Vegetarian table at Tusker House has chicken base???

[hematite153]

I have been very excited since I first starting reading menus and reviews of the new Tusker House because they have a "Vegetarian Table" that had interesting sounding items.

I am allergic to meat products and can get quite ill. Chicken is my worst allergy and a drop of contamination in a large vat will do me in--I'm sure most with allergies understand this problem even though the allergen isn't one that is commonly encountered.

So, to have a buffet that has gone to the step of designating a vegetarian table is very exciting. A whole table of food that I can eat without needing to ask for ingredients!

But....

I was just looking at the recipes on allears and noticed that the "Joloff Rice", which is found on the "vegetarian table" contains "chicken base".

Does anyone know whether these menus are fully accurate? Obviously, I'll call disney and do all of the standard noting for my ADR. But, I'm worried about whether they'll be honest with me about ingredients if they've labeled a dish containing chicken as "vegetarian".

So, now I'm wondering if it will be safe for me to eat there.

Does anyone else have allergy experiences of the new Tusker House?

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Arg! That's awful! I'm a veggie (through choice, rather than allergy) and have always found Disney to be very good, understanding and accomadating. To find out that they may use chicken in their 'vegetarian' dishes is dreadful.

I don't know whether this information is correct or not, but I usually find Allears to be fairly reliable. If I were you, I'd write striaght to Brenda Bennett and bring up these concerns with her. Also, I'd check that they don't use meat stocks, gelatin or animal rennet in any of their 'vegetarian' options. If you do find any more non-veggie-veggie-options, please let us know. Then all of us who don't eat meat (for whatever reason) can avoid those dishes and write many letters to Disney.

Good luck!

 

[dj2]

i don't have experience at that restaurant, but i do have experience talking with individual chefs. i don't think anyone would intentionally lie to you. you might want to call tusker house directly and talk with a chef. that would be the best way to know what's in the rice. and if it does have chicken (shame on them), they may be able to make you a special batch without.

 

[Talking Hands]

I have been very excited since I first starting reading menus and reviews of the new Tusker House because they have a "Vegetarian Table" that had interesting sounding items.

I am allergic to meat products and can get quite ill. Chicken is my worst allergy and a drop of contamination in a large vat will do me in--I'm sure most with allergies understand this problem even though the allergen isn't one that is commonly encountered.

So, to have a buffet that has gone to the step of designating a vegetarian table is very exciting. A whole table of food that I can eat without needing to ask for ingredients!

But....

I was just looking at the recipes on allears and noticed that the "Joloff Rice", which is found on the "vegetarian table" contains "chicken base".

Does anyone know whether these menus are fully accurate? Obviously, I'll call disney and do all of the standard noting for my ADR. But, I'm worried about whether they'll be honest with me about ingredients if they've labeled a dish containing chicken as "vegetarian".

So, now I'm wondering if it will be safe for me to eat there.

Does anyone else have allergy experiences of the new Tusker House?

If it has any type of meat product in the recipe it should not be designated as a vegetarian table. That is false advertising plain and simple. That is disgusting.

 

[hematite153]

If it has any type of meat product in the recipe it should not be designated as a vegetarian table. That is false advertising plain and simple. That is disgusting.

I agree. I read through the recipes for other dishes I have been told were vegetarian at other restaurants and they all came up fine.

Which is what I expected because I have successfully eaten at wdw without problems. I usually skip anything that I feel uncertain about (i.e. I don't eat the fries even though they tell me that they have dedicated fryers), though. And I'll take digestive enzymes (which break down the proteins my body can't) any time I'm worried after eating something that tastes 'off'. I have run into cross-contamination of bacon a couple of times at wdw despite initial discussions with the chef. But, fortunately, my reactions to bacon are minor and can be resolved with enzymes and a few hours of discomfort. Chicken base, on the other hand...I cannot afford (medically) to consume that accidentally.

I'll contact Brenda Bennett and let you know what I hear.

 

[Selket]

I'm also curious to know the answer - no problems with meat here but my son has a severe peanut/tree nut allergy. To call it a "vegetarian table" to me means there is absolutely no meat ingredients used AT ALL. It would be like calling something a "peanut free" table and then using peanuts in one of the dishes!

I think it is important for all of us with food allergies or those who wish to avoid certain products to keep asking questions if they come up. If this is true then it is more than a mistake by one chef but a whole misunderstanding of the meaning "meat-free".

 

[arminnie]

I can't help you with your question, but I did just eat there and the food was very good.

I ate so many plates of tabbouleh and hummus that I never got around to the entree area. I also liked the mandarin orange tarts.

 

[arminnie]

I'm also curious to know the answer - no problems with meat here but my son has a severe peanut/tree nut allergy.

FYI - the children's station had a big open tub of peanut butter for the kids to help themselves. It was pretty messy and was smeared all over the place. I would be concerned about cross contamination.

 

[Selket]

FYI - the children's station had a big open tub of peanut butter for the kids to help themselves. It was pretty messy and was smeared all over the place. I would be concerned about cross contamination.

In places like this we usually have his food brought from the back before it goes to the kid station. It is good to know! I don't have any upcoming ressies for this place but I'd keep that in mind. I'm curious how well they deal with food allergies since it is a new place - or at least a place with a new menu.

 

[SueM in MN]

I was just looking at the recipes on allears and noticed that the "Joloff Rice", which is found on the "vegetarian table" contains "chicken base".

Does anyone know whether these menus are fully accurate?

The menus are accurate as far as I know, but that doesn't mean the recipes are.
One thing we don't know is where the recipe came from?
Is it an official WDW recipe or someone's reconstruction of a WDW recipe? I did a google search for Joloff Rice and came up with 1,570 results. One vegetarian version said the recipe is usually made with chicken or beef, but is equally good with vegetables.
My guess is that the recipe on allears is not the WDW recipe, but one that they found that looks similar.

Another thing we don't know is when it's from?
Tusker House was only recently changed to a buffet, so if it is a WDW recipe, it may be from before the change to a buffet and it may not have been a vegetarian dish then.
My family ate all vegetarian for about 10 years and it seemed to us that the restaurants all were pretty careful when vegetarian food was ordered (to the point that we sometimes got some pretty weird meals when we are out with friends at restaurants that did not actually have vegetarian foods on the menu. So, I would be VERY surprised if they have non-vegetarian ingredients in food on a buffet labeled vegetarian.
I would trust the chef or Brenda on this, especially if they know it's an allergy concern.