Hawker Stalls - Gluten Free Options?
Nov 27, 2019, 4:58 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Posts: 219
Hawker Stalls - Gluten Free Options?
Hello All,
My wife and I are going to Singapore next week. We would love to eat most of our meals at various hawker centers but she is gluten free (pretty sensitive, but not celiac). Does anyone have any recommendations for dishes she might try?
My understanding is that chicken rice is usually ok if the chicken is steamed, and fried rice usually is made without soy sauce. Are there any other suggestions?
Thanks!
My wife and I are going to Singapore next week. We would love to eat most of our meals at various hawker centers but she is gluten free (pretty sensitive, but not celiac). Does anyone have any recommendations for dishes she might try?
My understanding is that chicken rice is usually ok if the chicken is steamed, and fried rice usually is made without soy sauce. Are there any other suggestions?
Thanks!
Nov 28, 2019, 9:54 am
#2
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
Programs: Nothing anymore after 20 years
Posts: 6,900
I really doubt that you will/can effectively communicate with stall aunties/uncles that you want gluten free meal. In most cases you will get 'deer in headlights' stare back.
If you want to be 100% sure and safe, do some research and go to restaurants which are recommended by people with the same diet.
If you want to be 100% sure and safe, do some research and go to restaurants which are recommended by people with the same diet.
Nov 28, 2019, 4:51 pm
#3
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,677
I really doubt that you will/can effectively communicate with stall aunties/uncles that you want gluten free meal. In most cases you will get 'deer in headlights' stare back.
If you want to be 100% sure and safe, do some research and go to restaurants which are recommended by people with the same diet.
If you want to be 100% sure and safe, do some research and go to restaurants which are recommended by people with the same diet.
English is the main form of communication, but there are still some stall owners who only speak Mandarin.
Nov 29, 2019, 11:20 am
#5
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: SFO
Programs: JAL, KrisFlyer
Posts: 40
You can get packets of GF tamari (soy sauce) for travel and order plain rice. I used to do this in Japan as I'm in the same situation as your wife, but I find that eating in Asia is often safer for me than eating out in the US as products with gluten such as soy sauce really don't bother me out there. It's the US domestic products that are indigestible.
Dec 5, 2019, 4:29 am
#6
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: CGK
Programs: FlyingBlue | Krisflyer | SPG | HHonors
Posts: 1,563
Agreed with the response thus far. Even if the hawkers understood English, they might not understand about gluten-free dietary requirements. Though I have to note that the soy sauce used in Singapore's hawkers are slightly different from those in U.S., since most noodles and food uses rice flour instead of wheat flour. Thus most of the noodles should not pose a problem, and clear soup noodles like fishball noodles might be alright. Since I do not need a gluten free diet, I cannot say for certain how true this might be.
Dec 5, 2019, 10:21 am
#7
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: Delta Gold, silver, what yr is it?
Posts: 2,417
I'm guessing OP is already half-way through their trip, at least - hope they've found some delicious food to eat! I agree that online travel guides from other gluten- free travelers (or, whatever allergy you might be dealing with) is a great way to find out where & what to eat. Google found me many, like this https://www.mygfguide.com/travel-gluten-free-singapore/
Reading it, I want to go back to Singapore and eat some more :-) And I'm not even GF ;-)
Reading it, I want to go back to Singapore and eat some more :-) And I'm not even GF ;-)
Jan 1, 2020, 5:10 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
Programs: Nothing anymore after 20 years
Posts: 6,900
https://mothership.sg/2019/12/french...ice-questions/
At least she was smart enough to post her story anonymously. It might ended up not quite nicely...