What's Safe At A Thai Restaurant?

[lpellegr]

Work group is going out to a Thai restaurant for lunch on Friday. Not going is not an option because we work for a psychopath, but I digress. I'll take my Triumph thai dining card and I'm going to try to fax it in ahead of time, but if anybody out there in celiac world has suggestions for dishes that are or can easily be made gluten-free I'd be most appreciative.

[pinkpei77]

Work group is going out to a Thai restaurant for lunch on Friday. Not going is not an option because we work for a psychopath, but I digress. I'll take my Triumph thai dining card and I'm going to try to fax it in ahead of time, but if anybody out there in celiac world has suggestions for dishes that are or can easily be made gluten-free I'd be most appreciative.

i usually get massaman curry! its delicious!! its just made from coconut milk and thai red chili paste and some veggies and spices.

most things at a true thai resturant should be gluten-free. pad thai should be too.

i have never run into a problem at thai resturants unless its like a "thai fusion" restaurant, and then i run into the soy sauce issue.

but other than that i find thai to be a great option.. also a big bonus is the spring rolls are usally just made from rice paper and veggies! yuumm!

[mookie03]

I love thai! And its not so hard to find gluten-free thai food... I usually get pad thai, just make sure theres no soy sauce in it (in my experience there usually isnt or they can easily make it w/o)-- many dishes are made w/ rice noodles, just ask when you get there. I think thai is much easier than chinese, mexican, etc. Good luck!

[kimjoy24]

Yes, ditto the massman curry suggestion. Really, all of the Thai curries should be safe, but the other ones will probably be spicier and some of us can't handle the extra heat. The Massaman is just really soothing and like comfort food.

As another person mentioned, Pad Thai is usually safe as well. If you decide to go with one of the other entrees, make sure to ask if it has soy sauce in it.

Normally the basil rolls (or spring/summer rolls depending upon what the restaurant decides to call them) are okay but make sure they don't put imitation crab in them. I ran into that problem at one place, most of the time it's either just veggies or shrimp.

I agree that Thai is easier to navigate gluten-free than Chinese. Vietnamese is also very gluten-free-friendly.

[Nancym]

Thai food should be pretty good for us. They use fish sauce instead of soy sauce and it shouldn't have wheat in it. The wrappers/noodles and that sort of thing might be iffy, I don't know if some manufacturers use wheat in their rice products or not.

I've decided I'm going to learn how to cook certain Thai dishes at home, because they're just awesome!

[GreySaber]

Thai food should be pretty good for us. They use fish sauce instead of soy sauce and it shouldn't have wheat in it. The wrappers/noodles and that sort of thing might be iffy, I don't know if some manufacturers use wheat in their rice products or not.

I've decided I'm going to learn how to cook certain Thai dishes at home, because they're just awesome!

I have a nice recipe for sai tay. Strips of pork in a product called "spicy peanut bake," shaken around, grilled, and dipped in peanut sauce. the best peanut sauce is from "A taste of Thai" and it's gluten free. It is however about 5 bucks a bottle.

I don't remember off hand who makes spicy peanut bake... But publex has it near me in the thai section.

[NJKen]

Thai food should be pretty good for us. They use fish sauce instead of soy sauce and it shouldn't have wheat in it. The wrappers/noodles and that sort of thing might be iffy, I don't know if some manufacturers use wheat in their rice products or not.

Thai restaurants in the U.S. often make changes to suit local tastes. I've been in several restaurants that have stopped using fish sauce and instead use soy sauce, because that is what they think people expect.

Also, I was recently at a Thai restaurant that used oyster sauce in everything except the dishes with peanut sauce. Oyster sauce almost always has wheat in it. I recommend that anyone eating at a Thai restaurant ask about oyster sauce as well as soy sauce.

BTW, in Fort Collins, Colorado, there is a restaurant called Sri Thai that has prepared a menu that indicates which of their dishes are gluten-free.

Ken (in New Jersey, not Colorado)

[jaylia]

I live in Portland, Or...a location that is generally very gluten free friendly. However I have NOT had an easy time with thai like everyone else states. There are no thai places here who use their authentic (non american) gluten-free soy sauce and the wheat-filled soy sauce is in just about every dish.

I do agree the pad thai is usually safe (unfortunately I dont like it!).

But you all should know I have very frequently run into thai restaurants that use soy sauce in their peanut sauce and or in their curries. I find it hard to find a restaurant that does NOT do this.

If anyone has any further suggestions of what to have at a thai place or knows of a trustworthy thai place in Oregon, I'd love to hear it! I m iss thai which used to be my favorite food (especially pad see ew!)!

[mushroom]

Thai food is definitely off my list. By the time you eliminate the wheat, the soy, the lime, the chili, what's left is not worth eating They can do it, but I wouldn't pay for it again because they don't add anything to compensate for what they take out, and what they take out is the flavor .

[glufreecali]

Thai food is definitely off my list. By the time you eliminate the wheat, the soy, the lime, the chili, what's left is not worth eating They can do it, but I wouldn't pay for it again because they don't add anything to compensate for what they take out, and what they take out is the flavor .

I am so upset. I just came off a 3 day depression/anxiety from being glutened and realized they put oyster sauce in the fried rice (they actually put it in anything that is stir-fried or "fried"). I always order w/o soy sauce but guess only way to be truly safe is NO SOY SAUCE and NO OYSTER SAUCE.

I am so scared I'm going to be sick and upset again.

Be very careful eating Thai!!

[mbrookes]

Our local Thai restaurant (Thai House, Jackson, MS) is really good as well as safe. The owner came out and talked to me about it. There is only one section on the menu that I can't have, the battered and fried things. Soy sauce is on the table, but not used in cooking.

[Skylark]

Work group is going out to a Thai restaurant for lunch on Friday. Not going is not an option because we work for a psychopath, but I digress. I'll take my Triumph thai dining card and I'm going to try to fax it in ahead of time, but if anybody out there in celiac world has suggestions for dishes that are or can easily be made gluten-free I'd be most appreciative.

Gluten lurks in soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, commercial broths in soup, and even the rice noodles sometimes. Unless you're lucky enough to get a chef that speaks fluent English and is willing to check labels or alter recipes for you, Thai is a really bad idea. I've gotten sick so may times at Thai restaurants even when I've asked carefully about wheat that I've pretty much given up on them. It's a shame because traditionally Thai was naturally gluten-free. Soy sauce and oyster sauce are used for American tastes, and now highly processed cheap fish sauces with hydrolyzed wheat protein are showing up. (Fish sauce used to be only salt and fish.)

Unless you get lucky with an English speaking chef or a high-end restaurant that is doing very traditional food, I'd plan on having a bowl of steamed rice and steamed vegetables if they are available.