Tweak it or leave it: How Singapore chefs are navigating the growing list of dietary restrictions and allergies

When American chef Nancy Silverton started cooking in 1978, the only allergy she had to deal with was peanuts. “Nowadays, there are so many dietary restrictions, either by nature or choice. Coming up with a menu that showcases your restaurant but also accommodates what diners eat has become quite a challenge,” says the co-owner of the famed Osteria Mozza Italian restaurants in Los Angeles and Singapore.

Silverton succinctly sums up a major challenge that restaurants around the world, including Singapore, face. She has taken steps to cater to the dietary requirements of diners. Around 70 per cent of Osteria Mozza Singapore’s dinner menu offers gluten-free alternatives, including dishes from the antipasti, secondi, and pasta sections. The main courses are free of gluten, shellfish, and nuts; dairy-free alternatives can be prepared if diners request beforehand.

As more people become aware of life-threatening allergies and are increasingly assertive about their dietary preferences, creating an inclusive menu has become complex.

Preference vs allergy 

Most of the chefs The Peak spoke to share that the number of allergy-related requests has not significantly changed, but more diners are voicing out dietary preferences, such as dairy-free, vegetarian, or vegan options, as they become more mindful about taking charge of their health. 

Daniele Sperindio, chef-owner of one-Michelin-starred Italian restaurant Art di Daniele Sperindio, shares: “In the past five to 10 years, there has been a steady increase in dietary preferences, but not as many in terms of allergy-related requests. We have seen customers predominantly requesting vegan or non-dairy options, and quite a few ‘no added sugar’ requests due to lifestyle trends.” 

Mano Thevar, who is behind two-Michelin-starred Thevar, adds: “Increased awareness of food allergies, health-conscious eating patterns, and ethical considerations are some factors that contribute to this trend. The fact that guests frequently confuse their food allergies with personal preferences is another factor that has contributed to the rise in dietary restrictions.”

Typically, chefs would substitute buckwheat, sorghum, millet, or oat flour for diners allergic to wheat, while non-dairy options include nut-based replacements and sorbet. Besides the common dairy, gluten, soy, peanut, and shellfish allergies, Anant Tyagi, owner and managing director of Jag Holdings, which owns and operates French restaurant Jag and Flow Restobar, has had diners who are allergic to sesame seeds, mustard seeds, alliums, and eggs.

There are also those with G6PD deficiency, a genetic disorder that causes red blood cells to break down when exposed to legumes such as fava beans and edamame.

According to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), food allergies are caused by the immune system’s reaction to a food ingredient — typically a protein — it perceives as harmful. As a result, the body releases antibodies and other chemicals, including histamine, to expel the protein “invader” from the body. Symptoms of food allergies can range from mild skin irritation to life-threatening anaphylactic shock, where the person can have breathing difficulties, a drop in blood pressure, and a loss of consciousness.

Tricky customer relations tightrope

Discerning genuine life-threatening allergies from personal aversions and dietary preferences is a tricky customer relations tightrope that restaurants tread daily. To minimise risky situations and upsetting diners, front-of-house staff ask for dietary restrictions as soon as they receive a booking and confirm them at the table again before each meal.

At Jag, the requests are always taken at face value and clarified further for tricky terms such as shellfish, crustaceans, and molluscs. Tyagi explains: “This is to ensure we have the same understanding, such as in distinguishing between crustaceans and shellfish, and to ascertain if diners find any flavour profile disagreeable so that any modifications we make are well informed.”

When a meal costs several hundred dollars per head, diners tend to expect restaurants to bend backwards to accommodate any dietary request, even on something as unusual as not having a certain colour on the plate or testing dishes with a crystal to determine whether they have “positive energy” before eating them — according to anecdotes from chefs. 

Drawing the line

Chefs always want to give diners a memorable dining experience, but culinary principles and practicalities also demand a line to be drawn. Thevar has turned down requests for no garlic and onions in his modern Indian restaurant as “these ingredients are essential to many of our dishes and play a crucial role in the flavour profile”. 

