Hold the Tomato: Minor (?) Ordering Modifications at Restaurants

[3OfDiamonds]

I know this might seem like a silly or extremely over-cautious line of questioning, but I just want to make sure I don’t run into an unforeseen problem 🧐😊

 

I’ve seen a lot of mentions about people needing to alert staff before or immediately after boarding to make sure they can get meals that don’t run afoul of allergies, etc., which seems a bit more proactive than what is needed at many land-based restaurants (like Cheesecake Factory, for example, which is hearteningly careful re food allergies and sensitivities in my experience) where you can just notify when you place an order.  So is asking for a restaurant on the ship (like the main dining room or one of the other free non-buffet restaurants) to omit veggies from a burger or salsa from an order of tacos going to pose a problem?  I have a fair number of sensory issues re food, which can generally be addressed by leaving off certain things from a dish or avoiding things centered on a chunky sauce, but are they automated on how they make items in the kitchen that modifications/omissions which are routine in land-based restaurants pose problems onboard?      

[Coastalbreezes]

One of the first things waitstaff will ask is if anyone has food allergies. Whatever you tell them, they'll write down.You should have no problems asking for items to be left off an order (and if it happens to come with the item always ask for it to be remade). While I don't have allergies I often ask for things to be left off my order or to put something on the side. NCL has always been great about this.

[3OfDiamonds]

1 hour ago, 3OfDiamonds said:

I know this might seem like a silly or extremely over-cautious line of questioning, but I just want to make sure I don’t run into an unforeseen problem 🧐😊

 

I’ve seen a lot of mentions about people needing to alert staff before or immediately after boarding to make sure they can get meals that don’t run afoul of allergies, etc., which seems a bit more proactive than what is needed at many land-based restaurants (like Cheesecake Factory, for example, which is hearteningly careful re food allergies and sensitivities in my experience) where you can just notify when you place an order.  So is asking for a restaurant on the ship (like the main dining room or one of the other free non-buffet restaurants) to omit veggies from a burger or salsa from an order of tacos going to pose a problem?  I have a fair number of sensory issues re food, which can generally be addressed by leaving off certain things from a dish or avoiding things centered on a chunky sauce, but are they automated on how they make items in the kitchen that modifications/omissions which are routine in land-based restaurants pose problems onboard?      

Ugh it’s what I get for thinking about 50 different things at once… the end should read “are they automated on how the make items in the kitchen to the point that modifications/omissions which are routine in land-based restaurants pose problems onboard?”

[dexddd]

Up until our last trip on Prima Sept. 2022, we never got asked about about any allergies while ordering.  On Prima the twelve days we were on, almost every meal they asked.

[1025cruise]

You can ask, but it's a 50/50 on whether the staff understands.

I was on the Pearl eating in the suite breakfast/lunch in Moderno. I ordered a plain waffle, got one loaded to the brim with stuff I didn't want. I ordered a plain hamburger at lunch, and the roll had mayo. The waiter seemed confused when he saw me eating the patty with a fork and knife.

[hallux]

On my last cruise I ordered the shrimp fettuccini alfredo, which normally comes with mushrooms, without the mushrooms.  As they are not cooked in the sauce it was an easy omission and the request was followed.  I also ordered the reuben at O'Sheehan's and asked for the 'slaw to be omitted, no issue.  Make requests like that just as you would at a restaurant at home.  While much of the prep is done in advance, the final "assembly" and plating is done to order so you can ask for adjustments to be made.

Every meal seating started with a question about food allergies among the people at the table, prior to placing the basket of bread on the table (which could be detrimental to anyone with Celiac Disease or a gluten intolerance).

 

The crew are generally very interested in your satisfaction and health while you're on board.

[mcmomny]

I also was on the same cruise as hallux and can attest to the fact that every single waiter asked us if we had any food allergies, I don't have any food allergies but I do have problems with bell peppers so try to avoid them to prevent my stomach issues.

 

No matter which restaurant I was in I was able to request my item to be made without bell peppers and no problem! Including the breakfast burrito at Taste!

 

My husband doesn't like condiments, weird I know but each time he ordered a hamburger plain, no condiments they would ask "allergic" and he would say yes as he gets embarrassed by his un-rational fear of condiments but each time his sandwich was perfect!

 

Plus we try hard to control our sodium intake and when ever he ordered steak he would request "no seasoning" which they followed to perfection! At Cagney's the floor manager came over to clarify that we didn't have food allergies after requesting no seasoning!

[hallux]

2 minutes ago, mcmomny said:

My husband doesn't like condiments, weird I know but each time he ordered a hamburger plain, no condiments they would ask "allergic" and he would say yes as he gets embarrassed by his un-rational fear of condiments but each time his sandwich was perfect!

