Dim Sum for someone with shellfish allergies - do able?

[JThur01]

I know someone who has avoided Dim Sum because they are allergic to shellfish (crab, lobster, shrimp, etc.)

So, how does someone navigate the Dim Sum waters if they have shellfish allergies?

I know enough that there are items that do NOT have shellfish, but I'd prefer to hear from others better versed. Some must avoids are plainly obvious, some (using bits o' shellfish and/or broth) not so self-evident. Any recommendations?

[BabyBao]

My brother has a shellfish allergy, and he eats dim sum all of the time. Just about everything has shrimp and/or pork in it, so he focuses on the pork dishes. There are a lot to choose from. His favorites are the steamed and baked pork buns, soup dumplings, and basically all of the deserts.

As for dishes to avoid, the sticky rice almost always has little shrimp particles, and sometimes the taro cakes will have them too.

When we go together, we always ask whether dishes have shrimp in them, but I usually taste them first just to be safe.

[ipsedixit]

Just how allergic is that person?

1. Can't eat foods that contain shellfish
2. Can't eat foods that have been prepared with other foods that contain shellfish (e.g. stock)
3. Can't eat foods that have been prepared in an environment that is not shellfish-free

If it's simply No.1, then it's easy. Don't order things like shrimp balls, shumai, chow fun, etc.

If it's No. 2, then avoid things like any type of meat filled har gow, shumai or dumplings, as well as tzongsi.

(Desserts are probably the only safe bet with No. 2 because even some of the veggie or tofu dishes have or are made with shellfish ingredients (e.g. oyster sauce, or shrimp paste). Would not risk seemingly safe things like veggie turnip cakes or the like may be made with seafood stock or ingredients of some sort.)

If it's No. 3, go to Souplantation.

[JThur01]

Baby Bao, ipsedixit, thanks for the replies.

ipsedixit, it's more like 1 & 2. I'm aware of them being exposed to small amounts with no ill effects. They can eat imitation crab, despite it having a percentage of crab juice, so go figure. I also believe the same for some oyster sauce.

[cjla]

That's me!

I can't eat shrimp, lobster, scallops, etc. At times I'm more sensitive than others--probably due to whatever other allergens I've been exposed to and amount of drink I've had. That's when I notice a mild case of the hives after having dishes with fish or oyster sauce. Nothing that a pill or two of Benydryl or Zyrtec can't knock out.

When I go out to the SGV, I usually find it worth my while to smile and make conversation with the table manager, usually that's the person who can speak the best English. I ask him to make a note on our table ticket that the woman with glasses (or whatever color top I'm wearing) can't eat shellfish, but can eat everything else.

Having that written note for the cart-pushers really helps out.

[JThur01]

I also was thinking more of dim sum off a menu instead of via carts. Might that be more workable?

This person has reactions well beyond hives, it's more like tongue/throat swelling shut after crab or shrimp. Once they got a moderate amount of real crab (instead of artificial crab) in sushi and their tongue barely fit in their mouth.

[K K]

Looking at Elite's dim sum website menu for reference on what might be shellfish safe

- black bean sauce chicken feet
- beef meatballs
- bbq pork buns (the only worry is that they may use oyster sauce in it...but who knows what artificial flavors go into Lee Kum Kee oyster sauce anyway...probably has less oysters in it than we think)
- lau sa bao (flowing salted egg yolk custard) steamed bun
- 燕麥麻茸飽 (sesame bun with oats)
- frog congee with red dates
- century egg lean pork congee
- veggie with beef meatball congee
- baked macau style egg tart
- mango pudding
- beef or cha siu cheung fun
- 花菇黃毛雞煲仔飯 (shitake with range chicken claypot rice)
- 臘味煲仔飯 (preserved sausage claypot rice)
- 腐乳灼通菜 (fermented bean curd paste with water spinach/hollow steam greens/ong choy)
- 烤夫素鵝 (kao fu vegetarian goose...made with tofu/tofu skins)
- 澳門燒肉 (Macau style roast pork)
- 名流貴妃雞 (empress chicken)
- 花田脆皮鴨 (crispy skin duck)
- 桶子豉油雞 (soy sauce chicken)
- 藕蓮花生炆豬手 (pork front feet stewed with lotus root and peanuts, perfect for moms who just gave birth)

[JThur01]

Thanks KK. Yes, I should have thought to check Elite's website. Even if the translation seems to suffer a bit in formatting.