<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Thanks, again, for everyone's help!  Here's the replies I received so far.
It is getting very long, so I'll go ahead and post this as Part I with more
Parts to follow.


We eat at a Cantonese restaurant regularly.  I checked with them and their
sauces are thickened with corn starch.  We always order the chicken almond
ding or chicken with pea pods and  white rice.  We also have the Chinese
vegetable soup.  You cannot have anything with soy sauce and most of the
beef dishes are made with soy sauce.  Their egg roll skins are made with
wheat and their fortune cookies are as well.  Your best bet is to find a
restaurant that someone speaks pretty good English and question them.  Hope
this helps.

* * * * * * * * * *

Lake Tang Ting shrimp...or anything with a "white sauce"...and NOT deep
fried with a crust....

* * * * * * * * * *

I haven't found any Chinese take out that is gluten-free because it
all seems to have wheat based soy sauce.  I don't really like the dishes
without soy sauce as much as the ones with soy sauce and I can't really
picture many restaurants wanting to substitute my soy sauce in their
dishes for take out.  I use La Choy brand soy sauce which is gluten-
free.  I am also interested to hear if someone else has found gf Chinese
take out.  Anyway, here are some wonderful Chinese food recipes for you
from my website at www.gfutah.org/cookbook

* * * * * * * * * *

We order chicken and veggies in a white sauce - corn starch only (no flour).
They do not wash woks, only rinse with boiling water.  I ask them to do it
twice.  Some people I know bring their own gf soy sauce to get something
with a brown sauce.  Check what they make their sauce with - usually only
cornstarch (or soy sauce), oil, sugar, salt...

* * * * * * * * * *

Chinese food is unreliable because the younger generation sometimes uses
flour in their sauces, sometimes, even in the light sauces but most of all
because, by law, all white rice, east of the Mississippi, must be enriched,
and it is enriched by spraying with a grain, sometimes using barley.

* * * * * * * * * *

You're going to be safer going with Thai foods, if you have a choice.  Thai
food tends to use a lot of GF sauces (fish sauce, etc.), whereas Chinese
foods have soy sauce (with wheat) in just about everything.  Even Thai foods
sometimes have soy sauce, so check carefully.  It can be done!  My
11-year-old son is a Thai food fanatic!  We "do" Phad Thai Noodles often.
The other thing you might want to check into is a company called Thai
Kitchen, which carries products at "regular" grocery stores -- just about
everything they make is GF and FABULOUS!

* * * * * * * * * *

if you have Chinese food with soy sauce ask them to use your own soy sauce.

* * * * * * * * * *

my local Chinese rest. said that they can make a dish with that white sauce
and any protein that you like, from shrimp to chicken to tofu...then you can
vary the veggies.  I like it with broccoli and mushrooms. If you do a take
out, you can add sesame oil etc at home. If you decide to do your own
cooking, pick up a copy of Gloria Bley Miller's A THOUSAND RECIPE CHINESE
COOKBOOK..I first got a copy when I lived in the Orient thirty years ago.
The book is so good it is still in print in both hard and soft covers.
Recipes are great!

* * * * * * * * * *

The company out of California called "Amy's" makes a few pre-made frozen
entrees that are great.  If you go to their website you will note the
ones that are gluten free.  My son eats them and really like them.  They
are in most of the health food stores around here and also some of the
larger super markets.  Listed below my message to you is a listing all
of the gluten free Amy's food product.  Just in case you missed our ad
on this listserve.  My 21 yr old college celiac son and I have just
created a new Celiac  Cookbook.  It is a collection of 24+ of his
favorite recipes that are loved  by celiacs and non-celiacs alike.
These recipes are easy to make, easy to shop for and come in a binder
form so that you can add your own.  The recipes have the gluten free
brands listed next to each ingredient, are printed in large print and
have plastic pages.  We put an ad out on this listserve on Jan.1st and
we have had a great response.  Many celiacs are buying them for their
non-celiac family members so they can cook gf meals when they come to
visit.  You can also take out pages when you travel or when you visit
your favorite restaurant.

