Gluten Allergy

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Oct 2007
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    2

    Gluten Allergy

    Does anyone have a problem with a Gluten allergy in Hong Kong? I was recently diagnosed and I am looking for any specific health food stores and gluten safe restaurants to eat at. Thanks so much


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Oct 2006
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    Sarcasm - because beating the crap out of people is illegal
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    Please do a search on this site and you will find details on places like Health Gate which sells some gluten-free food and Life Cafe which has some gluten-free food on its menu.


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Mar 2006
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    4,043

    I have gluten intolerance (it is not an allergy) and living gluten free in HK is a lot harder than back in Canada where labels are easy to read and I can communicate with restaurants a lot better.

    It is generally not an understood issue in HK except maybe in the best restaurants. And not all understand it in Canada.

    Ichiban in TST understand my situation (on Hau Fook Street off Carnarvon) but they speak little English but they know me and I know that I won't get soya or other sauces on cooked food so I am always safe there. Try there. Prices there are reasonable too and with a VIP card for $20HK you save a bit more. The assistant manager even tells you where to apply the savings for your best deal!

    There is a Taiwanese noodle shop just off Ma Tau Wai Road in To Kwa Wan and they know the issue. If you are in that area, I can give you the exact address as the name is in Chinese. It is very cheap but very, very busy and they can give you the noodle dish with rice noodles, chicken, mushrooms and greens as a second dish if you let them know. They all know me there as I have no seen no other expats there so they are great with that issue if you can get someone to tell them your issue. I moved but had no issue with that food. The BBQ restaurant on the corner from there is ok too but don't know the name.

    Here even if they say it is gluten free, they might even use the cheap chicken stock to make fried rice and it is not gluten free.

    Oh, I tried the rice bread at Fairwood ONCE and got violently ill so don't trust that.

    Indian restaurants (curry) are fine and also some Thai and some Pho places but you cannot rely on the chef or waiters/waitresses to understand the issue properly.

    Even things like Kellogg's Corn Flakes have wheat gluten and now I am beginning to wonder about the Pho restaurant in Sheung Wan or maybe I am now intolerant of MSG too.

    I go to Chinese restaurants with a friend and so far not getting ill but he understands or researches the food processing for me. When traveling in China, he accompanies my wife and I even as I can't just eat steamed chicken and rice.

    Good luck.

    Last edited by Football16; 16-09-2009 at 10:39 AM.