get "seasoned" with regular use, so it seems that they would have the same CC issues as cast iron pans. 

 

Not Chinese, but I once went to a Thai restaurant and explained that I needed gluten free and asked what they had. They said, "Oh you're gluten free? The curry dish would be perfect for you. That's what we recommend for gluten free people."

 

I probed a little further on ingredients and they said, "Oh it's great for gluten free people because IT ONLY HAS A LITTLE SOY SAUCE." 

 

Needless to say, I found the door quickly and didn't get a meal there. Not sure why "a little gluten" is acceptable in a dish for a gluten free person. I'm sure that restaurant employee wouldn't eat a meal with "a little rat poison."