Site Guide
How We Handle Dietary and Allergy Information
Dietary and allergy guidance on this site is designed to improve questions, not to certify safety.
Core principle
A page can identify common risk signals such as soy sauce, wheat wrappers, oyster sauce, pork broth, sesame paste, Shaoxing wine, peanuts, dried shrimp, or shared fryers. It cannot know what a specific restaurant used today.
What we emphasize
| Topic | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Hidden ingredients | Chinese menu names often do not disclose soy sauce, oyster sauce, broth, lard, alcohol, wheat starch, or dried seafood. |
| Shared equipment | Woks, steamers, fryers, cutting boards, sauce ladles, and boiling baskets can create cross-contact. |
| Restaurant format | Dim sum, hot pot, barbecue windows, bakeries, and takeout kitchens have different risk patterns. |
| Communication | Chinese phrases can help, but they are not a substitute for ingredient and preparation questions. |
| Medical seriousness | Strict allergy, celiac, or religious dietary needs require direct restaurant confirmation. |
Reader guidance
- Ask about sauces, broths, marinades, wrappers, and shared equipment.
- Do not rely on English menu names alone.
- Use simpler dishes when the restriction is important.
- Leave if staff cannot answer basic preparation questions and the risk is medically serious.