Interesting situation at a restaurant...

[Marseeya]

This brought up a "what would you do" sort of question for me.

We went to a Japanese restaurant (hibachi style) and DD, DH, and I ended up sitting by a pretty large family. The young man (early 20s) beside me was allergic to shellfish, and as you know, that's a big staple at these places. He was afraid to eat anything off the grill, in case it came into contact with the shrimp.

At one point, the family started telling him to go ahead and get grilled food, that they'd all skip the shrimp. Well, DD and I were both getting shrimp, so we would have had to skip the shrimp in order for it to work out. It ended up, he refused and just ordered from the kitchen. But I was thinking, how would I have felt skipping the shrimp, and making DD skip the shrimp (the only thing she'll eat) for someone I don't know? The family wasn't all that friendly with us, and in fact, the girlfriend of the allergic guy did a few eye rolls at us. So, I wasn't feeling all that generous towards them in the first place. Had they been the least bit friendly towards us, I probably wouldn't have hesitated to make the offer.

What would you do in a situation like that?

 

[daisyduck123]

I would've ordered whatever I wanted.
The other patron knew what kind of environment he was going into & yet he chose to go there anyway.

 

[N.Bailey]

I would've ordered whatever I wanted.
The other patron knew what kind of environment he was going into & yet he chose to go there anyway.

 

[worm761]

i'm with daisyduck....he knows he is allergic to shellfish. seems to me that his friends and family don't take his allergy too serious.

 

[Serena]

If he's allergic to the sea food, even his food touching the grill may have been more than enough for a reaction.

All in all, he is responsible and really, that was a wrong choice for him.

 

[Stacerita]

I would've ordered whatever I wanted.
The other patron knew what kind of environment he was going into & yet he chose to go there anyway.

ITA. Why should you change what you were going to order for someone you didn't even know. He knew what he is allergic to and so did his group. Yet none of them cared enough to go to another place for dinner. And you said they were a bit rude and not friendly......yeah, I wouldn't have changed what I wanted to order to suit him. He can order from the kitchen. Heck, even if they were nice, he can still order from the kitchen. I dont go out for shrimp much, but if thats what I was there for, then whats what I would order.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

And if it was that much of an issue and they didn't want to order from the kitchen and wanted no seafood on the grill--they could have spoken to a manager about sitting out their own shellfish free table.

You done good. I eat shrimp at these places as well. Heck--it comes on those little appetizers and I look forward to it on each visit!

 

[MagicKingdom05]

I agree. Why should you have to plan your meal around someone else that you don't even know.

 

[tiggersmom2]

This brought up a "what would you do" sort of question for me.

We went to a Japanese restaurant (hibachi style) and DD, DH, and I ended up sitting by a pretty large family. The young man (early 20s) beside me was allergic to shellfish, and as you know, that's a big staple at these places. He was afraid to eat anything off the grill, in case it came into contact with the shrimp.

At one point, the family started telling him to go ahead and get grilled food, that they'd all skip the shrimp. Well, DD and I were both getting shrimp, so we would have had to skip the shrimp in order for it to work out. It ended up, he refused and just ordered from the kitchen. But I was thinking, how would I have felt skipping the shrimp, and making DD skip the shrimp (the only thing she'll eat) for someone I don't know? The family wasn't all that friendly with us, and in fact, the girlfriend of the allergic guy did a few eye rolls at us. So, I wasn't feeling all that generous towards them in the first place. Had they been the least bit friendly towards us, I probably wouldn't have hesitated to make the offer.

What would you do in a situation like that?

I would have ordered lobster AND shrimp.

 

[Seahunt]

Right after I read this post I saw this on the local news! Sad story, but what timing after this post:

A shrimp a hibachi chef tossed at a man eating at a Japanese steakhouse ultimately led to the diner's death, his family claims in a $10 million wrongful death lawsuit against the restaurant chain Benihana.

Jerry Colaitis wrenched his neck when he ducked to avoid the shrimp in the chain's Munsey Park restaurant, attorney Andre Ferenzo said in opening statements Wednesday.

Months after the January 2001 incident, the 43-year-old Long Island man died from complications caused by neck surgery he required afterward, the lawyer said.

Benihana lawyer Charles Connick said it was unlikely a chef who works for tips would toss food at customers after being asked not to, as Ferenzo claimed. Even if that happened, Connick added, the cause of Colaitis' death was an infection or neck injury unrelated to the shrimp.

Benihana chefs mix dining with entertainment as they grill Japanese food in front of patrons. Ferenzo said some of them have become more daring in recent years, but Connick said customers enjoy the experience.

"Some customers, especially dads and sons, want to catch the food," Connick said. "The evidence will show that it was part of the show."

Colaitis, of Old Brookville, underwent neck surgery in June 2001, but there were complications, and he had numbness in his arm, Ferenzo said. He died that November, a day after checking into a hospital with a 105-degree fever.

