"I have a shellfish allergy, and when my order arrived, I noticed that my son’s dish, which contained shellfish, was placed in the same container as mine. I went back inside to request that they remake my order and package them separately. The owner immediately became defensive and said I should have mentioned my shellfish allergy. Although I hadn't specified it initially, I was willing to overlook her reaction at the time, as I generally try to be understanding.
When the owner returned outside, my daughter asked if they had remade my order. She informed us that they hadn't; instead, she had simply repackaged the items into separate containers. At that point, I expressed my concern that this was now considered cross-contamination and could potentially land me in the hospital. Instead of understanding, she angrily accused me of being at fault.
I lost my patience and pointed out several things: 1. I have worked in the food industry and know that she wasn’t handling the shellfish properly; 2. She hadn’t asked if she could put different types of sushi into one container; and 3. Instead of following basic food handling protocols by remaking the order, she attempted to separate the sushi that had been in contact with the shellfish.
I was shocked by her lack of knowledge and her attitude regarding a serious food allergy. I'm from Hawaii and eat sushi frequently, never having experienced cross-contamination before. I won't be returning, not because of the food quality, but because of the poor service I received, not to mention the close call with a trip to the ER. I've never felt blamed for having a food allergy before. Typically, I downplay my allergy to help my family and friends feel comfortable, but today's experience changed that."