I'm not allergic to mushrooms, I just say it's a 'mental allergy'.  lol

[trivimp]

We modify our food orders all the time, sauce on the side, omit that thing, and so forth.  The Guy is a bit nitpicky... Yes, they prep hundreds of servings per meal, but plate them one at a time just before service, like any restaurant.  So order it the way you like it 🙂 

 

Our fave thing to order:  eggs Benedict at breakfast, but substitute a slice of smoked salmon for the Canadian bacon.  In our household, "salmon Benedict" has become shorthand for "decadent cruise cuisine" or, more generally, "I want to go on a cruise soon, when is the next one booked, honey"  

[schmoopie17]

1 hour ago, hallux said:

I'm not allergic to mushrooms, I just say it's a 'mental allergy'.  lol

I'm not allergic, I just can't get into eating a fungus. I'm a fun guy, but I don't do fungi...

[Funky Fusion FoodsJ]

3 hours ago, 1025cruise said:

You can ask, but it's a 50/50 on whether the staff understands.

I was on the Pearl eating in the suite breakfast/lunch in Moderno. I ordered a plain waffle, got one loaded to the brim with stuff I didn't want. I ordered a plain hamburger at lunch, and the roll had mayo. The waiter seemed confused when he saw me eating the patty with a fork and knife.

Unfortunately customers need to be specific in requests:  requesting a "plain" hamburger will get you different items in different places, in some places "plain" means no cheese and has nothing to do with condiments.  Sometimes it's a matter of us as Customers ensure we're clear in our expectations rather then blaming staff for not understanding.

[GeezerCouple]

2 hours ago, Funky Fusion FoodsJ said:

Unfortunately customers need to be specific in requests:  requesting a "plain" hamburger will get you different items in different places, in some places "plain" means no cheese and has nothing to do with condiments.  Sometimes it's a matter of us as Customers ensure we're clear in our expectations rather then blaming staff for not understanding.

 

This ^^.

 

"Plain" can mean many different things, and it can vary a lot by region.

(Reminds me of my move when a child from East Coast to the midwest.  We were in a restaurant en route, and I asked for a "cherry soda".  For the first several years of my life, that meant something like sparkling water with cherry flavored syrup.  My goodness was I surprised to receive a HUGE fancy glass with several scoops of ice cream, a pink liquid, and lots of whipped cream plus sprinkles and, yes, a cherry on top.  Nope, it was definitely *not* what I wanted to drink with my lunch sandwich.  I had never even seen such a thing before...)

 

 

For OP:

 

If there is a food allergy, CONTACT NCL Special Needs IN ADVANCE and they'll have you fill out a questionnaire.  Most of it will probably not be relevant; leave those blank or put "n/a".

 

AND... especially if it is a serious allergy, ALWAYS remind the person taking your order!

And then... whenever we are served, we *again* repeat.... "This is the <whatever the special request is> food item, correct?"

No matter how hard they try (and most really do!), mistakes can happen, in a variety of ways.

 

Better safe than sorry!

 

GC

[FLAHAM]

3 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

I'm not allergic, I just can't get into eating a fungus. I'm a fun guy, but I don't do fungi...

You find life worth living without having tasted truffle?

[eileeshb]

In the buffet they don’t really do modifications unless it’s something like the egg station at breakfast or the pasta station for lunch/dinner. 
The reason they prefer to know in advance in the MDR is that that kitchen/galley is serving 2 or 3 dining rooms and also does all the pastry and breads for the entire ship.

In order to get 3,000 plates out at each meal a lot of stuff is pre-plated otherwise it would take far too long. You’ve probably got a better chance at modifications at the specialty restaurants as they’re serving far smaller numbers.

I have texture issues so generally try to avoid cooked veg or slabs of red meat, I also have intolerances with corn, sweet peppers and hot peppers. Trying to explain the pepper one to restaurant staff is fun as I’m okay with peppercorn and powdered peppers.  What absolutely wrecks me is red bell peppers mixed in with tomato based dishes without it being mentioned in the menu. 

[GeezerCouple]

12 minutes ago, eileeshb said:

Trying to explain the pepper one to restaurant staff is fun as I’m okay with peppercorn and powdered peppers.  What absolutely wrecks me is red bell peppers mixed in with tomato based dishes without it being mentioned in the menu. 

 

I've got a severe allergy to any bell pepper (any color, cooked or raw).

I certainly understand that problem with "tomato sauce"!

 

There are times/places where I simply won't eat anything with any type of red sauce, just as I would avoid anything like "mystery meatloaf"...  The person serving is unlikely to know what is really in it.

 

Again, better safe than sorry!

 

GC

[eileeshb]

Just now, GeezerCouple said:

 

I've got a severe allergy to any bell pepper (any color, cooked or raw).