 

[cynsaun]

And if it was that much of an issue and they didn't want to order from the kitchen and wanted no seafood on the grill--they could have spoken to a manager about sitting out their own shellfish free table.

You done good. I eat shrimp at these places as well. Heck--it comes on those little appetizers and I look forward to it on each visit!

This is what I do. I have a shellfish allergy, and I make sure that any restaurant I go to, I ask the hostess to wipe down the table. I also make sure the fish isn't cooked on the same grill as whatever I am eating.

I feel bad for the guy. It seems as if his family pulled him there. Many people don't understand how scary it can be for someone with any allergy.

Ultimately, however, it is up to HIM to make sure he stays safe, not to others to do it for him.

 

[Caradana]

Ask to move to another table, then, drink three Kirin Lights, and grin through your Japanese shrimp-catching buzz for the rest of the night.

That's the Benihana experience.

 

[Mandabella]

I don't understand this.
I have a shellfish allergy. And I don't prevent ANYONE from ordering shrimp at these places. I even encourage my DH to get some when we dine out because I don't buy it for home. I just tell the chef that I am allergic....and guess what the do? They simply cook my food prior to any shellfish. Does it make me rude? I don't think so and other people at the table have never treated me rudely. Of course DH and I act like civilized human beings and interact with other table guests. I don't think I'm highly sensitive to it to the pont of anaphylaxis, but if I were I'd totally avoid this type of place or carry an epipen.

Sounds to me this family should have gotten a private table or gone elsewhere.

 

[Marseeya]

Seems like everyone's in agreement here! I hadn't thought of the issue that some of you mentioned about him even being there in the first place. I think DH and I actually felt more sorry for the guy than his family and friends did!

 

[Marseeya]

I don't understand this.
I have a shellfish allergy. And I don't prevent ANYONE from ordering shrimp at these places. I even encourage my DH to get some when we dine out because I don't buy it for home. I just tell the chef that I am allergic....and guess what the do? They simply cook my food prior to any shellfish. Does it make me rude? I don't think so and other people at the table have never treated me rudely. Of course DH and I act like civilized human beings and interact with other table guests. I don't think I'm highly sensitive to it to the pont of anaphylaxis, but if I were I'd totally avoid this type of place or carry an epipen.

Sounds to me this family should have gotten a private table or gone elsewhere.

I know they'll cook a whole menu of stuff back in the kitchen, but the guy actually ate very little. I didn't think the family was actually "rude" to us (with the exception of Miss Eye Roller), but when they sat down we said hi and they didn't even acknowledge our presence and just completely ignored us the entire meal. I'm not the type of person who thinks we need to become one anothers' best friends or anything, but normally polite conversation is in order -- like you said, interacting with the other guests. We are sharing a meal, after all, KWIM?

 

[LindsayDunn228]

I'm in agreement with everyone else. I would have spoken to a manager and told them I needed to be at a shellfish-free table, or just ordered from the kitchen. I would not have felt bad for ordering shrimp. At our local hibachi place, you get shrimp at the beginning of the meal. It's common knowledge and on their online menu. Something that can be researched before you even go to the place.

I think the guy needs to take a little responsibility for himself. If he can't have ANYTHING that has come close to seafood, then a hibachi place is probably not the best choice to go to.

 

[Marseeya]

I'm in agreement with everyone else. I would have spoken to a manager and told them I needed to be at a shellfish-free table, or just ordered from the kitchen. I would not have felt bad for ordering shrimp. At our local hibachi place, you get shrimp at the beginning of the meal. It's common knowledge and on their online menu. Something that can be researched before you even go to the place.

I think the guy needs to take a little responsibility for himself. If he can't have ANYTHING that has come close to seafood, then a hibachi place is probably not the best choice to go to.

I agree. I didn't mean to make it sound like he wasn't taking responsibility for himself, it was just the general attitude of his family. He kept assuring them he was okay and he'd deal with it, but there was that one awkward moment for us when they all offered to go shrimp-free and we were sitting there like, "Okay... what do we do then?"

I love hibachi places.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

Hope I didn't come across *meow*. I just meant that if I had that severe of an allergy I'd be a little more choosy about my restaurants

Ok Marseeya, I'm dying to know. Could you PM me a link or tell me the story explaining your "I'll always laugh myself silly over the flagpole incident?"

 

[Marseeya]

Hope I didn't come across *meow*. I just meant that if I had that severe of an allergy I'd be a little more choosy about my restaurants

Ok Marseeya, I'm dying to know. Could you PM me a link or tell me the story explaining your "I'll always laugh myself silly over the flagpole incident?"

You didn't come across as meow. I think we're usually too much on the same wavelength for that.

The flagpole incident is the one in A Christmas Story where Flick touches his tongue to the flagpole. No matter how many times I see it, I still laugh so hard, just like it's the first time.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh ok.