A Safe Order

A Safe Order — Find ingredient and allergen information in a menu and distinguish confirmed facts from details that need checking.

Before You Order

You are having dinner at a busy neighbourhood restaurant while travelling. The menu lists dishes, but not every ingredient. You have a serious peanut allergy, so you need more than a guess based on a dish’s name. Your goal is to explain the allergy clearly, ask a staff member to check the ingredients and preparation, and consider an alternative if anything is uncertain. A polite request can still be direct: say what you need, ask a specific question, and give the restaurant time to confirm.

Read the Menu, Then Check

Tonight’s menu - Roasted tomato soup — tomato, vegetable stock, cream; served with bread. - Market salad — leaves, pear, toasted walnuts, blue cheese; dressing on the side. - Grilled chicken — lemon-herb marinade, seasonal vegetables; ask about today’s marinade. - Crispy cauliflower bowl — rice, pickled vegetables, sesame dressing; prepared in a shared kitchen. The menu names some ingredients, but it does not confirm whether a dish is safe for a particular allergy. “Ask about today’s marinade” means the recipe may vary. “Prepared in a shared kitchen” is a reason to ask how food is handled, not proof that cross-contact has happened.

Notice What Makes the Request Clear

Useful Words for a Careful Order

A Practical Convention: Be Explicit

In English-speaking restaurants, it is useful to state an allergy explicitly rather than relying on a broad request such as “no nuts, please.” Name the allergen and ask staff to check with the kitchen if needed. Restaurants differ in what they can verify or accommodate, so a polite question is not a guarantee that a dish is safe. If staff cannot confirm the ingredients or preparation, choose another option or do not order that dish.

Check, Choose, Rephrase

At the Table: Ask Before Ordering

Make Your Own Safe Request

Materiał przygotowany z pomocą AI.