My mum is coming to visit me in Japan, and she has a serious illness that means she can’t eat gluten or sugar, not even natural sugar found in fruit, honey, sweet potato etc. Basically anything that tastes sweet is out, and sauces/toppings such as mirin and soy sauce are also NG. I think I will mostly cook for her myself, and make her bento boxes to eat while we are out, but I don’t want her to feel like she’s missing out, or causing me to miss out by not being able to eat anywhere.
Does anyone know of any places around Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara or Osaka that my mum might be able to get some safe, non-sugar no-gluten food?
First time posting, thank you so much for reading.
9 comments
If you go out to eat maybe the good old sushi and sashimi if she is into it?
There is also a gluten free restaurant in Roppongi, https://glutenfree.co.jp/ but they most likely use sugar in some of their dishes, maybe you can phone and ask them?
Here is a list with other gluten free restaurants in Tokyo, the savory dishes might be ok, check their menu online and phone to ask about sugar in the sauces and dishes you might be interested to try.
https://restaurant.ikyu.com/area/tokyo/t-genre3059/
Also maybe restaurants where they serve simple meat dishes, steak with rice and veggies, or yakiniku and you can ask if the sauces contain gluten or sugar and ask them to skip ⏭ n it if needed.
Good luck and have a good time with your mom!
Try joining the Gluten free expats Japan Facebook group and asking for some recommendations based on your mum’s needs.
Kikkokan make a is GF check it’s the halah one.
Sakuragicho omega (Yokohama but a nice day trip if she will already be in tokyo) has GF menu. Is tomato too much sugar for her?
What does she eat usually?
What about artificial sweeteners?
A lot of people in Japan who have allergies and particularly widespread “atopi” (atopic dermatitis) eat gluten-free foods and lots of markets now carry them. My local market has a whole section and then another small gluten-free bakery on the side.
Good luck! I hope she will have a good healthy trip.
So, udon is out!
Soba may be in or may be out, because it’s hard to be sure if they use only buckwheat or a buckwheat and wheat mix.
Rice should be in! However some very nice rice actually tastes a bit sweet to me… google tells me that’s my saliva acting on rice starch? so maybe it’s ok?
Sushi rice probably out, depending on individual tolerance for small amounts of sugar — find some recipe online and estimate how much sugar really goes there.
All the sauces are out.
Anything you buy in combini is 99% out.
Fermented vegetables may be in, I’m not sure how they do it, but they do it on the cheap, it’s possible that your local veggie vendor skips sugar. Store-bought probably out, because dosed with sauce.
Yakiniku is in, ask for salt rather than sauce.
Sakuraniku is in.
Grilled fish should be in.
Grilled oysters should be in, I guess?
Natto should be in.
0-calorie products and e.g. beer — who on earth knows what they make that stuff out of!
IBS?
Meat.