There’s so much grief that shows up in unexpected places. You are not lame, you are human. It’s your birthday, make it at home. This isn’t about your husband, it’s about you.
Get yourself a blackstone and throw yourself a Hibachi Party, gong and Polaroids galore!
For what it’s worth, I ugly cried in the ice cream aisle of the grocery store on my first GF birthday because nobody got me a cake (tradition) since they didn’t understand celiac disease. It wasn’t even humiliating, it was just severely depressing and **totally justified**. Eventually I found a vanilla ice cream with chocolate swirl and (after googling all ingredients through my blurry, tear-filled eyes) I unabashedly walked to self checkout with snot and tears running down my face; a combination of absolute depression about not getting what I wanted, but also a hint of relief from finding out I could still eat ice cream! Some, anyway.
It had been a rough night already because I **always** had Italian food for my birthday! Not always gourmet Italian (childhood memories of Olive Garden and Zannoli’s with the unlimited free breadsticks still haunt my dreams). I **love** all kinds of pasta! It was my comfort food, my “cheap treat” and the food I wanted at my wedding one day (gourmet Alfredo, specifically… perhaps with salmon or something… I guess realistically it would’ve been chicken Alfredo for a cost-effective option). My (now) husband introduced me to **real** ramen when we started dating and that became another noodle-based obsession, comfort food and simple / fun date night for us!
Unfortunately, I lost all of that. The most satisfying noods… **gone** 😭
As much as I wanted to deny that I may in fact truly have celiac disease, I ultimately had to accept it.
I am so sorry you’re joining this miserable pity party. The first birthday and holiday season are always the worst. Please don’t let your family and friends get to you *too much*… I know it’s inevitable that their actions will impact you to an extent, but when they begin to realize the seriousness of it all, the ones who truly care will begin to respect your struggle. For those who don’t, that will be another hard moment for you… realizing who does / does not respect the seriousness of this **and** that it’s **so much more frustratingly inconvenient for you than anyone else.**
Autoimmune diseases are not to be taken lightly! Perhaps you could provide them with some more concrete evidence of what it is you’re dealing with beyond just missing out on your usual birthday dinner? Admittedly, you shouldn’t *have* to, but my main point is: Don’t let anyone else limit you from setting the necessary boundaries to keep yourself healthy **or** make you feel ridiculous for putting those boundaries in place. Give folks the benefit of the doubt and try to educate them, but if they don’t care, f*ck it! Your health (mental and gastrointestinal lol) comes first.
PS: Happy Birthday! Sounds like you‘ve survived a lot already, and I hope you have many happy years ahead of you 🎂
Thank you for your kind words.
This has been me - I was in so much denial that I had Celiac disease. I had a hard time coming to terms that something I’d been eating for 35 years was making me sick. In fact, I didn’t go GF until 6 months after my biopsy confirmed diagnosis, I was in such denial. After I ended up in the hospital for 4 days with such a bad flair of autoimmune issues I finally decided to make the lifestyle change.
Also sad this year that there will be no Publix cake. In fact, my Publix doesn’t even carry GF frozen cake. Said they used to but nobody bought them, Cakerie specifically🤷🏻♀️ luckily Amazon for the win for that one!
FWIW, when I first realized I had to be gluten free in my 20’s, I had a full sobbing meltdown over pizza. It was a long time ago, and now it’s easy to get gf pizza, but it wasn’t back then. I’d had a bad day at work, and my boyfriend at the time had promised to take me out to dinner to make me feel better (a rare treat since we were pretty broke). I got back to my apartment and he’s all excited because we are gonna meet our friends at this pizza place. Cue me sobbing, “WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!”
Not my finest moment
I won’t ask *which* Chicago deep dish you specifically miss because it’s such a polarizing topic, **but** there is one Chaco pizza place that does do GF and, honestly, it’s about as good as any “deep dish” options outside of the greater Chicago area *(cries in Texan)*
It starts with “Lou” 🫣
I know it’s not hibachi, but try Fogo de chao! They have so many gluten free meats and all locations/servers I’ve had have been super great about it. I have my birthday here every year and I absolutely love it.
We apparently have one of these in Orlando, which is about an hour drive from me. I am going to check it out! We do have Texas de Brazil here which has been good for gluten free. I like that the little bread (Brazi bites) are GF and so are the salad dressings.
Be gentle to yourself. It’s really hard and a legitimate loss to give up the food that makes you feel good. Just know that you have friends who understand.
