Why your so-called ‘allergy’ is driving chefs nuts

We all know that being vegan is rather à la mode these days but if you’re not highly allergic to eggs or another ingredient you don’t eat, please be thoughtful enough to inform your waiter when placing an order. Why? Because having an allergy is potentially life-threatening, which, we’re sure you will agree, is far more serious than your puerile aversion to the taste of seafood or shellfish.

ALSO READ: So you think you have a food allergy?

A Sydney-based chef has evidently had enough of customers with false allergies and he’s taken to Instagram to vent his frustration.

His caption pretty much sums it up…

“Can people with dietary requirements start knowing what you can and can’t eat? Shellfish allergy but loves oyster sauce. Gluten free but loves gluten as long as it’s not a piece of bread. Vegetarians that love a chicken wing. Pescatarians who eat chicken. Sort your shit out and let your waiter know. You make it really damn hard for people with actual allergies and dietary to go out to eat.”

Can people with dietary requirements start knowing what you can and can’t eat? Shellfish allergy but loves oyster sauce. Gluten free but loves gluten as long as it’s not a piece of bread. Vegetarians that love a chicken wing. Pescatarians who eat chicken. Sort your shit out and let your waiter know. You make it really damn hard for people with actual allergies and dietaries to go out to eat.

A post shared by patrickfriesen (@patrickfriesen) on Jul 15, 2017 at 4:21am PDT

The irony is that those with the actual, real allergies are the ones that will quietly and discreetly call ahead and tell the restaurant so that they’re prepared or even sneak off to inform the waiter after arriving. It’s not very hard to spot an ‘allergy imposter’. They’re the ones that will tell anyone who is willing to listen and then in the same breath, take a bite of the food to which they’re seemingly allergic. Tsk tsk.

As you might imagine, this makes it really difficult for chefs, because they have to be ultra careful in the kitchen when cooking. A customer with an extreme peanut allergy for example, won’t be able to eat any food that’s been prepared within mere proximity to peanuts, or have something cooked in the same pot or pan. It’s no joke, so when people who claim to have allergies when they really don’t, it puts huge (and unfair) pressure on chefs to cater for them and ultimately stabs a sharp knife into their product of culinary creativity. It’s no wonder they get hot-headed about it.

If you’re seriously not a fan of the menu or want to change more than two things on a dish you’ve ordered, perhaps it’s better just to stay home and cook the food you actually like to eat. Or simply call the restaurant and check if they are able to accommodate your specific dietary requirement. At the very least, if you’re going to be an allergy imposter, stick with your story throughout the whole meal.

Are you a chef who’s experienced allergy imposters in your restaurant? Or have you been to a restaurant with one? Share your amusing stories and experiences with us in the comments section below!