Multiple Food Allergies (Peanut Egg Dairy Gluten)

[highwood6]

Hello, we're planning a family trip to HK to visit family/friends and just wondering if anyone has multiple food allergies like my children and be able to live comfortably in HK -my kids are allergic to peanuts (i.e. all nuts are out), egg, dairy and gluten.

Are there any apartments we can stay and cook our own meals, or will we have to stay in a high-end hotel and order special meals? Is there restaurants (apart from the high-end places) that can cater for such extensive range of food allergies?

We've been to Japan with kids (and there food must be labelled with potential allergens) and it was ok, but with Chinese food our kids have had reactions just going to restaurants in Sydney/Melbourne even though they assured us it was safe for them to eat.... Also Indian food would be 'out' because of nuts/dairy allergies.

Could someone please give me some indication as to what we should expect - e.g. should we be carrying the food kids will eat for the whole duration of the trip?

Many thanks.

[girl-in-asia]

Hi,

I have various food allergies, top ones include gluten, dairy and peanuts. Been in HK 5 months now, had reactions a couple of times but it's getting better as I find out the things I can or cannot eat. There are plenty of vietnamese restaurants that I visit often. Some chinese restaurants are fine you just have to specifically tell them to exclude certain ingredients. The japanese restaurants are a safe bet too, can never go wrong with sushi, well most of them.

There are organic supermarkets if you need to cook. Even gluten-free cereals can be easily obtain. So shouldn't be a problem for your kids. I visit the organic supermarket ThreeSixty quite often. ThreeSixty - Hong Kong's Largest Organic & Natural Food Store

There are also plenty of organic food restaurants in Central/Soho.

Good luck

[cmlg]

Highwood6,

Some services apartments with equipped kitchen where you can prepare your own meal.

Will stay in HK Island/Kowloon/New Territories?

You can show these words when ordering your dishes or buying products:-

egg 蛋
peanut 花生
dairy 奶類產品
gluten 穀蛋白

Have a nice trip

[Jally]

Get the chinese for peanut oil as well as just peanuts. Had an issue with that one once!!

I hope you have a great trip! It must be hard having to cater for allergies.

[frangelico]

You should be safe if you buy your food from supermarkets that label their foods (ThreeSixty, CitySuper, ParknShop and Wellcome).

As for ordering foods from local eateries, be very careful as I'm sure alot of the general public are not aware of the severity of reactions, ie even though the dish may not contain peanuts, they could be cooked in peanut oil or be contaminated as such.

[Football16]

Be very, very wary of local Chinese restaurants. I have a gluten intolerance and sometimes even fried rice has made me feel crummy and one poster noted on the gluten-free thread that they might fry it in chicken stock (with gluten). Traditional Chinese restaurants that offer you steamed chicken (no soya) and rice are about all I can get there.

I go to a few places:
~a Taiwanese noodle shop in To Kwa Wan where they know me and I can get a choice of two things.

~ Vietnam Pho restaurants in Wan Chai (some near Central too in Sheung Wan - Pho 26). A new one in Wan Chai has an English speaking owner, the Pho 26 shop there not so much but I go with a local friend who speaks Cantonese. The owner speaks English at Tropicana Cuisine on Tai Wong Street East just off Johnston (tram road) and across the street from The Pawn restuarant.

~ Ichiban for sushi in Tsim Sha Tsui - they know NO gluten there as I am a regular. I don't even need to tell them.

As much as it's wonderful to be able to go to these great terrific local Chinese restaurants, be very careful here as they don't understand this issue (gluten) at all. Not sure about the other allergies like peanuts so I'd stay out of them unless you like chicken.

Malaysian restaurants that serve laksha is fine as are Indian restaurants, most of which are folks who are good in English.

My sense is that no one in HK restaurants I have met has any idea of what gluten is all about or where it is found.

That is a good list but does it mention wheat flour??? I can't read it.
egg 蛋
peanut 花生
dairy 奶類產品
gluten 穀蛋白


I got real sick once at Fairwood when they told me it was rice bread...lol. I was an idiot as I know rice bread in Canada and it was not rice bread.

Burger King is great at giving me no bun but McDonalds is hit and miss. Some McDonalds staff can't understand "green salad" which is on their menu - just dont get the chicken salad. McDonalds put peanuts on their sundaes without asking whereas in North America they give you a little bag as they seem to be more up on these issues.