Food allergies?

**NYC** · 02-08-2012, 11:28 PM

Anyone have any experience here with a food allergy?

Any input would be appreciated.

Thank you!

**phillygirl22** · 02-09-2012, 12:36 PM

What are you asking NYC?
Do you have food allergies?
If so, and depending on the severity, I would suggest you speak directly with a manager - maybe even before your trip - to ensure the chef understands and can identify ingredients for you. I would NOT leave it to the servers. Good people, not who I would trust with knowing and understanding food allergies.

**L&I** · 02-09-2012, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by NYC

Anyone have any experience here with a food allergy?

Any input would be appreciated.

Thank you!

NYC - please clarify exactly what you mean.

For example, I am deathly allergic to lobster - I had an anaphylactic reaction when I was 15 and am scared S***less of it. Having my throat close with the nearest hospital over 1 hour away was enough to scare me straight for life.

My gorgeous wife appears to have recently developed a wheat/gluten allergy which results in itching, bloating, mood-swings etc. Its great for her weightloss program because it limits her eating to healthy foods by eliminating virtually ALL her favourite snacks and not so healthy foods.

So we both inquire about ingredients whenever we go to new places and are trying new foods. Most places today are aware of, if not familiar with, food allergies. If you have food allergies and are concerned, do the following:

1) Make a list of ALL food allergies you have
2) Contact the resort advising them of your problems
3) Inquire what the hotel has in place to deal with allergic reactions (for liability reasons, most hotels that cater to US travellers have to have a good on-site emergency response program with adequate resources in place)
4) Visit your doctor to see if he/she can prescribe medication for your trip. NOTE: pack this medication in your hand luggage in case your bag gets lost - no more than 300 mL for liquids!
5) When at the resort and in doubt, ASK, ASK & ASK AGAIN!! The staff are more than willing to find out because they have seen it all! The more you communicate, the less you have to worry about.
6) If you see something that you are not certain about & cannot get a satisfactory answer about, leave it alone!
7) Enjoy yourself!

We have a dear friend whose food allergies are so bad she spends about 1-2 weeks a year in hospital DESPITE her best efforts - but she charges ahead and lives life to the fullest within the restrictions that she has to live with. So don't let allergies slow you down.

Good luck

**NYC** · 02-09-2012, 07:55 PM

Thank you all for the replies!

I have a wheat / gluten allergy. My reactions are not too extreme, but I am vigilant about reading labels and talking to chefs about ingredients and cross contamination issues whenever I eat out. I did read that the chefs next door at El Dorado are able to accommodate food allergies, but I was looking for any first hand accounts.

We already plan to bring gluten free soy sauce packets for the sushi, and many of the dishes on the menu from next look like they would be naturally gluten free or easy to modify for my diet.

Thanks again, and if anyone has had experience with gluten free or celiac at Hidden Beach, please share!

**NYC** · 10-09-2012, 08:00 PM

Just a quick update on Hidden Beach and food allergy / gluten sensitivity issues.

The chefs there were able to accommodate us at every meal. They were always ready to use a clean utensil or pan to avoid cross-contamination and made sure to show us the ingredients if we asked and make something again if there was any doubt if it was gluten free. The food was very good (having literally everything available in NYC, the options are very good, and comparable to an expensive meal out in the city). Lunch and dinner always included appetizer, salad, entree and dessert with several options to make sure we were well fed.

Loved the place and made some really great friends along the way. We would recommend a visit to anyone.

**CopNkitten** · 10-09-2012, 09:35 PM

I saw a guy pass out in the hot tub and puke up and back into his own mouth and start choking.
That count?
Cop..
P.S. I had to roll him over and save his passed out drunken butt too, lol.

**we2are469** · 10-09-2012, 11:45 PM

Originally Posted by NYC

Anyone have any experience here with a food allergy?

Any input would be appreciated.

Thank you!

Well if your asking about Hedo, and allergies, At the Japanese, they asked us, when we were there in April, if anyone had allergies, then cooked the fish (I'm allergic to it), for the rest of the patrons, after my beef.

Delta airlines on the return trip, offered us either fish or chicken. I choose the chicken, with the garden salad. Delta, in their infinite wisdom, included a chunk of salmon in the salad. Dam if I didn't have to drink two bottles of red wine, to wash the salmon oils into my stomach. The symptoms passed in about 30 minutes, lucky me, it was a small piece

Ray.

**sybaritic** · 10-10-2012, 06:26 AM

Good to hear that things worked out well, NYC, and that you enjoyed your stay, thanks for the feedback. I know your update was not intended as a trip report, but I'm wondering if your experience there could help us understand Kingfish's recent comment about things "getting a little strange there"?

**NYC** · 10-24-2012, 08:52 PM

Originally Posted by sybaritic

Good to hear that things worked out well, NYC, and that you enjoyed your stay, thanks for the feedback. I know your update was not intended as a trip report, but I'm wondering if your experience there could help us understand Kingfish's recent comment about things "getting a little strange there"?

While we were there, there was only a few PDA's and they were somewhat "reprimanded" by several other couples in the jacuzzi (they told them to "take it to the room"). At night when they had a live band, the crowd was having a good time, but no one was openly having sex.