To ask what coeliacs can eat at a Chinese all you can eat

[SneakySnackySquirrel]

My friend is allergic to gluten. Tbh I don't know if she's allergic, allergic or just sensitive to it if that makes sense. We live in different parts of the country and I haven't seen her since all this was identified.

We are meeting up for a weekend away next week (I'm soooooo excited!!!) and I'd like to go to an all you can eat Chinese that I've heard lots about. Thing is, she's lovely but has always been a bit of a martyr about food even before she was diagnosed. I'd suggest going there but she'd rather sit there with an empty plate than say she can't eat there.

So... are Chinese all you can eats suitable for coeliacs or even someone who is sensitive to gluten but not enough to worry about cross-contamination if that makes sense.

She can’t eat anything - the risk of cross contamination is huge.

Save the buffet for when she’s gone home and go somewhere you friend will enjoy.

I have a gluten intolerance and can’t eat Chinese anymore. It’s all got soy sauce in it.

Nothing. It’s the single least gluten friendly thing to eat.

I can't eat gluten and can't eat any Chinese unless I cook it at home. I've even reacted to the prawn crackers before

My partner has coeliacs disease; Chinese food is really bad for gluten. I’d leave it. Indian is good for gluten free though

I'm coeliac and I can't eat any Chinese food except prawn crackers from Tesco but it's impossible to eat at a Chinese all you can eat. Cross contamination, fried food and soy sauce everywhere. My worst nightmare

Yep. Coealiac here. Chinese take away generally useless for gluten issues. All you can eat buffet doubly so.
It is literally the worst choice restaurant

It’s not a good place. All the cross contamination and soy sauce is it suitable for coeliacs.

Choose a restaurant where she can order a gluten free meal or make adjustments to a meal to get it gluten free.

You need to phone the restaurant and see whether they can accommodate her. It’s pretty likely that you’ll need another choice.

I’m gluten free - I’d go elsewhere

Buffets are shit and a waste of money. Just go to a normal restaurant, that way everyone can actually get decent food (because you won't get any quality at an all you can eat buffet) and the added bonus is your friend will have something to eat too as most menus will have something GF.

Soy sauce is not suitable for coeliac (you can buy specific soy sauce for coeliac people, but the Chinese restaurant is not going to be coming their all you can eat buffet in that)

I have Coeliac disease. Avoid Chinese, an Indian would be much easier. Cross contamination can leave your friend very ill, so I'd ring the place beforehand too just to make sure it's safe.

Be really careful when phoning them too. Loads say yes yes of course we can accommodate when really what they mean is a bowl of lettuce and a Diet Coke washed down with some ice cream for dessert if you're lucky. Set your expectations low, being a coeliac can be very disappointing (and I used to love Chinese food!!)

I was diagnosed with coeliac disease 10 years ago and I haven’t been to a Chinese since. The risk of cross contamination is huge, everything has soy sauce in and quite often the staff aren’t clued up on what contains what.

You don’t sound all that understanding tbh. Maybe she doesn’t feel confident enough to put her foot down and say she definitely can’t eat somewhere, if everyone else wants to go there. There are lots of other places coeliacs can eat these days, it’s not nearly as difficult as it was before I was diagnosed.

Thank god that her unfortunate medical condition will save you from yourself. Why on earth would you want to go to an all you can eat anything? It sounds utterly vile.

If she’s coeliac it’s bloody serious. Tiny amounts of cross contamination can cause permanent damage to your friends gut. Don’t be flippant. Seek out a restaurant that suits her, not you.

Absolutely terrible for gluten for all the reasons stated above. Thai or Indian would be much better choices if you want to eat “takeaway” type food.

Tbh I don't know if she's allergic, allergic or just sensitive to it if that makes sense.

Also I’m sure you didn’t mean to, but please don’t minimise her medical condition. My DS has coeliac disease and he’s lucky that he’s not super sensitive in the sense of immediate onset of vomiting and diarrhoea. But it’s still causing lifelong damage such as increased risk of bowel cancer, osteoporosis and other nasty conditions. Even those who are “just” gluten intolerant can be made very ill indeed by consuming gluten.

Boiled rice! I'm coeliac, luckily have a fab Chinese restaurant nearby that will cook almost anything gluten free, and use separate utensils/pans/part of the kitchen etc, but chinese is generally the hardest food to get gluten free.

I'm coeliac. I'd love to eat there but honestly it would be a nightmare! Many dishes have soy sauce. Fried starters are out as they probably have wheat in or would be fried in same oil. If it's a buffet, dishes could get cross contaminated. Honestly, it would be very limited what friend could eat safely.
I do sometimes stress about eating out. Hate to cause a fuss - I stick to a trusted few places. I'd eventually pluck up the courage to tell you I couldn't eat there. I am really lucky as my friends are happy for me to suggest "safe" restaurants, usually new places for them (and I end up doing the organising!!)
Mention it to friend and ask her to ring and check suitability but be prepared to go elsewhere/eat there with another friend another time.

Nothing as it’s got soy sauce or hoisin in most of it which contains wheat. I was diagnosed with coeliac disease while living in The Far East and I lost a lot of weight as I could basically only eat plain rice. Go somewhere that she can get a proper GF meal or cook at home otherwise she will spend most of your evening out on the loo.

By the way, if she actually has coeliac disease it's not an allergy. It's an immune disorder that happens to be triggered by gluten.

Everything will either have soy sauce, or thickened with flour.

Op, it's a bit rude of you to dismiss her medical requirements like that. Food allergies can be an awful thing and maybe you could show a bit of consideration towards your friend

If she is coeliac she won't be able to eat in a Chinese buffet, or likely any chinese at all. Thai is similarly tricky. Indian is a good choice. Coeliac is not fussiness by the way, it is an autoimmune disorder.

Not a Chinese all you can eat then. Sigh. I actually like them so nah! to all you naysayers. Never mind. I didn't even know there was gluten in soy sauce.

I think some of you have been a bit harsh though. I asked for advice on here because I don't want to put her in the position where she has to say no because as I said she would often go somewhere and sit there looking all sad and pushing the food around the plate than just say "I don't want to go thete". She has done this since we were at school with everyone so it's not related to her illness and/or me.

I also didn't mean to offend anyone. I actually have a (genuine) food allergy myself. Luckily mine is easy to avoid but it makes me very, very ill so I do know what a proper food allergy is like.

However, I was under the impression that you get people who are allergic and people who are intolerant which obviously mean different things and intolerant people might be less strict than allergic people eg not worry too much about cross contamination.