All the profits from the sale of this book are going to The Celiac
Foundation in Baltimore, MD.  I did a family (50+people) blood screening
last July and when Dr. Fasano's lab sent me the blood collection tubes
etc. there was also a donation paper to invite people to send donations
to The Foundation.  We sent one as a family but we were trying to find a
way to get more people to donate (Celiacs and non-Celiacs) to the
research effort.  My son and I thought that making a cookbook that was
not overwhelming and easy to use was a great way to get the ball
rolling!  The recipes are the mainstay of my son's diet since he is a
senior in college and must cook for himself. To order a cookbook you can
go the website: www.dreamwater.net/biz/cookceliac/ and you will also see
a sample recipe.  You can also order directly from us by sending a check
or money order for $13.95 (includes shipping in USA) to:

T.W. Gross 34 Worthington Terrace Flemington, NJ 08822 Please include
the names and addresses of where each book is to be sent along with an
email address if possible.

* * * * * * * * * *

I think you would have to really trust a Chinese restaurant to give you what
you request.  Many soy sauces contain wheat (abundant in most Chinese
dishes).  You could try to order a steamed dish with no sauce at all.
Personally, I never thought it was worth it for my daughter.  Sometimes I
just order in for myself and make her Chinese chicken and rice with wheat
free soy sauce (at the local health food store).  Sorry that this was
probably not what you wanted but I have been dealing with this for 3 1/2
years.

* * * * * * * * * *

I have had a lot of problems with Chinese food. Many Chinese restaurants, in
addition to the MSG and the soy sauce which have wheat in them, also use
canned broths in many of their dishes. But Thai places normally use very
little wheat at all. Just tell them to avoid the soy sauce and the msg and
you rarely have problems there. I like their food better anyway. Much
fresher tasting.

Also Indian restaurants have very little wheat in them other than their
bread (naan).

* * * * * * * * * *

With the obvious exception of anything with noodles, the two main concerns
are usually the soy sauce and any broths.  We eat Chinese take-out and order
the one for my kids with no cornstarch (they are allergic).  I also pick
dishes that don't have soy sauce in them normally or just order it w/out.  I
would probably stay away from anything that is double fried too - don't know
what might go into the oil, i.e the egg rolls or won tons with wheat
wrappers.  I've never asked about the chicken broth they use, but probably
should...

* * * * * * * * * *

Thats a tuffie.....Basically we have gone into Asian restaurants and ordered
some things without soy or oyster sauce and still got sick...they don't
sanitize their pans between entrees the way American restaurants do.  They
usually just run steaming water over the pan.  Our solution is to cook our
own.  "Yan can cook" is a wonderful Chinese cookbook and very easy.

* * * * * * * * * *

We have cultivated relationships with one or two favored restaurants.  We
have gone in there during slow periods (like mid-afternoon) and sat down
with owner or chef, and gone over the menu together.  Then we know what
dishes are "safe" at that place, and keep that info on file at home for
when we order in carry out.  The biggest danger in Chinese food seems to
be wheat....in the soy sauce, in the egg roll wrappers, in the noodles,
and as a thickener in some sauces.  If the soy sauce is imported, it is a
no-no, and you will need to avoid dishes that contain it...or ask them to
prepare dishes specially for you using a gluten-free soy sauce such as La
Choy (made from soybeans, not wheat).  If you have Thai or Vietnamese
restaurants near you, we have found them to have very few gluten
containing foods....gives us more choices when going out.  You can eat
any "kind" of food on this diet, even Italian, but it takes some research
and legwork.

