New local Chinese

Not sure if you have to watch for tree nuts or not- some of them may be used- Cashew chicken was something I always used to order before we found out about DD's allergies.

There is no way I'd trust Chinese food. Too many mistakes I've read over the years from that cuisine.

It really depends on the restaurant. If you have a P.F. Changs near you, they are great with the allergies. They will hand you a printout of all their nut free dishes (a very long list I might add) if you tell them you are pa. They bring out a bring new wok that has never been used and cook it in a separate part of the kitchen so there is no possible cross contamination, no splattering of oil from a neighboring wok, etc. It is one of the very few restaurants I will take dd to. They are so aware of cross contamination. It is wonderful.

PF Changs menu looks good except last item
[url="http://www.pfchangs.com/cuisine/menu_main.jsp"]http://www.pfchangs.com/cuisine/menu_main.jsp[/url]

Besides items with actual peanuts or tree nuts in them, the other thing to be aware of in a Chinese restaurant is that the ingredients used may be X-contaminated (sauces, seasonings, etc.).

We'll stick with PF Chang's!

Amy

Aside from Kokkiman soy sauce and Kadoba sesame oil, I really don't trust any other sauces because of the risk of cross contamination in the plant. For example, how do you know that the Hoisin sauce isn't made on the same line as peanut sauce? Most of the sauces used in asian restaurants are imported from asia. China does not have the same labelling laws or the same practices to prevent cross contamination. This is what is scary to me and will keep me from letting my son eat Chinese (unless I make it at home).

[This message has been edited by MimiM (edited June 11, 2007).]

P.F. Changs is really an American restaurant that serves Chinese food. It`s quite different from your typical "Asian restaurant". Yes, there are a few items on the menu with peanuts, but with them bringing out a brand new never used wok and cooking your meal in a different part of the kitchen, that really takes care of the cross contamination issue. The sauces they serve at your table are made in the restaurant. Again, since they give you a print out of the nut free dishes and are willing to make that commitment, you just have to look and see if the sauce is on the list of nut free. The ones they serve at each table are. I did not bother to check special sauces specific to one dish. We got banana spring rolls for dessert and had them skip the sauce due to milk allergy. If you are worried about the sauce, you can always have them skip it.

Quote:Originally posted by Carefulmom:
[b]P.F. Changs is really an American restaurant that serves Chinese food. It`s quite different from your typical "Asian restaurant". Yes, there are a few items on the menu with peanuts, but with them bringing out a brand new never used wok and cooking your meal in a different part of the kitchen, that really takes care of the cross contamination issue. [/b]
They'll use a brand new never used wok if requested? Do they keep a lot of new woks on hand? It seems like that could get expensive.

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[b]~Gale~[/b]

Actually I did not request it. They offer to do it with all of their allergy customers. I don`t think it is that expensive to use a new wok for an occasional customer. I can`t imagine that they do it more than a few times a day. The brand new wok is their protocol for anyone who states they have a peanut allergy.