Nut Allergy Friendly Restaurants

Tonight, my husband and daughter discovered our new favorite chinese take-out restaurant. Chinese? With food allergies? No way! Yes, I was so pleased to learn that the Chinese Noodle Cafe on Delmar is nut allergy friendly. When my husband said, "It's too bad we can't take our son here... you know, because of his nut allergy and the wok cooking." The manager reassuringly showed him how they do not use nut products in their woks. "Look at this dish," He said, pointing to a platter of cashew chicken. "Notice how the cashews are dry? It's because we add them to the dish later."

My husband, the super sleuth, found out that the owner, Peggy Hou has food allergies too. She shared that food allergies are a growing concern in the restaurant industry, not just for her personally.

This confirms my belief that as food allergies continue to affect more people, change is inevitable. Look at Ming Tsai, the celebrity chef in Boston, who has implemented safe food practices for the last 10 years in his restaurant, Blue Ginger. It doesn't hurt that his son has severe food allergies. He is quoted in this story on WBZ Boston saying, "Everyone has the right to eat safely, anywhere they want to eat."

The Restaurant Bill was introduced by Massachusetts State Senator Cynthia Creem requires 1) disclosure of ingredients, 2) staff training, and 3) improve public education. The first legislation along these lines was approved in New Jersey in 2005.

But Ming and Peggy agree that being food allergy friendly is a matter serving their customers. More and more restauranteurs are finding that the "you get what you give" rule is very much in effect. That's why Chinese Noodle Cafe is our new favorite!