Gluten Free Malaysia – Chef Rock
It is incredibly difficult to eat gluten free in Malaysia. I do not expect everyone to understand the phrase “gluten free,” so I explain “no wheat, no barley, no bread, nothing fried, and no soya sauce.” Then, I hope for the best. Even if the staff speaks good English, most have no concept of food ingredients and would rather inform me that “bread tastes good” and I should “eat more bread.”
Look at all the beautiful bread that I cannot eat.
Our extended stay hotel provides breakfast every morning. The first morning, I was extremely discouraged. I was nervous that my breakfast for the next six months would be eggs, just eggs, and sometimes just badly cooked hotel eggs, with a side of fruit.
They will cycle out fruit. Some fruit I definitely like more than others.
But then we met Chef Rock.
“Let me use the cheese tongs for the bread so that I can leave bread crumbs all over the cheese.”
One day at breakfast, we began chatting with the head chef.
Chef Rock, posing for a photo. No, this meal is not gluten free.
Chef Rock understood gluten free! One of the first things said was, “Oh… she can hardly eat anything here! I’m so sorry.”
The potato wedges are theoretically gluten free… except for the pieces of white bread at the bottom.
On days I have less options at breakfast, Chef Rock will bring a plate of fruit from the kitchen.
Chef rock created a special fruit plate, just for me. I love the oranges here.
Once a month, our hotel hosts a “residents night” with free food. However, most of it I cannot eat. Chef Rock will prepare a special plate of food for me. His generous accommodations allow me to attend the event.
Do you see the size of that omelet when compared to a normally sized orange?! It fed me for three meals.
A few times, I have been too fatigued to make it down for breakfast. During those times, Chef Rock would create a breakfast box and send it back to my room.
Chef rock sent me a gluten free breakfast to go when he learned that I was not feeling well one morning.
Chef Rock takes really good care of me. He’s one of the more awesome people we’ve met in Malaysia.
He was teased for serving me black olives, tomatoes, oranges, french fries, and a “chicken chop.” I thought the meal tasted amazing! This was at a residents night.
Melody Beirnes
That is so cool! and I'm SO glad you get to eat rambutan! (that's what we call it in the Philippines.. the red soft spikey rind fruit..) and i think the one beside it was jackfruit? I know you get tired of just fruit, but honestly fruit is the best, and i know the reasons are not good, but I am insanely jealous of the fact that you get fresh fruit every day
Amber
I LOVE the fruit! 🙂 I do chuckle because fruit is considered the dessert. Most people will take one or two slices of orange and call it good.
Not me. I will easily eat two – three entire oranges, a dragon fruit (LOVE THOSE), and like half a pineapple.
And I have not figured out a way to gracefully eat the rambutans. I find it incredibly difficult to separate the flesh from the seed. But they do taste so delicious!
By God's Grace
AWWWWWWW!!! That is SOOOOOO sweet!!! 😀 😀 😀
This guy knows the true meaning of working in food service 😀
Amber
He's pretty awesome!
Marlana Sherman
That was so thoughtful that the chef did that. I have a problem with gluten, dairy and soy.
Amber Nicole
He was so amazing!