I certainly understand that problem with "tomato sauce"!

 

There are times/places where I simply won't eat anything with any type of red sauce, just as I would avoid anything like "mystery meatloaf"...  The person serving is unlikely to know what is really in it.

 

Again, better safe than sorry!

 

GC

I have a different reactions to different types of peppers, I get sick for sweet peppers and break out from chilis.
There’s also some mystery herb out there that causes an immediate reaction but I don’t know what it is. First time I had the reaction was a mussel dish with a cream sauce in New Zealand the next time was tomato based pasta sauce at a function here in Ireland. 
 

[GeezerCouple]

6 minutes ago, eileeshb said:

I have a different reactions to different types of peppers, I get sick for sweet peppers and break out from chilis.
There’s also some mystery herb out there that causes an immediate reaction but I don’t know what it is. First time I had the reaction was a mussel dish with a cream sauce in New Zealand the next time was tomato based pasta sauce at a function here in Ireland. 
 

 

 

When we travel overseas and there might be a "language problem", we keep some small card-size photos of red, yellow, and green bell peppers... to hand to any restaurant person if there is any hint of a language difficulty.  Invariably, what was a quizzical look becomes an "Aha!" moment.  

 

And the back of the card will have a translation of "Allergy to...." as an extra precaution.

 

But we are still careful and try our best to avoid any mistakes... or red sauce/etc.

 

GC

Edited April 10, 2023 by GeezerCouple
spelling

[IrieBajan54]

In the main dining room, I modify my entree every night. Since I don't want carbs like potatoes or rice at dinner time, I simply tell the waiter only the meat or fish and nothing else on the plate. I also order a second plate of steamed green veggies (any combination of broccoli, asparagus and green beans). I stress to the waiter the veggies should not be overcooked. Must be crunchy, not mushy. They get it right most of the time.

Edited April 10, 2023 by IrieBajan54
correction

[The Traveling Man]

5 hours ago, trivimp said:

Our fave thing to order:  eggs Benedict at breakfast, but substitute a slice of smoked salmon for the Canadian bacon.  In our household, "salmon Benedict" has become shorthand for "decadent cruise cuisine" or, more generally, "I want to go on a cruise soon, when is the next one booked, honey"  

We do the same thing.  Sometimes we ask for it on a bagel instead of the usual English muffin.  It may slow down the order a bit, but yes, you can have it your way.

[DorothyB]

I don't have any allergies, but have dislike for any kind of salad dressing, any of the normal "spreads" put on hamburgers, etc, etc.  Between cruises and trips to Panama, I've gotten pretty good at being very specific.

 

I just got back from lunch - I had my Shrimp Louie with NO french dressing and NO picalilli.  It came exactly as ordered.  I also ordered my salad with no dressing and it came that way.

 

Last night at dinner, I had fried mushrooms.  I can't remember know what the "sauce" was, but I asked for them without the sauce and they came as I ordered them.

[OrangeCatRamblers]

I eat low sodium and had no problems requesting no cheese, no sauce, dressing on the side, etc. 

[UKstages]

7 minutes ago, DorothyB said:

I had my Shrimp Louie with NO french dressing and NO picalill

 

i understand that you can't have the dressing, but if there is normally french dressing in the shrimp louie, it's being made wrong.

 

most chefs use thousand island dressing for simplicity sake, but a proper louie dressing is similar to thousand island, but a little spicier. a proper louie dressing contains chili sauce, worcestershire sauce and onion, 

 

while the haven does put piccalilli in their shrimp louie, this, too, is not a standard preparation. 

[DorothyB]

51 minutes ago, UKstages said:

 

i understand that you can't have the dressing, but if there is normally french dressing in the shrimp louie, it's being made wrong.

 

most chefs use thousand island dressing for simplicity sake, but a proper louie dressing is similar to thousand island, but a little spicier. a proper louie dressing contains chili sauce, worcestershire sauce and onion, 

 

while the haven does put piccalilli in their shrimp louie, this, too, is not a standard preparation. 

Maybe it was thousand island, not french, dressing . . . 🙂

[zzdoug]

19 hours ago, mcmomny said:

 

My husband doesn't like condiments, weird I know but each time he ordered a hamburger plain, no condiments they would ask "allergic" and he would say yes as he gets embarrassed by his un-rational fear of condiments but each time his sandwich was perfect!

 

Neither weird nor irrational. I find most restaurant food to be overdressed, oversauced, and heavily overmayonnaised. I want to taste the food. 

Edited April 11, 2023 by zzdoug

[schmoopie17]

On 4/10/2023 at 2:32 PM, FLAHAM said:

You find life worth living without having tasted truffle?

Surprisingly, I've made it almost 70 years and haven't missed it a bit.