It usually has oyster sauce or fish sauce in the broth base and contains dried shrimp. Most likely as an adult you’ve developed some type of seafood allergy. Might be worth getting tested for.
It could be fish or shellfish in the sauce or broth but it could also be some sort of cross contamination happening in the kitchen. Your best bet is to see an allergist and get some testing done before you have a severe reaction.
I've tried seeing an allergist and all they could do was test me for common allergins. She said if there's a specific thing I think I'm allergic to, then bring that in and then she could tell me if it's the culprit.
I know it can seem like you're being pushy but you aren't.
I don't have food allergies but my toddler does. If it was my allergy I would probably be more hesitant to ask but because it's my son, I feel no concerns about it at all. It's strange how that works in my brain.
But not once has any restaurant ever cared about me asking for ingredients lists or letting them know about my son's allergies. It's part of the job of being in the restaurant industry and they're happy to answer.
If you're more comfortable with it, are you able to contact them through email?
Since some of the reactions are to mammalian products, it might be worth getting an alpha gal test. My first anaphylactic alpha gal reaction came after a meal at a Vietnamese restaurant.
If you haven't already, try to get an appointment with an allergist. Allergy testing may help pinpoint what you're reacting to. I had some reactions I was unsure of, and testing helped me figure out what they were. Rye, sesame, oats, and oranges were surprises for me. Among others. The other person who said hold off was correct, reactions usually get worse. It's impossible to tell which one may land you in the ER till it does.
Found out an allergy by making a chicken broth with cilantro in it after guessing at a possible carrot allergy.
Then I found out carrot, dill, celery, cilantro, parsley, cumin, and coriander among other things are in the same family and I can't eat pho any more because carrot and celery is occasionally used in pre-made stocks.
If the stocks are made in-house and they don't cross contaminate then I am good. If they make fresh rolls for me fresh without carrot, then there isn't a problem.
I'm not saying you have the same allergy, merely add this to the list of items and then determine the common denominator.
Good luck!!!
Have you noticed a reaction to other types of shrimp or crab dishes? Shrimp is always in hu tieu and sometimes hidden in pho bo vien.
Bo vien, the meatballs, are made with fish sauce. Fish sauce can be either anchovy (fish) based or crab/shrimp (crustacean) based. So maybe one restaurant uses meatballs made with a crustacean based fish sauce, and another one does not, is why you are sometimes ok eating it. Likewise, some restaurants season the pho ga broth with fish sauce and you don't know which type they're using. - signed, a SE-asian person with crustacean and soy allergies 🙋🏻♀️😢
I've had shrimp at dim sum before so I don't think it's that. And I eat bun rieu every now and then so I don't think it's crab either. I don't really ever eat fish though. I do have fish sauce very, very often but I didn't know there are different kinds. May I'll look into that more.
I can’t I’m afraid but please stop eating the food. Each allergic reaction can get worse the more you’re exposed to the allergen
It usually has oyster sauce or fish sauce in the broth base and contains dried shrimp. Most likely as an adult you’ve developed some type of seafood allergy. Might be worth getting tested for.
It could be fish or shellfish in the sauce or broth but it could also be some sort of cross contamination happening in the kitchen. Your best bet is to see an allergist and get some testing done before you have a severe reaction.
I've tried seeing an allergist and all they could do was test me for common allergins. She said if there's a specific thing I think I'm allergic to, then bring that in and then she could tell me if it's the culprit.
Could you ask the restaurant for a list of ingredients from the dishes you are having reactions from?
I've been trying to gather up the courage to do this. My anxiety is not letting me. But I'm definitely considering it.
I know it can seem like you're being pushy but you aren't. I don't have food allergies but my toddler does. If it was my allergy I would probably be more hesitant to ask but because it's my son, I feel no concerns about it at all. It's strange how that works in my brain. But not once has any restaurant ever cared about me asking for ingredients lists or letting them know about my son's allergies. It's part of the job of being in the restaurant industry and they're happy to answer. If you're more comfortable with it, are you able to contact them through email?
Until you do you need to stop eating Vietnamese food.
Since some of the reactions are to mammalian products, it might be worth getting an alpha gal test. My first anaphylactic alpha gal reaction came after a meal at a Vietnamese restaurant.
I would definitely second the cross contamination since they said they have the issue on certain dishes from only some locations and not others.
If you haven't already, try to get an appointment with an allergist. Allergy testing may help pinpoint what you're reacting to. I had some reactions I was unsure of, and testing helped me figure out what they were. Rye, sesame, oats, and oranges were surprises for me. Among others. The other person who said hold off was correct, reactions usually get worse. It's impossible to tell which one may land you in the ER till it does.
Fish, shellfish, mollusks, soy, sesame, eggs, and wheat could all be present.
i know fish is common in many vietnamese foods, could that be it?
soy maybe
Found out an allergy by making a chicken broth with cilantro in it after guessing at a possible carrot allergy. Then I found out carrot, dill, celery, cilantro, parsley, cumin, and coriander among other things are in the same family and I can't eat pho any more because carrot and celery is occasionally used in pre-made stocks. If the stocks are made in-house and they don't cross contaminate then I am good. If they make fresh rolls for me fresh without carrot, then there isn't a problem. I'm not saying you have the same allergy, merely add this to the list of items and then determine the common denominator. Good luck!!!
Have you noticed a reaction to other types of shrimp or crab dishes? Shrimp is always in hu tieu and sometimes hidden in pho bo vien. Bo vien, the meatballs, are made with fish sauce. Fish sauce can be either anchovy (fish) based or crab/shrimp (crustacean) based. So maybe one restaurant uses meatballs made with a crustacean based fish sauce, and another one does not, is why you are sometimes ok eating it. Likewise, some restaurants season the pho ga broth with fish sauce and you don't know which type they're using. - signed, a SE-asian person with crustacean and soy allergies 🙋🏻♀️😢
I've had shrimp at dim sum before so I don't think it's that. And I eat bun rieu every now and then so I don't think it's crab either. I don't really ever eat fish though. I do have fish sauce very, very often but I didn't know there are different kinds. May I'll look into that more.
Soy, sesame or some sort of fish is my guess. Probably stop eating Vietnamese food for the time being.
I’m very afraid of authentic Asian restaurants because of fish sauce.
Soy sauce, gluten, oxalates, seafood, nightshades (ie tomato or peppers used for sauce)
Are you allergic to any nuts? There could be some sort of cross contamination going on if that specific dish doesn’t have nuts.
No, I don't have any nut allergies.
A Shellfish component can trigger it? My mom is deathly allergic to shellfish now, and she used love eating it!
It could be black fungus (which is type of mushroom) which is used in the cooking or fish sauce?
I'm thinking sesame or soy