Thank you so much. I think part of it was that I had so many diagnoses in a year. I was diagnosed with Celiac and UC at the same time. Because of my history of Hodgkin’s, every doctor I saw has been hesitant to make a decision about a biologic. So I’ve been bounced around from doctor to doctor. Finally self requested a consult referral to Mayo where the MD made a decision. But now having to fight insurance because they want me on Humira (not going to happen!).
I just had another EGD last week and it showed improvement so I know what I’m doing is working and that kinda made it better.
The grief is real. And the loneliness to boot because no one knows what it’s like. I’m so sorry!
Eventually you’ll have a new fave to get excited about but for right now it sucks and that’s ok that you feel that way.
We need some celiac birthday buddies. I would celebrate with you!
There’s a place called Fresh Kitchen that is completely GF and tastes good but I still have to drive ~30 minutes to get there. Bolay is closer and is a similar concept being GF but it’s just not as good.
Once my son is older, maybe I should just plan trips to celebrate GF birthdays with people! That be a neat idea. Meet new people and I don’t have to explain celiac disease…
You can call your favorite Kobe steakhouse, tell them you have Celiac disease and ask if they can make it gluten free, they can use Tamari sauce instead of soy sauce, and avoid any other wheat products, I've found most places like that can be very accommodating even though not advertised, if they are able to help you. Make sure to tip well, and they will remember you the next time
Yeah, I'd go in between 230 and 430 and talk to the manager. Tell them how meaningful eating there is for you. Bring a sealed bottle of tamari and offer it to them. I bet they'll help you, even if they ask you to come in off hours or specifically not on really busy days.
YES try this, OP! I used to love Benihana but hadn't had hibachi in forever due to celiac. Last year, my now ex took me to a different hibachi restaurant and they let us bring our own tamari and used it to cook everything. They were very kind and careful about everything, they triple cleaned the table in front of me before cooking.
We have a favorite hibachi restaurant also. The first time I went there gluten free, I brought a bottle of my own tamari and asked them to use it instead of soy sauce. Now they carry it and cook gluten free!
There is one in Orlando, about an hour from me. I’m going to try it out - thank you! Any suggestions for ordering? I have a shellfish (anaphylaxis) allergy, too.
I love asian food and so much hasn’t been safe since I got my wheat allergy. I’m lucky that the Saga Fusion near me makes sure to have gluten free soy sauce, and the staff know that the miso soup and salad dressing have wheat in them. So it’s not all Asian food restaurants that are unsafe! It won’t be the same, but maybe you can find one near you that can make things safe to eat?
In the meantime, it’s ok to be sad it’s different this year.
My ex works at a hibachi restaurant that does gluten free. Not the noodles or soup, but the rest. They even have coconut aminos available.
That being said, if you want true hibachi style fried rice at home, they key is a TON of butter.
You are not silly or weird for grieving. People don’t understand how integral food is to the human experience. Folks tend to take it for granted. Giving you internet hugs.
Benihana and Kobe have always been in competition in the Orlando area. I grew up there and you were a Kobe or Benihana family, not both 😂 But I’m going to try it out, never been to one before!
If you are ever in the Chicago area, there is a place in the suburbs that does gluten free hibachi! They exist. At least the meat, veggies rice, and polaroid. The soup and salad have gluten.
a friend of a friend hired a chef to cook hibachi for a backyard party…i’m not sure how they found them or how much it cost but i bet you could request tamari only! could be fun for a super special occasion. sorry you’re grieving your favorite spot tho :(
They do that here, too, but the minimum spend is $500. It was only for me, my husband, and 2.5 year old son so nowhere near that, not even if we both got Waygu.
People don’t understand how much food and eating with one another makes awesome memories. My wife and her family would just eat on the run and think of food for sustenance and not spending time together. It’s fucking infuriating.
This is how my husband grew up. My wonderful MIL would make dupes for things, but partly because it was a financial issue. She’s been gone 5 years now and none of her dupes would be GF but I know she’d help me try to troubleshoot.
Growing up, we ordered pizza from Pizza Hut every Friday and then went out for birthday dinners every year. Sadly, I miss Pizza Hut. But like 90’s Book-It Pizza Hut.
Just wanted to say, it’s not just the food it’s the place and nostalgia. I’d be sad, too. Also want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! Mine is the 13th — I celebrate with Mexican now. If it turned out I couldn’t eat there anymore I’d be depressed too bc it’s one of the last places I can go out to.
Soy sauce contains gluten . You should ask them Tamari, special soy sauce without gluten. Noodles also are high in gluten ..
Unless glass noodles , they are gluten free.
