Looking for gluten-free Chinese food, without having to whip out a recipe book? Instead of avoiding Chinese restaurants, check out these ordering tips below to help you ensure your Chinese food (as well as some other tough cuisines) is safe and gluten-free. You could try asking the waitstaff to check the ingredients on the package of the dumpling skins, but your best bet is to ask for steamed vegetables and maybe fish, but make sure to ask for no sauce. That’s where the tamari-Sriracha combination comes in! One exception, however, is kimchi and kimchi-based dishes. I’ve found that most kimchi does not contain soy sauce, but it’s always safest to ask, as they often contain fish sauce, which may or may not have a gluten base. If you buy kimchi at the store, look for gluten-free on the label. Plus, kimchi is a fermented food, which means it has the added benefit of lots of healthy bacteria. One exception is tamago (a sweet egg-based sushi); the preparation of this egg is actually quite complex and involves wheat flour. So before you go for sushi, you might want to call ahead and make sure they have gluten-free tamari on-hand. If they don’t, you can bring your own and make sure they know not to add any extra sauce to your sushi. Outside of sushi, the same general rule applies: If it’s got a brown sauce or marinade, you might want to stay away. You might also want to be aware of soba noodles. Although their primary ingredient is buckwheat (which is gluten-free), many manufacturers also mix in wheat flour, so it might be worth it to check those labels. Tempura and breaded foods also contain either wheat flour or panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), so avoid those items as well if you’re following a strict gluten-free diet. But don’t despair; other dishes that don’t include a broth but still use the rice noodles or rice (e.g., vermicelli bowls, salads, rice bowls) could be safe, just be sure to ask about the sauce! Pad Thai, for example, is a noodle dish made with rice noodles that typically uses a sweeter sauce with no soy sauce. However, some places may use soy or fish sauce, so it’s always best to ask the waiter when eating out. There are also popular soups (e.g., tom yum) and meat dishes (e.g., BBQ chicken) that don’t use soy sauce, although be sure to ask whether the fish sauce is soy sauce-based. Also be aware of the restaurant’s peanut sauce, as there is often soy sauce mixed in. If you have celiac disease or are extremely sensitive, watch out for cross-contamination at the table. Many of these cuisines could be served family-style, so be sure that each dish has its own serving spoon and that your companions don’t double-dip utensils. It’s important to note that these tips touch on some of the popular East Asian dishes in the United States—you could find lots of other dishes (some even gluten-free!) in authentic, regional restaurants. And if all else fails, there’s always some gluten-free recipes to fall back on. In her free time, she enjoys long runs on the beach and teaching meditation in Los Angeles.
