Celiac disease and food apps not always are a good match. Do you know why? Because we are the exception and not the rule. Especially when it comes to takeaways, the choice is between a 12inch frisbee pizza that could literally break your house's walls and a sad salad, served in a sad box, with no dressing.
I used to blame on the area of London where I live, the place I am travelling to, the difficulty of providing a 100% gluten free meal for restaurants and also on myself, for being celiac.
Those days are over. Either I am cooking (which I love doing anyways) or I am going out to fully enjoy my food experience... and to better complain when I see something wrong, of course!
When it comes to dine out, I can really become a proverbial pain for restaurant owners. Whenever I decide to book through an app, I always hope there will be enough choice on the menu or an option to communicate my specific needs.
This time, I challenged BigDish app to find the ideal restaurant in three different locations. The challenge was:
Can a celiac use a restaurant discounts app without bad surprises? The answer is yes, with BigDish app.
I tried BigDish in three different cities in the UK: let me explain you how it went and how BigDish app works.
I love the fact that whenever I miss the sea side I can take a train to Brighton and breathe that fresh breeze meanwhile enjoying stunning views. Since I have been diagnosed with celiac disease I have never tried to eat out in Brighton so it was the perfect occasion to see what my favourite place in the UK has to offer.
I went on the BigDish app, selected the location and browsed the list. Ole Ole came up and I was already sold for some good Spanish cuisine, with 50% off my meal!
All I needed to do was:
- select the number of people (they call it: size of the party - how cool?)
- choose time and offer
- confirm my reservation
I walked in booking a last minute offer and I was impressed by the beauty of this restaurant. Meeting House Ln is a really cool spot for a tapas place and they also offer Flamenco nights! I wish I was there for dinner...
Anyways, I ordered spicy shrimps as a starter and chicken & chorizo paella as a main. My foodie partner just went with some bread and artichokes. I honestly expected to be offered (as usual) the saddest things on the menu and... they surprised me! Celiac approved? Of course!
The staff was really attentive to my dietary requirements and I had the chef serving me directly from the kitchen. On top of that, I got a great discount using BigDish. How amazing? But let me tell you how it went in other location by the sea...
Being celiac also means craving all the things that certainly contain gluten. My Italian self would sell a kidney to eat regular pizza, bread and pasta again. So, when I arrived to Bournemouth for a work meeting, all these cravings came up.
I wondered if BigDish had some gluten free Italian options on their list... And, by the time I selected Bournemouth as a location, I was already into Wildwood amazing menu.
Same as in Brighton, I booked a table (this time for one person) and I enjoyed 25% off my bill.
I had the chance to speak directly to the chefs and I found out they offer gluten free pasta, gluten free pizza and other delicious gluten free starters and sides.
When I heard their pizza dough was entirely made with rice flour, I couldn't say no to the gluten free Italian smoked ham and wild rocket pizza. Crunchy, tasty, simply delicious...
Now I know were to satisfy my gluten free Italian cravings with great discounts in Bournemouth!
I know, I know. I was talking about how amazing the UK sea side is and all of a sudden I took you up to Birmingham. Well, you need to know that BigDish is live there too and thanks to the app I could select Shogun restaurant at The Cube to see some magic.
I have always wanted to experience live culinary entertainment and at Shogun I could not only reserve a table with 25% off through BigDish, but I was also able to enjoy the live cooking of my meal: an unforgettable teppanyaki.
The chef was roasting fish and meat and preparing rice on their special heated table right in front of me. They also had a tray of gluten free sauces which the chef showed me to make me feel safe and enjoy even more my food.
Wrapping up my experience using BigDish, I think I have never been so happy to challenge a food app experience. It's expanding pretty much all over the UK and it's ideal for travelling, work meetings, nights out, dates... everything!
As much as I love travelling for work and pleasure, I can't wait to enjoy BigDish discounts in London soon. Yes, their restaurant list is growing and London options are on my radar.
You better download the app now if you don't want to miss some great discounts on gluten free food and beyond!