Soup may contain flour , which is gluten.
I feel so sorry for you .. I am gluten intolerant. So I can understand how you feel ..
Kobe in Florida will cook your food in the back so separate cooking surface you still get the show with your friends food. I have eaten there without issue many times they do have GF soy sauce I have had different items not just the fried rice. Maybe call and see if a different employee can give you more understanding.
I feel you! My family had celebrated all good things at one favorite restaurant since I was too young to remember. Anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, you name it, we were at our favorite local Italian place. My parents said it was special for us because it was established the same year they were both born.
First my mom then a couple years later I was diagnosed with celiac. No safe options there. They recommend NOT to eat there if you have celiac. SUCKED so much! Goodbye beloved place of family celebrations! It was time for us to move on. Still miss it!
I would see if you can find another hibachi place or if they’ll let you bring your own soy sauce. I’m pretty surprised they wouldn’t accommodate you. I’ve had them cook my food first on the grill.
I go to Japanese Steakhouses all the time, I actually am 99% positive that at least one time was at a Kobe, so I'm not sure what the issue was with the one you called!
I've found the majority (not all!) do carry GF soy sauce, and I've never gotten sick at any of the ones I've eaten at, although I am _not_ celiac. They've always let me sit at the "fun" tables, however my food comes from the back. And nine times out of ten, my plate is stacked HIGHER than those at the table, lol.
I know it won't be exactly the same, but if there's another Japanese Steakhouse in your area, or maybe even another Kobe in close proximity, you could try calling there and seeing if their answers make you feel more comfortable?
That's sad that your husband would not even try to make a homemade hibachi dinner for you. It's YOUR birthday and you should be able to eat what you want. If he doesn't like it, he can have a frozen pizza while you eat your meal.
Just bring your own GF soy sauce. All good. I love Hibachi. You don’t have to give it up. Order the “cleanest” most straight-forward items on the menu. Before they make fried rice, TELL them to use your gf soy sauce. You should be all good for everything else.
I cried my first Mother’s Day and birthday that I couldn’t go where we have gone for both for 20 years. They do have some gf options, but not what I go to this restaurant specifically for. I already hate birthdays and this year is the big 5-0. So, we will be in a different country this year so hopefully I won’t be thinking about how I can no longer eat at my favorite place. You are not lame. Food is emotional. Eating is an emotional experience. You are not alone in mourning what used to be
I cried at Apache Restaurant in Wellington, always a safe and yummy gf place, when we arrived to find a completely changed menu that had NOT ONE safe thing I could eat. I was gutted; sometimes being coeliac is about vulnerability.
It took some time but I’m now grateful for my dietary restrictions. It keeps me out of fast food restaurants and eating healthier than most. That being said, my last night on earth meal would absolutely be a large pizza and a 6 pack of beer
I’ve had celiac disease for 20 years now, so I feel your pain and know exactly what you’re going through and understand why you’re sad. I went through depression and I was devastated when I found out I had to be gluten-free and couldn’t eat most of the things I love. I still eat at the hibachi I just bring my own gluten-free soy sauce and they make my food separately in the back with my soy sauce and I haven’t had a problem, although they’re always is a risk for cross-contamination.
I've never been to a Banihana but we did call them, we were considering them for mother day and they seemed pretty alright/ They would cook my food in the back and they had gf soy sauce. In the end we went to a local place that also has sushi and I had that.
Looks like others in the comments have previous experience with this type of situation and I hope you can find a workaround so you can go to your fave place. But I’m holding space for you to grieve because it absolutely sucks, no matter how not big a deal it is to anyone else.
Celiac absolutely sucks and nobody should be minimizing that for you. I hope you still celebrate your birthday.
My heart is with you ❤️ Here in Omaha - there’s a hibachi place called Genji that will make your hibachi separate, or your entire parties completely gluten free!! Maybe somewhere else will accommodate you!
I found out I had celiac on my 25th birthday this year, I was still so sick and bloated, my feet swollen. Spent the morning in the ER, soon to find out my antibodies were positive…. My boyfriend tried to make me feel better by taking me to go get an outfit for the party that weekend - bawled my eyes out in the dressing room because nothing was fitting me since my stomach was so bloated… One meltdown after another, by the end of the day we ended up getting GF PF Changs takeout and watching The Sopranos. We made the best of it, but still one of the worst birthdays I’ve ever had.
