Ming Tsai

Food Allergy Reference Book

"At Blue Ginger, I developed a low-cost but highly effective way to keep diners safe since day one. We call it the Food Allergy Reference Book, but colloquially, we call it the bible.

We list every recipe we serve at Blue Ginger, from the crackers in your bread basket that our pastry department makes to the soy-lime syrup garnishing our signature sake-miso marinated butterfish. Every ingredient is noted and processed ingredients are cross-referenced. The major allergens in a dish are highlighted.

That way, when a diner with a specific allergy comes in and wants the butterfish we can confidently tell him whether or not he can eat that and be safe, and we can also modify the dish accordingly or select other menu options. The information is all at our fingertips." ~ Peace & Safe Eating, Ming

 A simple system of checks and balances, including highlighting meal tickets and notifying the manager on duty all work to ensure service that is comfortable, pleasurable and safe. Read on to learn more about the system we use at Blue Ginger.

• Food Allergy Book Instructions (36KB DOC)
  
• Template Master Food Allergy Form (40 KB DOC)
• Example Master Food Allergy Form (60 KB DOC)

This system is the inspiration behind the fourth, voluntary aspect of the Food Allergy Law that passed in Massachusetts in 2009.