Eating Out: Asian

Eating out, for many people with food allergies, is a calculated risk. Undoubtedly, this is a risk that many do not want to take. However, for those who do eat out, there are things you can do, to reduce your risk of exposure to an allergen, including choosing a restaurant where the allergen is unlikely to be on the menu.
One obvious choice for those with milk allergy is Asian restaurants. Most Asian restaurants (Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai, but not Indian, which uses a lot of dairy products) use no milk in their cooking. That's not to say there aren't some risks involve for those avoiding dairy; Asian food often mixes in western elements to suit western tastes. For example:

• Some Chinese restaurants, for example, make "cheese wontons"; therefore, when eating Chinese food out, it is best to avoid anything deep fried, as it might be frying in the same oil used for cheese wontons
  

• Creamy style sauces in some Thai dishes (like some curries) can have dairy cream added to it, instead of using coconut milk.

• Fortune Cookies sometimes contain milk.

• I've seen an occasional dairy like "scallops sauteed in butter" at a Japanese sushi restaurant. Also popular are some sushi rolls that have cream cheese in them, like the "Philadelphia roll".

If you live in an area where there is a Jewish community, there might even be a Kosher Chinese restaurant (Flieshig meaing meat kosher) which would have no dairy products, further reducing your risk.
To be sure, if you do eat out at an Asian restaurant - do what you would do at any restaurant to be safe: Look over the menu carefully to see if there are obvious milk items on the menu. Ask your waiter or waitress what food contains milk, discuss "shared equipment", even speak with the chef if necessary. Foremost, do whatever it takes to be safe, even if you feel that you are being annoying or irritating.