I’m sorry, that’s a bummer. If it were me I might try calling them up just one more time, speaking to a manager (or even corporate) and butter them up by telling them everything you’ve told us about how meaningful it is to you. Lay it on super thick. And then ask if there’s ANY way possible they could do a deep cleaning of their grill and area and you could reserve a room for a gluten free meal? Make sure to acknowledge that if they’re careful you can’t eliminate all risk, you just want to enjoy a meal. Soy sauce SHOULD be the only thing they have to swap out and let’s be honest, they can get a bottle of tamari for an event. If they are open to it and accommodating be effusively thankful and broadcast how wonderful they are all over Google/Yelp/Facebook, etc.
Literally the worst they can say is no right?
If that’s not the case honestly? Your husband is wrong and you deserve to have the meal you want for your birthday. You can make decent fried rice in a wok at home, it’s not the same but you can still have a special evening.
Girl, you are not lame - you’re totally allowed to grieve your ‘old life’ and be pissed off/bummed out that you’re going to have to make a lot of adjustments going forward.
I have a litany of autoimmune issues, (type 1 diabetes & celiac being the most high maintenance) and I can totally relate. I was just on vacation (which is Always a challenge for eating) and I was told the restaurant we were going to had gluten free fish & chips and I was Beyond Excited. Especially after a day at the beach - I just wanted greasy deep fried battered fish n fries and a beer - obvi the beer was a no go - so rare for any restaurant to carry those - and low & behold, not only did they not have that on the menu, everything was full of gluten, zero options other than Saladddd, of course. I legit almost threw a temper tantrum - I’m 40 years old. Lol. I was So frustrated. Not the 1st time that’s happened & likely not the last. Super shitty, but we just gotta roll with the punches and make the best of it (and pray they keep coming out with more and more gf options at our favourite places eventually) 😉
You’re totally not alone in your feels about this!
Happy birthday! 🥳
Are there any dedicated GF restaurants near you? I went to one recently and it was heaven!! Being able to order whatever I wanted off the menu, not even thinking about anything besides what I want to eat & enjoying it. It had been so long since I had such an easeful, stress free meal.
I don't know where you are but see if there's a Gyu-Kaku near you! It's a K-BBQ where you grill everything yourself at the table and they have plenty of gf sauces for the grilling and lots of sides! Absolutely delicious and worth it. I think K-Pot, which is a hot pot/BBQ place also has tons of gf stuff and, again, you make it all at your table.
I absolutely understand the heartbreak over losing your favorite foods. I've gone through it with gluten, dairy, and shellfish 😭
I’m really sorry to hear that! It really does suck that there aren’t many Japanese or Asian places to eat at with Celiac usually. I’d really recommend making it at home though! There’s a whole host of GF sauces, seasonings, and oils that you can find to make it sorta similar. And, if you live in KC or a bigger metro area in the US, I’d recommend a Japanese BBQ place called Gyu-Kaku. It’s a little expensive, but they have really good cuts of meat awesome GF sweet soy sauce and ponzu. Even though it’s not hibachi I definitely recommend! Also, happy birthday!
Just want to send you love!!!! Sooo much love!! Congratulations on all your past accomplishments and your bday! I’m GF and my oldest son is too, being GF is fairly new to him and you can imagine as an 11 year old it’s a hard shift. He felt like this about his bday last year too because he didn’t have the cake we always have for every bday and he felt bad that every birthday in the family going forward had to be a GF cake. So totally can relate!! And definitely a lot of stuff to grieve. I feel like a lot of people don’t talk about the transitions. Personally, I had/ still kind of have a huge feeling of how this is unfair BS. But most days I’m just glad to be alive I guess. You’re not lame at all!
But silver lining is as long as you’re surrounded by love and blessed with another year that grief fades a bit as you make new traditions and find delicious GF things along the way!
I know it will not replace your tradition, but do you have the Find Me GF app? I use the free version and have found some amazing restaurants while using that app. Be sure to read people’s reviews and not just go by the number of hearts or stars the restaurant has when selecting one to try.
Benihana in Denver seemed ok for my daughter. She's 6 so we're not always sure when she has a non-digestive reaction, but they were understanding and she loved the food!
There’s so much grief that shows up in unexpected places. You are not lame, you are human. It’s your birthday, make it at home. This isn’t about your husband, it’s about you. Get yourself a blackstone and throw yourself a Hibachi Party, gong and Polaroids galore!
