Say goodbye to...Thailand.

We sure had a fantastic time in Thailand, and are now back in Seoul as healthy as when we left. That's right, I didn't get sick once while in Thailand. Not even a little tummy ache. Thailand doesn't seem to fail me ;) I look forward to using all the gluten-free products that I brought back from Thailand in the days to come. Until then...

Say hello to...eating gf in thailand: tip #10.

Tip #10: Eat as much fresh fruit as you can. If you don't live in the tropics (which I'm sure most of us reading this don't), how often do you get to eat mangos, jackfruit, dragonfruit, durian, pineapple, coconut, lychees, longans, and all those other exotic fruits?! The markets have loads of fresh fruits cheaper than a slurpee ;) Grocery stores will even sell already cut-up fruit in packages. If all else fails and you're not sure what you can eat, you know you can always count on fresh fruit. Enjoy it while you can, cause when you go back home you may not be able to find these luscious fruits- and if you can, they'll cost a lot more!

Say hello to...eating gf in thailand: tip #9.

Tip #9: Visit Eurothai Restaurant at Patong Beach, Phuket. This is my husband and I, very happy, at our last meal at Eurothai Restaurant. We've visited this restaurant for two summers now, and would eat there once or twice a day. They have both European and Thai food so my husband would be very happy to eat pizza, while I was able to eat gluten-free Thai food. The English speaking staff is more than friendly and catered very willingly to my gluten-free diet. I would bring my own gf soy sauce and oyster sauce. However, I soon found out that they already carried the brand of soy sauce that I'd been bringing, and their oyster sauce naturally didn't use wheat but corn. If you go there, be sure to ask for Paw or Pew. They speak excellent English and know me well :) Here's the restaurant info:

Telephone: 076-341-464

Mobile: 087-798-5450

Email: eurothai-pk@hotmail.com

Address: 80/10, SOl Dr. Wattana, Thaweewong Rd., Patong Beach, Phuket.

Say hello to...eating gf in thailand: tip #7.

Tip #7: Bring your own sauces to the restaurant. It's possible to find restaurants with waiters/waitresses that speak excellent English and can understand your intolerance to gluten after an explanation. In this case, you can enjoy Thai stir fry's that are replaced with your own gluten free soy sauce or oyster sauce. I found such a great restaurant at Patong Beach that catered to my gluten intolerance needs that my husband and I would go there everyday, sometimes for two meals. I will write about this restaurant later. Of course, only do this if you feel they completely understand the seriousness of the matter, and know that they use freshly cleaned pans for each dish. I found a gluten-free oyster sauce made by Blue Elephant Royal Thai Cuisine at Carrefour grocery store.

Say hello to...eating gf in thailand: tip #4.

Tip #4: Stay in a touristy area. Touristy area's will have restaurant waiters/waitresses who speak better English, will have big chain hotels that can accommodate to your needs, and will have large grocery stores. One of the reasons my husband and I keep heading back to Patong Beach, Phuket is because we know what to expect. We know that we can eat at our favorite restaurant that takes special care to cook gluten-free food for me. We know that we can stay at a chain hotel where we can talk with the chef about my dietary needs. We also know that there is a large shopping centre (Jungceylon) down the street that has a Carrefour grocery store. All of these things make for a smooth and less risky trip.

Say hello to...eating gf in thailand: tip #1.

Tip #1: Become familiar with Thai ingredients. If you're not already familiar with Thai ingredients, than research recipes online before going on your trip. Find out which recipes use soy sauce and oyster sauce (both of which contain wheat flour). Quiet a few Thai dishes are naturally gluten-free, however most stir-fry's use soy sauce and/or oyster sauce. Traditional Pad Thai dishes don't use soy sauce, however some restaurants add it to make it more foreign friendly. Always ask the waitress/waiter if their Pad Thai contains soy sauce. If yes, simply ask them to leave it out. They can substitute it with their usual Pad Thai ingredients of palm sugar and fish sauce (both are gluten-free).