The primary factors are usually the food itself (e.g. vegetarian, seafood, steak); the cuisine (e.g. Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, French, Mexican, Thai) and/or the style of offering (e.g. tapas bar, a sushi train, a tastet restaurant, a buffet restaurant or a yum cha restaurant).
Some of the chemicals that give foods their distinctive aroma are passed in the urine. A number of foods can cause your urine to have a strong odor, especially if you aren't drinking much water. Common culprits include garlic, onions, asparagus, and coffee. Large amounts of fish, meat and eggs in your diet might also cause a change in urine odor.
If the enzyme is missing or its activity is reduced because of a mutation in the FMO3 gene, trimethylamine is not broken down and instead builds up in the body. As the compound is released in a person's sweat, urine, and breath, it causes the strong odor characteristic of trimethylaminuria. Researchers believe that stress and diet also play a role in triggering symptoms.