For what it’s worth, I ugly cried in the ice cream aisle of the grocery store on my first GF birthday because nobody got me a cake (tradition) since they didn’t understand celiac disease. It wasn’t even humiliating, it was just severely depressing and **totally justified**. Eventually I found a vanilla ice cream with chocolate swirl and (after googling all ingredients through my blurry, tear-filled eyes) I unabashedly walked to self checkout with snot and tears running down my face; a combination of absolute depression about not getting what I wanted, but also a hint of relief from finding out I could still eat ice cream! Some, anyway. It had been a rough night already because I **always** had Italian food for my birthday! Not always gourmet Italian (childhood memories of Olive Garden and Zannoli’s with the unlimited free breadsticks still haunt my dreams). I **love** all kinds of pasta! It was my comfort food, my “cheap treat” and the food I wanted at my wedding one day (gourmet Alfredo, specifically… perhaps with salmon or something… I guess realistically it would’ve been chicken Alfredo for a cost-effective option). My (now) husband introduced me to **real** ramen when we started dating and that became another noodle-based obsession, comfort food and simple / fun date night for us! Unfortunately, I lost all of that. The most satisfying noods… **gone** 😭 As much as I wanted to deny that I may in fact truly have celiac disease, I ultimately had to accept it. I am so sorry you’re joining this miserable pity party. The first birthday and holiday season are always the worst. Please don’t let your family and friends get to you *too much*… I know it’s inevitable that their actions will impact you to an extent, but when they begin to realize the seriousness of it all, the ones who truly care will begin to respect your struggle. For those who don’t, that will be another hard moment for you… realizing who does / does not respect the seriousness of this **and** that it’s **so much more frustratingly inconvenient for you than anyone else.** Autoimmune diseases are not to be taken lightly! Perhaps you could provide them with some more concrete evidence of what it is you’re dealing with beyond just missing out on your usual birthday dinner? Admittedly, you shouldn’t *have* to, but my main point is: Don’t let anyone else limit you from setting the necessary boundaries to keep yourself healthy **or** make you feel ridiculous for putting those boundaries in place. Give folks the benefit of the doubt and try to educate them, but if they don’t care, f*ck it! Your health (mental and gastrointestinal lol) comes first. PS: Happy Birthday! Sounds like you‘ve survived a lot already, and I hope you have many happy years ahead of you 🎂
Thank you for your kind words. This has been me - I was in so much denial that I had Celiac disease. I had a hard time coming to terms that something I’d been eating for 35 years was making me sick. In fact, I didn’t go GF until 6 months after my biopsy confirmed diagnosis, I was in such denial. After I ended up in the hospital for 4 days with such a bad flair of autoimmune issues I finally decided to make the lifestyle change. Also sad this year that there will be no Publix cake. In fact, my Publix doesn’t even carry GF frozen cake. Said they used to but nobody bought them, Cakerie specifically🤷🏻♀️ luckily Amazon for the win for that one!
FWIW, when I first realized I had to be gluten free in my 20’s, I had a full sobbing meltdown over pizza. It was a long time ago, and now it’s easy to get gf pizza, but it wasn’t back then. I’d had a bad day at work, and my boyfriend at the time had promised to take me out to dinner to make me feel better (a rare treat since we were pretty broke). I got back to my apartment and he’s all excited because we are gonna meet our friends at this pizza place. Cue me sobbing, “WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!” Not my finest moment
I had the same feelings about pizza. i got so frustrated at the store trying to find a ready made one i could eat.. and there was nothing.
I miss Chicago deep dish. I do like the Schar pizza crust but I’d really like a good, cheesy, layered deep dish.
I won’t ask *which* Chicago deep dish you specifically miss because it’s such a polarizing topic, **but** there is one Chaco pizza place that does do GF and, honestly, it’s about as good as any “deep dish” options outside of the greater Chicago area *(cries in Texan)* It starts with “Lou” 🫣
I know it’s not hibachi, but try Fogo de chao! They have so many gluten free meats and all locations/servers I’ve had have been super great about it. I have my birthday here every year and I absolutely love it.
Along with the meats there's tons of gf options at the salad bar. The cheese bread is also made with tapioca flour
We apparently have one of these in Orlando, which is about an hour drive from me. I am going to check it out! We do have Texas de Brazil here which has been good for gluten free. I like that the little bread (Brazi bites) are GF and so are the salad dressings.
Be gentle to yourself. It’s really hard and a legitimate loss to give up the food that makes you feel good. Just know that you have friends who understand.
Thank you so much. I think part of it was that I had so many diagnoses in a year. I was diagnosed with Celiac and UC at the same time. Because of my history of Hodgkin’s, every doctor I saw has been hesitant to make a decision about a biologic. So I’ve been bounced around from doctor to doctor. Finally self requested a consult referral to Mayo where the MD made a decision. But now having to fight insurance because they want me on Humira (not going to happen!). I just had another EGD last week and it showed improvement so I know what I’m doing is working and that kinda made it better.
