The Joy of Sharing Gluten-Free Food

TLK is perfect for a group night out in NYC

Everyone who eats gluten-free has something they miss about their pre-diagnosis diet. For me, what I miss most is being able to freely share and sample all the dishes on the table. One of the great pleasures of going out to dinner used to be tasting things I hadn’t ordered. Growing up in Toronto, there were neighborhoods like Greektown on the Danforth and Chinatown on Spadina where dishes were mostly designed for sharing. For years, that was my default mode when dining out.

But it’s different when you have celiac disease, or when you’re managing a food allergy or intolerance. While I’m grateful for all of the restaurants that are expanding their range to accommodate people on special diets, it’s unusual for me to go out with a group and be able to share much of what’s on the table. There’s normally food I can’t eat and a risk of cross-contamination from utensils used in more than one dish.

This is a long way of explaining why one dinner I had last week brought me no end of joy. My husband and I had family visiting from out of town, and there were eight of us going out to dinner together. We needed a place that could accommodate both gluten-free and vegetarian, and we ended up at a restaurant that we’d never dined at before—even though we’ve eaten food from it many times.

Tigerlily Kitchen got its start during the pandemic as a ghost kitchen, meaning that there was no dining room to visit, and all orders were via delivery. It became a fast favorite in my home because it was absolutely delicious, well-priced, and 100% gluten-free. The restaurant now abbreviates its name as TLK, and it has a small dining room in New York City’s East Village. TLK’s tagline describes it as an “Asian inspired, veggie-forward restaurant offering brunch, dinner, and cocktails” but that description doesn’t mention the TLC it offers. I’m used to takeout food being mashed into containers, but TLK’s are always thoughtfully designed and constructed, and the name of each dish is invariably noted on its cardboard box.

While I was always impressed with the delivery business, I was dazzled by eating there in person. The service was excellent, and the food was even better when served fresh from the kitchen. And I got to try so many things! My go-to delivery order is the peanut street noodles, which everyone loved. But the starters were incredible, from the green mango and papaya salad to the Japanese eggplant with tamarind, and (for the carnivores among us) from the chicken wings with aioli to the salmon skewers with sesame seeds and lime. Same for the main plates, which included lemongrass coconut curry, spicy ho fun noddles, and red curry chicken. The list of cocktails is extensive, but I can only speak about the lychee martini, which was delicious.

In addition to discovering a place I’ll be back to soon, there was one other lesson I was reminded of: when you have a dietary restriction, it pays off to be the person who makes the dining arrangements. I was the only person at dinner who couldn’t eat gluten, but TLK satisfied everyone. Here’s to great dining ahead in 2024 — and to being able to share food with those we love.