Blue by Alain Ducasse

We were visiting a friend in Bangkok who mentioned this restaurant so I looked it up online and saw they have a disclaimer saying they can’t fully accommodate food allergies. No biggie, we would go somewhere else or I would just eat earlier or something so everyone else could eat there. I’ve always been a foodie and would enjoy the experience and artistry regardless.

However, our friend called the restaurant and spoke to the restaurant manager, Alex, ahead of time and spoke in detail and asked a lot of questions about how they could accommodate my dietary needs. They worked out a plan to make a special course for everyone and assured my friend they could accommodate me. I thought since we had a large party they were willing to make some of the changes that they wouldn’t normally do.

When we got there we were shown to a private room and the GM came in to go over everything. He said they were “very prepared” (first red flag, don’t over promise lol) and told me the recommendations on the menu for what they could do for me. Let me make it clear that at this point I was told the meals coming to me would be safe for me.

I brought my Nima Partners gluten detection device with to me on this trip and tested every meal (was not trying to get sick on vacation!). Every single course came back positive for gluten. I was disappointed but honestly not shocked. I came mentally prepared for that possibility and enjoyed the rest of the experience there and time with my family and friends. And the artistry was insane - so beautifully done!

I will say though that I totally understand and respect how difficult it can be for a kitchen and staff to accommodate celiac and the fact that they did have a disclaimer on their site. I don’t hold that against anyone and don’t expect every restaurant to be able to serve me a safe meal. However, it’s very frustrating that my friend called ahead with specifics and asked if they could do it and we were told yes. I don’t think they expected me to actually be testing for gluten which is very concerning and disappointing to me. Anyone who comes in with a food allergy/intolerance/dietary need should be taken seriously. And if you can’t accommodate that need just say so and don’t promise someone they’re body is safe in your hands for that meal 🤗🫶🏽 The worst part was all I got was an “I’m sorry” 🙃. Customer service is everything to me, so at least offer to comp the very expensive meal you told me was safe for me to eat but wasn’t and if I didn’t have my device with me would’ve had me violently ill for days on end, not to mention the long term effects 🫠.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not at all

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much/None