<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
Jackie brings up a very good point, with her experience in
restaurants that can deal -- or not -- with GF requests. However,
I've now adopted the point of view that our requests are often a way
of ferreting out the restaurants that are really good, versus those
that are just ordinary. (I was going to say separating the wheat
from the chaffe, but ... well ...)
I don't know what restaurant Jackie was in, but I have found that it
is often the difference of a restaurant that prepares their food
FRESH, from SCRATCH -- and those that prepare "batch" food,
especially for a busy lunch. I also believe, more often than not, it
is also a sign that a place is likely a really good restaurant and
one that is chock-a-block. If they know what goes into their food,
they can usually feed us. If they really don't know what goes on
back in that kitchen, they cannot.
I went to the most popular Thai restaurant in our city and had the
exact same experience that Jackie did -- only I actually arrived a
full half-hour before the busy lunch hour! We were the only people
in the restaurant when I was asking about my food. And I was still
treated with total rudeness by the owner/manager.
But, after some probing about the situation, I came to understand
that they pre-prepare ALL their lunch selections in large batches.
And, fact is, no one had any idea if any were GF, because the sauces
are all prepared by an earlier shift. (I think: don't they even have
the recipes available? Not a good sign of kitchen control, to me.)
In this restaurant, there is no such thing as a prepared-from-scratch
meal during lunch. Well, NO WONDER I couldn't get answers about my
food!
Now, personally, I am not impressed when a restaurant (great reviews
or not) actually makes nothing-zero-nada to order during their lunch
time. I also came to find out -- just as aside -- that they make
100% of their dishes with soy sauce. I don't know if others on this
list enjoy Thai food, but traditionally prepared Thai food almost
never uses soy sauce, but rather fish sauce (for a salty taste),
which is GF more often than not. Gosh, it is in fact why I would go
to a Thai restaurant, thinking I can find safe food.
That was it for me! This restaurant is fooling everyone in this city
into thinking they are a real Thai restaurant, and their food is
prepared fresh to order. NOPE! And here was the kicker -- I even
had a restaurant card written in Thai. Not a single person in the
restaurant could read the Thai language side, because NO ONE in the
restaurant was from Thailand! Not even the owner or the chef. Thank
you very much, but I really much prefer going to a non-chain ethnic
restaurant to be owned/run by people of that ethnicity. And, in
fact, the owner was even more flustered/more rude when I handed him
the card, because he then had to admit no one associated with the
restaurant was actually Thai in nationality. There is an English
version on one side, however, and he was also ticked off at that,
because the writing was so small, he had to go fetch his reading
glasses.
I did get a meal, which consisted of plain boiled rice and a very
plain grilled chicken breast -- all devoid of any spices, even salt
and pepper. I am sure it was specially prepared gruel for
punishment. And should I have worried that they spiked it with a
little spit? ;-)
I am not afraid to mention the name of this restaurant. It is
Sawasdee, in Indianapolis. I know others in this town who eat GF and
rave about it. They must go at dinnertime ... but I will never go
back at any time.
* Send administrative questions to mailto:[log in to unmask] *
Archives are at: Http://Listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?LIST=CELIAC
|