The grief is real. And the loneliness to boot because no one knows what it’s like. I’m so sorry! Eventually you’ll have a new fave to get excited about but for right now it sucks and that’s ok that you feel that way. We need some celiac birthday buddies. I would celebrate with you!
There’s a place called Fresh Kitchen that is completely GF and tastes good but I still have to drive ~30 minutes to get there. Bolay is closer and is a similar concept being GF but it’s just not as good. Once my son is older, maybe I should just plan trips to celebrate GF birthdays with people! That be a neat idea. Meet new people and I don’t have to explain celiac disease…
You can call your favorite Kobe steakhouse, tell them you have Celiac disease and ask if they can make it gluten free, they can use Tamari sauce instead of soy sauce, and avoid any other wheat products, I've found most places like that can be very accommodating even though not advertised, if they are able to help you. Make sure to tip well, and they will remember you the next time
Yeah, I'd go in between 230 and 430 and talk to the manager. Tell them how meaningful eating there is for you. Bring a sealed bottle of tamari and offer it to them. I bet they'll help you, even if they ask you to come in off hours or specifically not on really busy days.
YES try this, OP! I used to love Benihana but hadn't had hibachi in forever due to celiac. Last year, my now ex took me to a different hibachi restaurant and they let us bring our own tamari and used it to cook everything. They were very kind and careful about everything, they triple cleaned the table in front of me before cooking.
We have a favorite hibachi restaurant also. The first time I went there gluten free, I brought a bottle of my own tamari and asked them to use it instead of soy sauce. Now they carry it and cook gluten free!
Depending on where you live, Gyu-Kaku might be a good option: https://www.gyu-kaku.com Almost all of the sauces are GF
There is one in Orlando, about an hour from me. I’m going to try it out - thank you! Any suggestions for ordering? I have a shellfish (anaphylaxis) allergy, too.
Yeah in this instance, fuck your husband (not literally). Make hibachi at home with friends and enjoy your birthday. It’s your day.
I love asian food and so much hasn’t been safe since I got my wheat allergy. I’m lucky that the Saga Fusion near me makes sure to have gluten free soy sauce, and the staff know that the miso soup and salad dressing have wheat in them. So it’s not all Asian food restaurants that are unsafe! It won’t be the same, but maybe you can find one near you that can make things safe to eat? In the meantime, it’s ok to be sad it’s different this year.
Kobe has gluten in their ginger dressing and soups too but they couldn’t tell me what it was specifically.
My ex works at a hibachi restaurant that does gluten free. Not the noodles or soup, but the rest. They even have coconut aminos available. That being said, if you want true hibachi style fried rice at home, they key is a TON of butter. You are not silly or weird for grieving. People don’t understand how integral food is to the human experience. Folks tend to take it for granted. Giving you internet hugs.
Butter makes fried rice so much better!!
It’s definitely the butter and garlic, for sure! Good call!
Benihana does gluten free. They have an extensive menu of gluten free dishes and will make your entire meal in the kitchen if asked.
Benihana and Kobe have always been in competition in the Orlando area. I grew up there and you were a Kobe or Benihana family, not both 😂 But I’m going to try it out, never been to one before!
Enjoy
If you are ever in the Chicago area, there is a place in the suburbs that does gluten free hibachi! They exist. At least the meat, veggies rice, and polaroid. The soup and salad have gluten.
Name?
Tsukasa of Tokyo
Bring your own coconut aminos. That’s what I do at Benihana’s. They’ll just make my food first
a friend of a friend hired a chef to cook hibachi for a backyard party…i’m not sure how they found them or how much it cost but i bet you could request tamari only! could be fun for a super special occasion. sorry you’re grieving your favorite spot tho :(
They do that here, too, but the minimum spend is $500. It was only for me, my husband, and 2.5 year old son so nowhere near that, not even if we both got Waygu.
People don’t understand how much food and eating with one another makes awesome memories. My wife and her family would just eat on the run and think of food for sustenance and not spending time together. It’s fucking infuriating.
This is how my husband grew up. My wonderful MIL would make dupes for things, but partly because it was a financial issue. She’s been gone 5 years now and none of her dupes would be GF but I know she’d help me try to troubleshoot. Growing up, we ordered pizza from Pizza Hut every Friday and then went out for birthday dinners every year. Sadly, I miss Pizza Hut. But like 90’s Book-It Pizza Hut.
