Celiac Snack

Ben Pao, an upscale Chinese restaurant located a few short blocks from the Magnificent Mile in Chicago, has a reputation within the celiac community as a safe harbor for delicious asian cuisine. With a dedicated gluten-free menu, knowledgeable staff, and and rigid food preparation standards, Ben Pao calms the fears most celiac’s have while eating out.

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Ben Pao’s gluten-free menu [PDF] is more extensive than its GF counterpart Big Bowl, and runs the gamut from appetizer to desert. My basil chicken was delicious if not a little bland; ask for extra spicy. The lettuce wrap appetizers were crisp and presented with GF soy sauce. The only slip-up was a minor one; the server dropped off the traditional pair of fortune cookies when the bill came, out of habit I’m sure. The only reason I even noticed was because they had been so careful during the entire meal.

But just as important as the taste was the assurance that my meal was indeed gluten-free. With the exception of the fortune cookies, the server clearly stated, “gluten-free” every time a dish was presented to me, a nice touch for the those concerned about mix-ups in the kitchen.

After my recent meal I had a chance to speak with manager Emily Collins, who was eager to explain the steps they take to ensure a gluten-free dining experience. Much like process we wrote about in our review of Webber Grill, Ben Pao tracks your food from table to kitchen and back, with the manager signing off on the order. This ticket follows your order throughout the kitchen. Collins said the possibility of cross contamination is reduced by boiling cooking utensils before each order and using dedicated woks.

Unlike Webber, their kitchen and processes are not approved by the Celiac Disease Center, but by the time my interview was over Collins was pledging to look into it.

All in all, Ben Pao’s is an excellent go-to spot for celiacs and their GF brethren. The dining experience is almost as effortless as my pre-celiac days, a rare and welcome change.