Safe Travels in Japan - Komatuan and McDonalds

Komatuan

Jason here. After a day of sightseeing, we headed back to our hotel to drop souvenirs off and hit up a restaurant right nearby that specialized in Soba noodles.
The restaurant is Komatuan, and not only do they specialize in Soba noodles, they specialize in 100% buckwheat Soba noodles. Soba noodles, which are always made of buckwheat sometimes contain some portion of wheat as a binder. The higher the percentage of buckwheat, the more prized the noodles.

While there was no English menu, and no English speaking waiter, we eventually managed to put in our order. I opted for the traditional plain soba noodles, served cold. After we were served, I added my own packet of gluten free Tamari sauce. Tamari sauce tastes effectively the same as Soy sauce, and are in fact both made from soy. The primary difference, is Tamari is generally made with little to no wheat and more soy base.

Wow, these noodles are hard to describe and articulate why they tasted so good. Maybe it was from walking all day, but despite being plain the noodles themselves seemed bursting with flavor. It wasn’t a sweet, or spicy flavor just a really strong noodle flavor. If anyone knows how to describe a noodle, please let me know.

Kayleigh here. Essentially, the specialty of the restaurant was plain noodles, served cold, that you would dip into a little bowl of sauce and slurp up. I still don't really know how to slurp noodles properly- I hear that taking in some air at the same time improves the taste, but I thoroughly enjoyed them all the same. And the price was very reasonable, considering the upscale shopping district surrounding it. Go here for the food, stay and shop if you can justify $800 handbags!

McDonalds

(not posting a link for this one- they're everywhere!)

Jason here. Every now and again, I just craved some French fries. This is where McDonalds came in. No matter where we went, there was a McDonalds within walking distance. This made it great for a random snack, and a place to grab a seat and rest my feet. In Japan, most McDonalds are two floors and give you a chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of the street. The french fries have dedicated fryers, so you can always be sure they will be gluten free. Definitely safer than you would find in America.

Whenever we would be out and Kayleigh would stop and grab a non-gluten free snack, I would drag her to McDonalds and buy myself some fries. Sometimes it’s the little things in life, and sometime I just want some fries.

Kayleigh here. In a pinch, fries could be a lunch. It was actually pretty interesting to eat in and observe the little differences from an American McDonalds. Besides the easternized menu items, the restaurants had a coffee shop- like vibe to them, with students doing homework and friends sitting and socializing over soft drinks. Getting fries was a good excuse to pop into the quieter dining areas and regroup. You can only get lost so many times in a day before you need a break!

Gluten Free Cooking for the Host/Hostess

Kayleigh here. The tone of this post is going to be a little different- not necessarily for the celiac, but for the friends and family of that gluten-mourning person. When you first discover that someone close to you has developed a serious intolerance, that can change plans and rituals around for you almost as much as for them. And without such a big incentive to research every little fact about what does and does not contain gluten, the only safe way to put foods out seems to be by buying exclusively from the gluten free shelves at the supermarket. Safe? Certainly. But not so kind on your wallet, especially if you do not want to sacrifice any of the parties, dinners, and outings you are used to having with them.

The good news is, catering to a gluten-free person is really not as hard as it seems at first. Fresh produce, basic meats, and most cheeses and plain milks are guaranteed gluten free, without needing to check any sort of ingredient label. Buy single spices instead of blends to season the foods, and you have avoided another confusion. Add some rice or potatoes to the side, and you have made yourself a stress-free, gluten-free meal!

For parties, put the crackers and bread squares on separate plates from safe dips and spreads. Offer cut raw vegetables, plain potato chips, and tortilla chips as well (they are almost always gluten free!). In fact, if you bread any fried foods in crushed tortilla chips, cornstarch, or cornmeal, then even that will be safe! Most importantly, keep the packages of anything you put out, and let your buddy read the ingredient list for themselves. And really, do not feel guilty about asking them to bring hamburger buns or dressings/sauces for themselves. It is a whole lot cheaper than you going out and buying a whole package, and will make them feel a lot safer, since they are avoiding any accidental cross contamination.

One last tip- try to cook for them using either very clean/new cookware, or coat surfaces in tinfoil or plastic wrap. This will be an easy way to avoid touching any breadcrumbs or contaminated areas with the gluten free foods. Also, try to make sure that everyone else you are inviting is aware of what is and is not gluten free in the spread, so they know to use spoons to get dip instead of dipping the cracker straight in, and to not swap around serving utensils between dishes.

Jason here. If you are not a gluten free household, or used to cooking gluten free, it can be a little overwhelming. I’ve found many people have a knee-jerk reaction where they suddenly can’t think of any food that doesn’t contain bread or pasta. It’s less that gluten free food doesn’t exist, and more that panic of trying to think of something on the spot. Like mentioned, basic meats, cheeses, vegetables, fruits are all going to be gluten free. To get the starch fix, through in some form of potato and you’re done.

When I go to parties, I’m often worried about accidentally eating gluten. Either I am not certain exactly what was used to cook the dish, or I am worried about cross contamination. If you are hosting a party where guests are encouraged to bring food, also ask your guests to bring along allergy cards for their dish. If someone takes the time to explicitly mark their dish as gluten free, and I feel pretty safe about eating it. Sometimes it’s just not possible to prevent cross contamination. In a large enough party, someone is going to dip a cracker from one plate, into the gluten free dip. The best way to help out your gluten intolerant guests is to help them get to the food earlier. The earlier they can grab a plate, the less of a chance crumbs have fallen where they shouldn’t have.

Just remember when you have a gluten intolerant guest, don’t panic. It’s really not as difficult as you might at first think. Some simple food items mentioned above, and simple safe measures taken while prepping the food, and you are good to go!

Gluten-free Friendly Snacks and More Reviews

Kayleigh and Jason here. This post is a bit of a hodge-podge, so we can mention all of the gluten-free friendly places we've come across for quick snacks, desserts, and easy grab-on-the-go grub. Check back on this post from time to time, as we add more places to the list!

Cold Stone Creamery- Not all Cold Stone locations can accommodate so thoroughly, but many (including the one at the Crossroads mall in Bellevue) educate their employees about allergy-conscious preparation methods. For gluten, this includes using brand-new scoops, getting ice cream from tubs in the back rather than the front counter, and adding any mix-ins on a clean 'allergy plate' instead of the regular countertop. Just avoid upgrading to the waffle bowl. :)

Yogurtland- Before going to Yogurtland for the first time, I went on their website to jot down all the yogurt flavors that contained gluten (most of the cookie or cake- themed flavors are a no-go). Upon entering the self-serve area, we were pleasantly surprised to find that each flavor had the allergen labels clearly visible, with cross-contamination nearly impossible. Use the toppings bar at your own discretion, since they are not separated according to allergens, but who really misses them when the yogurt tastes so good!

Tully's (some)- We've spotted individually wrapped Wow cookies at the counters of several different Tully's locations around Washington. So next time you're craving a sweet treat along with your latte, pop into a Tully's and take your pick!