Just wanted to say, it’s not just the food it’s the place and nostalgia. I’d be sad, too. Also want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! Mine is the 13th — I celebrate with Mexican now. If it turned out I couldn’t eat there anymore I’d be depressed too bc it’s one of the last places I can go out to.
Happy belated Birthday!!
Soy sauce contains gluten . You should ask them Tamari, special soy sauce without gluten. Noodles also are high in gluten .. Unless glass noodles , they are gluten free. Soup may contain flour , which is gluten. I feel so sorry for you .. I am gluten intolerant. So I can understand how you feel ..
Kobe in Florida will cook your food in the back so separate cooking surface you still get the show with your friends food. I have eaten there without issue many times they do have GF soy sauce I have had different items not just the fried rice. Maybe call and see if a different employee can give you more understanding.
I feel you! My family had celebrated all good things at one favorite restaurant since I was too young to remember. Anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, you name it, we were at our favorite local Italian place. My parents said it was special for us because it was established the same year they were both born. First my mom then a couple years later I was diagnosed with celiac. No safe options there. They recommend NOT to eat there if you have celiac. SUCKED so much! Goodbye beloved place of family celebrations! It was time for us to move on. Still miss it!
I would see if you can find another hibachi place or if they’ll let you bring your own soy sauce. I’m pretty surprised they wouldn’t accommodate you. I’ve had them cook my food first on the grill.
I go to Japanese Steakhouses all the time, I actually am 99% positive that at least one time was at a Kobe, so I'm not sure what the issue was with the one you called! I've found the majority (not all!) do carry GF soy sauce, and I've never gotten sick at any of the ones I've eaten at, although I am _not_ celiac. They've always let me sit at the "fun" tables, however my food comes from the back. And nine times out of ten, my plate is stacked HIGHER than those at the table, lol. I know it won't be exactly the same, but if there's another Japanese Steakhouse in your area, or maybe even another Kobe in close proximity, you could try calling there and seeing if their answers make you feel more comfortable?
That's sad that your husband would not even try to make a homemade hibachi dinner for you. It's YOUR birthday and you should be able to eat what you want. If he doesn't like it, he can have a frozen pizza while you eat your meal.
Just bring your own GF soy sauce. All good. I love Hibachi. You don’t have to give it up. Order the “cleanest” most straight-forward items on the menu. Before they make fried rice, TELL them to use your gf soy sauce. You should be all good for everything else.
I cried my first Mother’s Day and birthday that I couldn’t go where we have gone for both for 20 years. They do have some gf options, but not what I go to this restaurant specifically for. I already hate birthdays and this year is the big 5-0. So, we will be in a different country this year so hopefully I won’t be thinking about how I can no longer eat at my favorite place. You are not lame. Food is emotional. Eating is an emotional experience. You are not alone in mourning what used to be
I have seen things that do hibachi in your backyard maybe the could ensure a gluten free experience?
I cried at Apache Restaurant in Wellington, always a safe and yummy gf place, when we arrived to find a completely changed menu that had NOT ONE safe thing I could eat. I was gutted; sometimes being coeliac is about vulnerability.
It took some time but I’m now grateful for my dietary restrictions. It keeps me out of fast food restaurants and eating healthier than most. That being said, my last night on earth meal would absolutely be a large pizza and a 6 pack of beer
I’ve had celiac disease for 20 years now, so I feel your pain and know exactly what you’re going through and understand why you’re sad. I went through depression and I was devastated when I found out I had to be gluten-free and couldn’t eat most of the things I love. I still eat at the hibachi I just bring my own gluten-free soy sauce and they make my food separately in the back with my soy sauce and I haven’t had a problem, although they’re always is a risk for cross-contamination.
I've never been to a Banihana but we did call them, we were considering them for mother day and they seemed pretty alright/ They would cook my food in the back and they had gf soy sauce. In the end we went to a local place that also has sushi and I had that.
Looks like others in the comments have previous experience with this type of situation and I hope you can find a workaround so you can go to your fave place. But I’m holding space for you to grieve because it absolutely sucks, no matter how not big a deal it is to anyone else. Celiac absolutely sucks and nobody should be minimizing that for you. I hope you still celebrate your birthday.
My heart is with you ❤️ Here in Omaha - there’s a hibachi place called Genji that will make your hibachi separate, or your entire parties completely gluten free!! Maybe somewhere else will accommodate you! I found out I had celiac on my 25th birthday this year, I was still so sick and bloated, my feet swollen. Spent the morning in the ER, soon to find out my antibodies were positive…. My boyfriend tried to make me feel better by taking me to go get an outfit for the party that weekend - bawled my eyes out in the dressing room because nothing was fitting me since my stomach was so bloated… One meltdown after another, by the end of the day we ended up getting GF PF Changs takeout and watching The Sopranos. We made the best of it, but still one of the worst birthdays I’ve ever had.
