Review of Kahunas Mongolian BBQ

SHORT STORY: This restaurant is out of the question for those with Celiac, even though their website says they can cater to gluten-free diets. There is absolutely no way to avoid cross-contamination.

LONG STORY: After being seated at our table last night, I asked the waitress about their preparation for gluten-free diets, and she confidently affirmed that preparing gluten-free was no problem, and that the cooks will clean the grill upon request. We were then instructed to pick up our bowls at the beginning of the food bars and fill them with the meat, veggies and sauces we wanted. Here was the first issue: the noodles were nested between the meat and the veggies, and pieces of noodle had dropped into some of the veggie trays right adjacent to the noodles. Okay, so obviously I skip those veggies. But, going forward, as people pile their bowls up with their selections of veggies, the serving tongs are naturally contaminated as they are plunged into the noodles in their bowls to press everything down. So I carefully select the veggies, assuming the ones further down the line may be the safest. At this point we reach the sauce bar, where there is obvious cross-contamination. Someone who appeared to be the manager was nearby, so I inquired further about the sauces and the preparation, explaining that I was extremely sensitive to gluten since I have Celiac. He reassured me that they have had no problem with handling allergies in their ten months of operation, and then offered to get me two gluten-free sauces from the back. So I move forward to the grill where my concoction of meat and veggies is to be cooked, and am immediately horrified. There is one large round-shaped grill where everyone's meal is being cooked, noodles and all. I tell them I need gluten-free, and they proceed to “clean” the grill, pouring hot water on it, using a system to scrape off the accumulated debris, and then re-greasing it. For someone with Celiac, this is a far cry from being “clean.” At this point, because they were so confident of being able to prepare gluten-free food, I decided to still eat my food. Needless to say, I got very sick.

Celiac friendly?

No