Our Allergy Friendly Trip to Canada
This summer, my family and I had our first trip to a foreign-speaking city. We traveled to Montreal, Canada for a few days and then spent the rest of the week in Toronto to visit some family members. Though I was looking forward to the adventure, I was a little scared about alerting restaurants about my food allergies. I have been taking french class for six years and many of the people in the city speak both languages-english and french. However, I was worried that they wouldn’t understand the severity of my allergies and what precautions to take. Luckily, ahead of time, I printed out food allergy restaurant cards in french to give to the waiter and chef. I also studied key words that I would have to know in a foreign city. When we arrived, we saw Old Montreal and a couple of museums. For dinner, I went to the Elixor Restaurant located in Laval. They were fantastic with managing my food allergies! They told me that they had similar customers before and can happily accommodate me. They made hamburgers and french fries, and cooked the fries in a separate pan. It was delicious! If you ever visit Laval, I highly suggest that you visit this restaurant.
After six hours of driving from Montreal to Toronto, we finally arrived to my cousin’s house. They welcomed us with open arms and a lot of food! They made spring rolls, potatoes, steak, and a lot more food-allergy friendly food. They also bought rice krispies, pudding, and soy ice cream. I couldn’t be more happy! They were great in accommodating my allergies and were very supportive. While visiting, I saw some of my cousins who have food allergies. My uncle said that we were having an allergy ‘party’ because there were four of us with food restrictions. Overall, I had a fantastic time at Canada. I am so lucky to have a family who understands my food allergies and cousins who are willing to accommodate me. I also suggest that those who visit Montreal should print out allergy cards and research restaurants to find ones that are safe for you.