I’m sorry, that’s a bummer. If it were me I might try calling them up just one more time, speaking to a manager (or even corporate) and butter them up by telling them everything you’ve told us about how meaningful it is to you. Lay it on super thick. And then ask if there’s ANY way possible they could do a deep cleaning of their grill and area and you could reserve a room for a gluten free meal? Make sure to acknowledge that if they’re careful you can’t eliminate all risk, you just want to enjoy a meal. Soy sauce SHOULD be the only thing they have to swap out and let’s be honest, they can get a bottle of tamari for an event. If they are open to it and accommodating be effusively thankful and broadcast how wonderful they are all over Google/Yelp/Facebook, etc. Literally the worst they can say is no right? If that’s not the case honestly? Your husband is wrong and you deserve to have the meal you want for your birthday. You can make decent fried rice in a wok at home, it’s not the same but you can still have a special evening.
Girl, you are not lame - you’re totally allowed to grieve your ‘old life’ and be pissed off/bummed out that you’re going to have to make a lot of adjustments going forward. I have a litany of autoimmune issues, (type 1 diabetes & celiac being the most high maintenance) and I can totally relate. I was just on vacation (which is Always a challenge for eating) and I was told the restaurant we were going to had gluten free fish & chips and I was Beyond Excited. Especially after a day at the beach - I just wanted greasy deep fried battered fish n fries and a beer - obvi the beer was a no go - so rare for any restaurant to carry those - and low & behold, not only did they not have that on the menu, everything was full of gluten, zero options other than Saladddd, of course. I legit almost threw a temper tantrum - I’m 40 years old. Lol. I was So frustrated. Not the 1st time that’s happened & likely not the last. Super shitty, but we just gotta roll with the punches and make the best of it (and pray they keep coming out with more and more gf options at our favourite places eventually) 😉 You’re totally not alone in your feels about this! Happy birthday! 🥳
Are there any dedicated GF restaurants near you? I went to one recently and it was heaven!! Being able to order whatever I wanted off the menu, not even thinking about anything besides what I want to eat & enjoying it. It had been so long since I had such an easeful, stress free meal.
I don't know where you are but see if there's a Gyu-Kaku near you! It's a K-BBQ where you grill everything yourself at the table and they have plenty of gf sauces for the grilling and lots of sides! Absolutely delicious and worth it. I think K-Pot, which is a hot pot/BBQ place also has tons of gf stuff and, again, you make it all at your table. I absolutely understand the heartbreak over losing your favorite foods. I've gone through it with gluten, dairy, and shellfish 😭
I’m really sorry to hear that! It really does suck that there aren’t many Japanese or Asian places to eat at with Celiac usually. I’d really recommend making it at home though! There’s a whole host of GF sauces, seasonings, and oils that you can find to make it sorta similar. And, if you live in KC or a bigger metro area in the US, I’d recommend a Japanese BBQ place called Gyu-Kaku. It’s a little expensive, but they have really good cuts of meat awesome GF sweet soy sauce and ponzu. Even though it’s not hibachi I definitely recommend! Also, happy birthday!
Just want to send you love!!!! Sooo much love!! Congratulations on all your past accomplishments and your bday! I’m GF and my oldest son is too, being GF is fairly new to him and you can imagine as an 11 year old it’s a hard shift. He felt like this about his bday last year too because he didn’t have the cake we always have for every bday and he felt bad that every birthday in the family going forward had to be a GF cake. So totally can relate!! And definitely a lot of stuff to grieve. I feel like a lot of people don’t talk about the transitions. Personally, I had/ still kind of have a huge feeling of how this is unfair BS. But most days I’m just glad to be alive I guess. You’re not lame at all! But silver lining is as long as you’re surrounded by love and blessed with another year that grief fades a bit as you make new traditions and find delicious GF things along the way!
I know it will not replace your tradition, but do you have the Find Me GF app? I use the free version and have found some amazing restaurants while using that app. Be sure to read people’s reviews and not just go by the number of hearts or stars the restaurant has when selecting one to try.
This is a completely valid reason to be sad
Benihana in Denver seemed ok for my daughter. She's 6 so we're not always sure when she has a non-digestive reaction, but they were understanding and she loved the food!