On my journeys across nearly 70 countries, one thing always lurks in the shadows, no matter where I go. Food allergies. Yes, I am a problem child and one of those most dreaded patrons every chef loathes. Thanks to my adventurous personality, I am willing to try almost anything as long as it won’t incapacitate me. Now 38 years old, I have been suffering from multiple food allergies since a bout of double pneumonia the summer between 2nd and 3rd grade. It has been so long, I don’t recall the taste of certain foods, and smells can be deceiving. As a consumer, I must be pragmatic and frequently read between the lines. The burden of a food allergy is, quite literally, an inconvenience to everyone.
Last year, during the IHIF Americas Conference in New York, my friends were utterly flabbergasted by the experience that unfolded before them at Din Tai Fung. Being allergic to peanuts and soy can make dining at Asian establishments a bit of a challenge, so I routinely notify servers upfront and ask for their safest recommendations. Our totally baffled server dragged her colleague over to help, and he barked into his radio for backup. A lady in a black jacket appeared and informed me that the kitchen is “unwilling to compromise their recipes,” and she can only offer me “something from the drinks menu and a bowl of rice.” My friend chimed in with his posh British accent to the manager, “Seriously? You can’t grill a plain piece of chicken or something?” To which she retorted, “I said, we are unwilling to compromise our recipes,” and then walked away.
While we do eat at our own risk, food and beverage purveyors also have an obligation to help us avoid allergens, to the best of their ability. Yes, Chef, no matter how frustrating or inconvenient it might be for you. Much ignored by the industry is the fact that diners with severe food allergies, ones that require strict avoidance and emergency medication, are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act. This was established by the Department of Justice and ruled on by state and federal courts.
Another memorable experience was our team’s holiday lunch at Killer Shrimp in Marina del Rey, California. Allegedly famous for their secret family recipe, I notified the server of my allergies upfront. This prompted a scruffy man to come up behind me and declare that the restaurant could not accommodate me because their recipe is a secret. I replied, “That’s fine, you don’t have to tell me what’s in it. Just serve it if it’s safe for me to eat.” He declined by raising his voice and laboring the point. Calmly, I reminded him that patrons with severe allergies are protected under the ADA, thus requiring him to accommodate me in some form or fashion. At which point he yelled with a bit of spittle, “Get out of here, and go eat somewhere else!”
Hotels and restaurants rarely make it easy for us, but even some mitigations required by law come as a double-edged sword. The European Union has been at the forefront of pushing establishments to become allergen friendly. For example, restaurants are required by law to provide an allergen menu listing ingredients in each dish. Conceptually, it is a godsend and should make my life easier and safer. However, this good intention can backfire when establishments use it as an excuse to deny service, claiming their facility isn’t safe for you. Such as Tamarind Kitchen in London, where I consulted the allergen menu, yet the server said no to everything I tried to order.
Now, the severity of allergies gets talked about a lot. It is best thought of as a spectrum because even people with a history of mild reactions can later have severe ones. Mild responses include isolated hives, mild oral itching or slight lip swelling, which account for most reactions. Moderate exposure includes more extensive hives, gastrointestinal symptoms, or involvement of more than one body system without serious breathing or blood pressure changes. Then there are severe reactions, including anaphylaxis, in which breathing, blood pressure, or multiple organ systems are affected and epinephrine is required.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, food allergies affect roughly 5–10% of the global population. The highest number of documented cases are found in highly industrialized regions of Western Europe, North America, Australia, and more recently urban China. In the United States, a national survey found that about 8% of children have a food allergy, and among them, about 40% have experienced at least one severe reaction. The number climbs to 50% among adults. The majority of severe cases are triggered by the “Big Nine”, which includes shellfish (2.9% of adults), milk (1.9%), peanuts (1.8%), tree nuts (1.2%), fin fish (0.9%), egg (0.8%), wheat (0.8%), soy (0.7%), and sesame (0.5%). However, you can be a poor sod like me and have an extremely rare severe allergy like…potatoes.
My two most horrific experiences both relate to potatoes and improperly labeled food. After my cousin’s graduation in 2007, our family ate lunch at a trendy café and bakery in Albuquerque. I am a sucker for homemade chocolate chip cookies. Moments later while destroying the bathroom, I learned (as did everyone else waiting in line) that many gluten-free products substitute potato starch/flour for wheat flour. The cookie had been unlabeled as gluten free. There was an unfortunate repeat of this incident in Oman. My relatively new boyfriend at the time had doubted that I was allergic to potatoes. Then I got violently sick moments after eating a sandwich. It was eventually traced back to potato starch filler used in Carrefour deli meat. The incomplete Arabic translation had covered over the original French ingredients list.
On the flip side, dining out can be a fantastic experience. Having a patron who suffers from food allergies does not have to be a hindrance or annoyance. Quite the opposite, really. Such situations should allow and encourage chefs to adapt old recipes and experiment with new ones. To me, the sign of a great chef is someone who can think on their feet. As the survivalist Bear Grylls’ mantra goes, “improvise, adapt, overcome.” The same is true for any chef and their establishment. This means I have to give a special thank you to 1949 — Duck de Chine in Beijing for actively working with me to experience local Chinese cuisine. For years, I have dreamed about trying Peking duck, and they made it happen. Also, a big thank you to the countless sushi chefs I’ve encountered on my trips to Japan. I am always happy to be your guinea pig for new soy-free sauces and seasonings.
If you want to be brave, bold, and welcoming here are my suggestions:
- Treat food allergies like any other medical condition by training staff to give them the same care and due respect.
- Train your hosts to always ask about allergies at the time of booking or upon arrival, and train servers to confirm allergies when taking orders.
- Note the Big Nine allergens in your menu, and notate which dishes contain them.
- If your establishment offers an everyday dish or item that is somehow different than usual, for the love of God, label it accordingly.
- Keep Benadryl and an EpiPen in your first aid kit.
- Encourage your chef to be creative and think outside the box.
Chris Henry is co-founder, chairman and CEO of Los Angeles-based Majestic Hospitality Group.
This column is part of ISHC Global Insights, a partnership between CoStar News and the International Society of Hospitality Consultants.
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