Eating out with food intolerances

Last month I went out to a couple of places and had lunch. As I have food intolerances, I find it hard to get food that I can eat, but both places weren't too bad with choices. Here is where I went.

Beginning of March I went to Le Pain Quotidien by the Royal Festival Hall for a SCBWI brunch. I had already emailed them about my intolerances and they had replied with the menu, but I couldn't work out what they all had in them. So, when I was there I checked again. Now this is what impressed me about the place - when I mentioned my intolerances, the waiter asked if I wanted to see the food allergen info. I said yes. He came back with a book that had all their foods in it, and what allergen they had in each. I had never seen one of those in person before, only on TV. All of the main meals had an allergen in, so I ended up ordering the charcuterie with gluten free bread and roasted veg (onions, sweet potato and red peppers). I forgot to take a photo of it all, but it was nice.

On 21 March I went to a Woman's Weekly workshop. I couldn't tell what had what in, then I saw a notice saying that if you have food allergies to ask the chef, so I did. He kindly came out from behind the counter and told me what was OK for me to eat. I have not had that experience before. I had jacket potato with veg, and I did remember to take photos this time.

Yes, I had a hard boiled egg along with beetroot, tomato and sweet potato. I am going there again next Friday for another workshop, so if they have that there I shall eat it again, as I know I am fine with all of that.

So, motto of this blog post is, if you go anywhere to eat lunch, don't be afraid to ask about what you can eat if you have intolerances like me.

A food intolerance pub review

Last Saturday week (14th) I was due to go to a workshop at a pub called The Theodore Bullfrog in Charing Cross. I have been there before, but not when I have had so many food intolerances, and when I have eaten gluten and wheat before. When I ordered the food, I was told by the workshop organiser that I would have to phone the pub myself to check out about food intolerances as that was what others in the same situation had done. So I did. I wanted chicken wings and fries. I was told that there wasn't a guarantee that the chips would come in contact with flour because they use their fryer for other foods, and the chicken wings had flour in, too. I said, fine, OK, I shall take my own lunch then. I didn't go in the end because I had had a bad night and was too tired to travel and concentrate.

So, I shall now give my marks out of 5 for travel accessibility and for catering for food intolerances.

Travel = 2. I could have got a bus to Catford then a train to Charing Cross.
Catering for food intolerances = 0. There wasn't anything else on the menu that I could eat, so I had to take my own lunch if I had. But I shall give them 2 for telling me over the phone what allergens there were in the foods. Something that all food eateries have to do now.

There you have it. One pub I won't be eating in again, and if I do, it will be my own food that I know I can eat without fuss and harm.

My local Chinese

A couple of weeks ago, before my mum had her major eye surgery, we went for a meal out our local Chinese 'The Eastern Queen' at Catford, SE London. We've been there a few times before

The walls are nicely decorated in Chinese pictures and symbols.

Every time we go there now, not often, the staff seem to change, but they are nice and friendly towards you. Even holding the door open for you when you leave.

My mum had her usual meal of chicken with ginger and spring onions, and I had chicken with seasonal veg with boiled rice (small bowl between us).

Mine is on the left, Mum's on the right. Be careful you don't eat a piece of ginger by mistake as it's hot!

Both our meals were really nice and dairy and gluten free. We declined the prawn crackers because they do have a form of dairy in. We don't have a dessert because the meal is enough for both of us. But we do take away the mint cream choc that we get given with the bill. It is only a small amount of dairy and doesn't affect me. I used to have the crackers before a meal, then have a pudding afterwards that might have had wheat (flour) on, and did have problems when I got home. Now I don't have any of that and I am fine.

So here is my score for it: service = 8/10; locality = 9/10 (get a bus there and back); food for intolerances = 8/10.

We might go there again but not sure as Mum said she wasn't sure if she would. We shall see. If we do, I shall have something different to try.