One Michelin-starred Italian restaurant Braci is unable to accommodate vegan or allium restrictions as these elements are essential to Italian food culture. Head chef Matteo Ponti has also declined a request for a meal to be “dairy-free, gluten-free, carb-free, and no vegetables”. Butcher’s Block chef de cuisine Jordan Keao said that the wood-fire grill restaurant tries its best “to accommodate a wide range of dietary preferences and allergies except vegan, which is challenging given the nature of our concept and the ingredients we work with in our kitchen”.

Nicholas Tam, who helms one-Michelin-starred Willow, said that the contemporary seafood-focused restaurant can cater to shellfish allergies but not to requests to omit seafood or fish from the menu. Japanese restaurants Sushi Masaaki and Hazuki seat only 12 persons each, and their cuisines are anchored in seafood, soy, and mirin. Hence, they are unable to cater to vegetarians, gluten-free allergies, or no-seafood dietary requirements, shares Timothy Lim, manager for both restaurants.

‘Savouring the full culinary journey’

Interestingly, French chefs have varying takes on managing dietary requests for their dairy-rich cuisine. Julien Royer, chef-owner of three-Michelin-starred Odette readily takes an accommodative approach. His team would replace dairy products with nut-based milks such as almond milk and walnut milk.

Chef Sebastien Lepinoy of Les Amis says: “Customers who choose to dine at a three-Michelin-star restaurant like Les Amis often want to savour the full culinary journey, so they tend not to emphasise their dietary restrictions too much.” Nevertheless, around 90 per cent of Les Amis’ dishes are gluten-free, while vegetarians are encouraged to visit when the spring and summer menus are served as there are more varieties of vegetables available during the warmer seasons.

But if you want a dairy-free meal, it is very challenging, says Lepinoy. “We believe in providing our guests with an authentic French dining experience, and we try to avoid altering our dishes to cater to specific dietary needs. Since we are a French restaurant, most of our dishes have a dairy or butter base, and this makes it difficult to cater to those with dairy restrictions. We are willing to accommodate our customers' needs as long as it doesn't fundamentally alter the overall flavour profile of the dish, for example, by removing a gold leaf. ”

Jag’s Tyagi and executive chef Jeremy Gillon offer an unconventional perspective. “It is a modern perception that French cuisine and dairy are inseparable. Traditionally, looking at recipes from the 1600s and 1700s, dairy was not included as it was considered unsafe. We have a range of allergen-free components and suitable replacements that can be readily matched to our guests' needs.

It is very rare to find dairy in our dishes. Wherever there is dairy, it is something that is added last and can be easily switched. For example, oat, coconut, or soy milk is added to a broccoli puree instead of milk to give it a silkier texture.” Such creativity and flexibility work a long way around dietary restrictions without compromising the cuisine’s authentic flavours.

Working around limitations creatively

Chinese restaurant Peach Blossoms’ executive chef Edward Chong uses broccoli that delivers the same texture as rice in a wheat-free rendition of the classic Yangzhou fried rice. He can also make a gluten-free version of his signature Crispy Scales Marble Goby Fillet by replacing the soy sauce in the spicy pineapple gravy with kombu and bonito stock.

Chong explains: “We work around recipes and substitute ingredients without compromising on taste and quality. For example, if customers request no salt or MSG (monosodium glutamate), we will use kombu bonito stock or dried scallops for that umami taste. Clams can also be used to add sweetness to soups.”

At modern Japanese-French restaurant Iru Den, the team only finishes their sauces and prepares the components on the day of service so that adjustments to dishes can be made. Chef-owner Javier Low and his team have several off-the-menu recipes that function as alternative courses for regular guests while catering to specific intolerances at the same time. For example, a steamed egg custard can be replaced with tofu custard or an alternative course of grilled ayu and charred spring onion puree made with kombu dashi, tarragon, and vegetable jus.

The creative and welcoming people they are, chefs are always appreciative when given ample time to adjust the menu, and diners set aside non-risky preferences to dive into a culinary adventure. Art’s Sperindio says: “Hospitality is the key word in this business. We are more than happy to accommodate reasonable requests that can be seamlessly integrated into our service.”

However, diners should be reasonable with their requests. Willow’s Tam sums up: “There are diners who say they don’t take raw food, but sea urchin is okay, or request for all vegetables to be replaced with meat, which is impossible for us cost-wise. I hope diners can dine out with an open mind, trust the chefs, and give us a chance to show our soul on a plate.”