* * * * * * * * * *

Stop in at your favorite Asian restaurant around 2:30 in the afternoon and
talk to the manager or owner.  The big problem is the soy sauce which
contains wheat (although my neighborhood restaurant uses one without wheat!
- most unusual).  They will figure out what you can have - which will be
greatly expanded if you take your own soy sauce for them to use.  Often,
breaded items are breaded with corn starch which is OK; often with wheat
tho, too.

* * * * * * * * * *

I was diagnosed a month ago and had craved Chinese food for weeks.
Although I didn't find anyplace that I could "take-out", my husband
(bless his heart), found a recipe for sweet & sour pork in the Bette
Hagman cook book, Gluten Free Gourmet Cooks Fast & Healthy.  He made it
Sunday night and as well as some white rice,  it was awesome!  If you
don't have this cookbook, I highly recommend getting it.  I got it from
the Library to check out and then bought it.

* * * * * * * * * *

I have been having the worst time at Chinese restaurants - two said the only
thing they could give me was steamed veg/chicken (and that is very boring
when your tablemates are eating great tasting stuff), one did give me
something stir-fried.  I start out,   is there anything you cook without soy
sauce?   (As opposed to in the beginning I would ask is this particular dish
ok for me to eat.)  I really wonder about fried rice,  what are the problems
with that?  So far I haven't tried that.  I will recommend Thai food for
much safer, flavorful food.

* * * * * * * * * *

i get Singapore mei fun. it's chicken, shrimp and pork, with veggies and
egg, with rice noodles and curry sauce. just make sure they don't add soy or
hoisin sauce to the curry sauce. i get it mild, without pork and specify
only curry in the sauce, with no added soy sauce. many restaurants add
nothing to curry, but some do.  you also can get your fish, meats and
veggies steamed with rice or rice noodles and use your own soy sauce. i
recommend eden soy tamari (wheat-free). the imported is the best, but
domestic is good, too. you can easily find them at a health food store. they
are strong, very pure, and you can water them down, so that saves money.
bragg amino liquids also are safe. they're made from soy and are filled with
amino proteins that are good for you. mr. spice ginger sauce also is great.
there may be a problem with having your food cooked in the same wok used for
soy sauce. just explain the problem to them. there should be no problem with
the steamed foods, though. the noodle bowls at Vietnamese restaurants also
are safe, as are Vietnamese spring rolls (cold in rice wrappers).  Amy's
frozen teriyaki is good and you can add your own chicken, shrimp and
anything else.

* * * * * * * * * *

I haven't been able to find anything "fast food" for Chinese.  If I'm
craving it, I make it myself because soy sauce is used much too often and
soy sauce is known to have wheat protein.  You can special order gluten free
soy sauce on the internet.  The gluten free pantry has quite a variety of
foods, but I've never looked for gluten free soy sauce.  I remember seeing
it somewhere, but I can't remember where.

* * * * * * * * * *

Chinese foods are difficult because soy sauce usually contains gluten and if
it does not have soy sauce, you will have to be concerned about chicken
broth, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, etc.  These may or may not be gluten
free.  It is easy to make at home and better if done there with  ingredients
that you know are gluten-free.

* * * * * * * * * *

Your primary risk is soy sauce (which is in pretty near everything) and the
noodles may not be gf.  Other than that Chinese isn't that dangerous.   I've
had good luck with steamed  veggies/white rice although perhaps that's not
quite what your daughter is craving.  Maybe make that at home and get some
LaChoy (okay, it is gf but honestly not that great) or wheat free tamari,
add a bit of plain rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger?  Or check the archives
for a gf hoisin sauce (saw a mention of that a while back) and add to your
own veggies?

* * * * * * * * * *

The restaurants are all different, so you'll have to check, but the
carry-out place that we use has a special section of "Healthy" items that
you can order steamed, without any fats or sauces, or with the sauce on the
side, and that is what I always order, with a side of the gf white sauce. I
add my own gf tamari sauce at home, and if I feel like spicy food, my gf hot
sauce too.

