For the love of food
It’s happened to all of us. You eat in a restaurant, everything was great, food was amazing, service was tip-top and ambience was welcoming… You highly recommend it to friends, gushing about your new discovery like a 14-year-old schoolgirl talks about her crush smiling at her. Five days later, your friend calls you. “That place? It was miserable! It was so loud, our food came late, they didn’t have half of the things on the menu, my fish was undercooked, blah, blah, blah…” Or even worse: you go back and take some friends there and things have taken a 180-degree turn! “Guys! I can’t wait! Trust me it’s going to be amazing!” And every possible thing that can go wrong, goes wrong. You’re left embarrassed, ashamed and even before the dessert menu gets there, profusely apologizing: “I’m so, so sorry, guys… Really! I don’t know why it’s like this now… When I ate here last week it was great!”
There are always two sides to the coin. The consumer and the establishment. I straddle both. Having my own small enterprise doing catering and private cheffing I know what it means to have a bad day. We all have bad days. Like when you wake up in the morning and no matter what you do your hair is frizzy, you feel fat, your clothes don’t fit right, you’re late for work, you lose your keys… It happens in the kitchen, too: your sous chef doesn’t show up, three waiters have decided to go AWOL, someone forgot to turn back on the chiller and all your micro greens have wilted… restos have bad hair days, too.
When I finally decide to critique a restaurant it means that all three pillars of the resto experience have been shattered: food, service, price. If my food wasn’t that great but service was impeccable and I paid a just price, I won’t complain, but I may not come back. If food and service was miserable and I paid a pittance, fair enough; cheap place I won’t come back to. But if food was bad, service was bad, and they charged me a fortune? I’m infuriated! Don’t take me for a ride; I know exactly how much food truly costs. So don’t cheat me. I am also aware that when it is a press event, the place always puts their best foot forward. I just try to keep faith that establishments will have the integrity to treat every customer just as they treat us press people. You see, one bad review may not do much harm. But it’s the paying customer who’s king. Ultimately no amount of press releases or advertising can change people’s mindset about a place. Word of mouth counts. Clients have the purchasing power so treat everyone like a VIP. On the flipside, I also encourage restaurant goers to be frank and give their constructive comments directly to the establishments so that they may improve. You’d be surprised at how much kind and levelheaded criticism is welcomed. They are even grateful for it.
On a gustatory note, food is so personal that what one may absolutely adore, another may abhor. In this business, you just can’t please everyone. Everything is based on personal taste. I love bell pepper, my boyfriend hates bell peppers. I’m not too fond of desserts and some people will skip right on to the cakes and pastries! More and more I love simple, clean, minimalistic food… Good product perfectly cooked. Some people like frou-frou and over-the-top. Some people want something heavy and fulfilling and, well, truly need their rice. Either way there should be more than just one place for everyone. It’s no wonder that new places keep popping up here and there.
I am always amazed by the flourishing restaurant industry that we have. I think the number of eateries has multiplied exponentially over the last five years! I’m always looking for new dining experiences and yet I find that I keep going back to the same places. Why? Consistency. Diners want the familiar. We don’t want to be disappointed. People’s Palace, for example: no matter if I dined there two days in a row or six months apart, I know that my crispy lapu lapu in red curry sauce is going to taste the same all the time. My penne al telefono at Cibo is always a comfort, like a soft old baby pillow. Lili at the Hyatt? I have this glowing memory from two years ago about their impeccable Chinese cuisine. Those mantis were splendid. After two years I went back, a little hesitant that my fond memories might be tarnished, only to be joyously surprised that the food had exceeded my expectations. That deep-fried radish dumpling? Light, crisp and creamy. Simply divine.
Food is very subjective. It can bring out fond memories, unleash terrible ones, transport you to exotic places or send you to desolate ones. Ultimately it is who we are that determines how we experience our food. I have a sincere desire to help improve the industry I love so much. I value consistency in quality and flavor so that each time we may be comforted in the familiar, and at the same wowed by the novelties. I put myself out there to share with you my passion, both cerebral and carnal. To share that special moment akin to eros when I try something that I find spectacuIar. To help you discover what may perhaps unleash that same feeling. Simply put, it’s all for the love of food.
