A growing minority in the UAE will associate this term with the confused stare of restaurant staff. Or the impatience that grows with reading food labels and having to explain to people why a harmless crust of bread can cause you inconceivable misery. And yes, so can pasta, and pizza, and salad dressing, and soy sauce, and some soups and ice-creams… the list seems endless. And if you have been diagnosed as gluten sensitive, you will doubtless recall those early days when the reality of just how much you can’t eat made you feel royally cheated.
For the benefit of those still scratching their heads, here’s the mini-biology lesson: gluten sensitivity, wheat intolerance or in more severe cases, coeliacs disease, are not allergies but autoimmune disorders. It’s when your gut is irritated by gluten proteins (found mostly in wheat and other grains) to the degree that the microvilli which cover the small intestine wall are flattened. No microvilli to help absorption, means malabsorption. And this leads to nutrient deficiencies, skin rashes, IBS, anemia, chornic fatigue and even depression.
Research now shows that in our ever more toxic environment of genetically modified everything, gluten sensitivity and food intolerances are on the rise. This being the case, ignorance ought not be tolerated. Now the Dubai food scene is looking less bleak by the day, boasting outlets like Carluccio’s, Lime Tree Cafe, and the Milk & Honey gourmet grocer, where gluten-free alternatives and menus are available. Unfortunately, Abu Dhabi offerings are still very grim. Yet raising awareness of the issue goes hand in hand with raising the demand for gluten-free food products. At Time Out Abu Dhabi, we rose to the challenge and embarked on some field research.
We decided to start with the more high-end places, since money ought to mean value. This involved reaching for the hotel restaurant directory and making some frustrating calls. The results were disappointing. In the worst cases, befuddled staff responded with ‘we don’t have gluten ma’m.’ Others proved more savvy but could only promise to take precautions if we informed them in advance. In the end, it was the Fairmont Bab al Bahr which rose like a beacon out of the gloom. To begin with, they have a special menu at Frankie’s and CuiScene, which caters for diabetics, vegans, gluten intolerants and those trying to keep down the cholesterol. But it gets better, because they also make gluten free bread and pastry on site, which is readily available at any Fairmont restaurant you choose to eat at.
Next we called on a few of the franchise food joints, in the hopes that being internationally available might make them better-informed. Our hopes were dashed, and adding insult to indignity, most staff refused to admit their ignorance. ‘Of course we have lots of gluten-free alternatives,’ they quipped. ‘Such as?’ We pressed. ‘Salad…Greek salad…tuna salad…’ We cut them short, ‘What of the salad dressing, is it wheat free?’ Vacant stares followed. Others mistook ‘gluten’ for ‘crouton’ and were a tad condescending when informing us that of course they could leave out the croutons.
Do you see a pattern emerging at all? No, neither do we. Simply because there is none, and neither are there any defining factors which dictate whether or not a restaurant will be gluten-sensitive friendly. Unless it’s one of those new-age, hippie joints – you can usually count on them.
In the end, Abu Dhabi’s saving grace were some very unlikely candidates. Take cupcakes, for example; we certainly wouldn’t associate dietary restrictions with those icing smothered mini-muffins that would give guilt trips to even the least food-sensitive person. Kitsch Cupcakes did though, and how thankful we are to them for creating some alternatives which are as genuinely yum as the standard wheat variety. So that’s dessert sorted, and for the main course you might want to head down to Jones the Grocer, who stock gluten-free pasta. Unfortunately they say they won’t prepare it for you (we’ll have to wait for Carluccio’s to come to Abu Dhabi for that) but maybe if you beg, you could sway their hearts. And finally, The One. The people responsible for this trendy furniture outlet were onto a good thing when they decided to cater for gluten intolerants at their café, although they could do with educating their staff about what’s on offer.
Now the best food is the home-cooked food, and we certainly believe it. Choithram, Spinneys, Lulu’s and the Organic Foods & Cafe in Masdar (they deliver!), all stock a range of gluten-free products to ensure you won’t want for ingredients.
Online Resources
We don’t claim that our field research is exhaustive – there’s a gluten -free support base available for that. Gluten Free UAE is a small group with big ambitions, and though based in Dubai, they’re working towards holding events in Abu Dhabi soon.
You can find them at www.glutenfreeuae.com/index or www.facebook.com/glutenfreeuae.