Steamed veggies with shrimp, tofu, steamed chicken, etc. are gf, as long as
they do not contain marinated (usually in soy sauce plus other ingredients)
meats. Since pork and beef are often marinated ahead of time, avoid them.

Fried rice is not gf (it has soy sauce in it), but the white rice IS gf. Egg
rolls, won-tons, and most dumplings are NOT gf. Rice noodles are gf; they
are called Fun! Spring or summer rolls may be gf or not, depending on
whether the wrapper is rice paper (gf) or wonton skin (not gf), and what is
stuffed into the fillings. Avoid fried (sometimes called crispy) foods
unless you know they were fried in fresh oil and not breaded.

White sauces are usually made with cornstarch (which is gf), while brown
sauces are usually made with soy sauce (which has wheat in it), but you need
to ask to be sure. Spicy sauces are not gf, my restaurant tells me, but they
are willing to make a gf spicy sauce if I ask. (However, the slight language
barrier makes me nervous about this.)

Chicken egg-drop soup can be gf, but many soups are not. My restaurant makes
seafood soup with the fake crab, which is definitely NOT gf! Imitation crab
usually contains wheat flour to bind it together.

Some gf soy or tamari sauces are available from San-J, Bragg's Amino, La
Choy, and others (always check the labels carefully). You can take your own
with you if you dine in the restaurant. Some will keep yours in stock to
make your special gf dishes if you are a regular customer!

* * * * * * * * * *

Try Mei Fun(like angle hair)  or Chow fun (thicker noodles)   which are rice
noodles  Ask for Oyster sauce or bring your own GF soy sauce..  My 11year
old daughter orders it with only broccoli whereas I get it with shrimp or
chicken and other vegetables.. Also ask about how they thicken egg drop
soup. We have been eating these items for three years and actually there are
times I don't even ask and we have never run into any problems.

* * * * * * * * * *

Thai food is very similar to Chinese -- a little lighter, maybe, but filled
with flavor.  In our grocery stores, there is an "Asian foods" section,
filled with Chinese, Japanese, and Thai spices and mixes.  Ask the store
manager if they have a section like that -- if not, ask if they'll order
Thai Kitchen products.  They have noodle dishes with the spice packet in it
(just boil the noodles, add the spices), stir fries, curry dishes -- they're
absolutely phenomenal.  All of their noodles are rice noodles -- some thick,
some thin.

* * * * * * * * * *

Moo Goo Gai Pan -- the sauce is just cornstarch and water.

* * * * * * * * * *

Two of the most sick times I've experienced have been after eating
Chinese....though I thought I was being careful!   Chinese restaurants use a
lot of MSG to keep their buffet vegetables bright in color.   MSG if
American made is okay; but imported MSG is often derived from wheat so you
should avoid any MSG not made in the USA.   Avoid any breaded items or
noodle items of course.  And avoid any dish with soy sauce cooked in it.
Most brands of soy sauce are derived from wheat.    Bottom line----there
isn't much that is safe from a Chinese restaurant.     Sorry for the bad
news.  I've learned the hard way!

* * * * * * * * * * *

I'm sure you'll hear this from a bunch of folks.  Vietnamese or Thai is
the way to go, much fewer wheat-based products used.  Pad Thai is like
fried rice only it uses rice noodles, and Thai spring rolls are very
similar to Chinese egg rolls but they use rice wrappers.  Hopefully you
live in an area where you can get these cuisines as takeout food.

* * * * * * * * * * *

None! They cook in one pot and one large fry pan with one spoon. Even though
you may choose something that has no soy sauce, chances are the pan is
contaminated. Noodles are all cooked in the same pot so the water is
definitely contaminated. The spoons, they dip from one sauce to the next. I
LOVE Chinese food but my daughter got a job in a take out place and I got to
see the back. No more Chinese for me.! Thai is okay and so is East Indian or
just make your own!

* * * * * * * * * * *


Thanks!

Linda