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Confessions of a Michelin Star Inspector

luxeat.com

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Re: Confessions of a Michelin Star Inspector

#261

Post by mejutoco »

refurb wrote: post #48

This just seems like someone sharing their own subjective take on food? I mean there is no right answer , it’s personal preference? It reminds me of audiophiles who can hear the difference in oxygen free speaker cables or prefer the “warmth” of vinyl. I’m like “ok? seems like that works for you so keep doing it?”

You are spot on. It is not a bad thing, I believe.

It is a brand (Michelin) with their taste. If you agree with their taste it can open similar recommendations. Like music recommendations from Pitchfork or NME. It can also work as a reverse-recommendation: avoiding movies that won an Oscar, or from a certain Director, or that your cousin loves ;).

If somebody likes the imperfections of vinyl, or of traditional firm photography, good for them. It does not need to be a hipster thing.

Re: Confessions of a Michelin Star Inspector

#262

Post by morley »

prometheus76 wrote: post #248
martijn_himself wrote: post #225

One thing that definitely resonates with me is his mention of sauces when he explains the differences between star ratings. Quite often when I visit a great restaurant I find its a sauce that lifts a dish from the good to memorable. I always thought that was because of the stock made from scratch. This is quite hard to replicate at home- store bought stock cubes add very little depth of flavour to a dish and making s…

Buying a rotisserie chicken and throwing it in an instant pot with some carrots, onions, celery, and enough water to cover it (and some thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves) for an hour or so has surprisingly good results, and is fairly easy to do. Pour the liquid through a strainer. I pour it into ice cube trays and freeze it, so I can just grab a couple of cubes when I'm making a pan sauce or soup.

It's easy enough to start with an uncooked chicken, or better yet, wings for the high collagen content. When you start with a rotisserie chicken, you've a lost a lot of the chicken's flavor to the roaster's drip pan.

Re: Confessions of a Michelin Star Inspector

#263

Post by noirbot »

tomcam wrote: post #15
nyfresh wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think your rating system is too focused on food. The service, environment and food sourcing also play a large part in the rating. I bet you would see a difference if you try sparking a conversation with the staff from LeCinq.

We talked with them at length. I always do no matter what the establishment. But that has nothing to do with my reaction to the food, which to me is the reason to go. Good point though.

For me, it's not even about talking to them, it's often about watching. I often go to a nice place when I visit NYC and I explain to friends that it's similar to why someone would go see a Broadway musical, but with food. The coordination, the way everything comes out in a choreographed way, the little rituals of how they pour wine or deliver new utensils, all of it is a practiced show.

Or sometimes it's not, and that can be interesting too. I went to Schwa in Chicago once and the service was good, but very barebones. They didn't have a liquor license, so it was all bring your own drinks unless you wanted water. I didn't have anything I'd brought, so the waiter kept bringing out cans of beer people had brought and left behind that he thought would pair with my next course and just cracking open a can and leaving it on the table for me. Completely wild dinner experience that I think back on to this day.

Re: Confessions of a Michelin Star Inspector

#264

Post by thaumasiotes »

moehm wrote: post #178
thaumasiotes wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Cilantro is not an off-flavor per se, it's just a flavor you like or don't. A cork tainted wine is an off-flavor. That isn't true at all. The flavor the cork adds is another flavor you like or don't like. People choose their preparation methods for flavor impact just like they choose ingredients for flavor impact. Look at smoked meat!

Eh, no wine maker adds TCA [0] into a wine bottle to make it taste like wet dogs. If you burn your sauce, that's probably an off-flavor. Smoked meat and cilantro taste like intended, no undesired flavors there. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2,4,6-Trichloroanisole

> If you burn your sauce, that's probably an off-flavor.

Probably, but people burn meat on purpose.

Re: Confessions of a Michelin Star Inspector

#265

Post by jasonladuke0311 »

martijn_himself wrote: post #225

One thing that definitely resonates with me is his mention of sauces when he explains the differences between star ratings. Quite often when I visit a great restaurant I find its a sauce that lifts a dish from the good to memorable. I always thought that was because of the stock made from scratch. This is quite hard to replicate at home- store bought stock cubes add very little depth of flavour to a dish and making s…

You can make and freeze demi-glace cubes. Cool trick I saw on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IERauv-k5wo

EDIT: Forgot to add, fish sauce also adds a lot of umami and depth.

Re: Confessions of a Michelin Star Inspector

#266

Post by who_in_the_wind »

dreen wrote: post #212
nizmow wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What on earth do people do besides eating at home from a rotating set of straightforward recipes? Honestly curious. I’m the main cook in my home and we do eat out every other week, but who has time for that much experimentation?

I cook new things by googling "Simple X recipe" and removing anything that doesnt feel essential and adding random stuff I want to get rid of. Usually cant replicate it later.

I love doing this. Some of the best things I've ever eaten were otherwise normal recipes that I spruced up with whatever I had in my fridge.

Re: Confessions of a Michelin Star Inspector

#267

Post by jjkaczor »

tomcam wrote: post #3

Went to Paris and dined at a number of Michelin-starred places, including Le Cinq. The food was fine, but... I didn't get it! I think there is a culinary language that I understand as little as a typical Michelin-starred chef would be able to evaluate a tightly-written C program. On the other hand I was lucky enough to dine at Poppy Seattle every year of its existence and felt their completely original approach to th…

You obviously haven't eaten at a Tim Hortons (in Canada at least) in a few years, their food is atrocious. And it keeps getting worse as they flail about trying to catch market-share.

Re: Confessions of a Michelin Star Inspector

#268

Post by jasonladuke0311 »

khazhoux wrote: post #145
blunte wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow. I'd just rather never eat at Cheesecake Factory. Please let me take you to some good restaurants :).

This is the correct response. Any restaurant with a 20-page menu of every possible cuisine on the planet, you should stay away from.

I generally subscribe to this theory.

I do like Cheesecake Factory chicken and biscuits though.

Re: Confessions of a Michelin Star Inspector

#269

Post by zeusk »

therealdrag0 wrote: post #12
tomcam wrote: post #3

Went to Paris and dined at a number of Michelin-starred places, including Le Cinq. The food was fine, but... I didn't get it! I think there is a culinary language that I understand as little as a typical Michelin-starred chef would be able to evaluate a tightly-written C program. On the other hand I was lucky enough to dine at Poppy Seattle every year of its existence and felt their completely original approach to th…

Any alternatives to Poppy you’d recommend in Seattle?

If you fancy italian (vegetarian), I've found due cucina and g.h. pasta to be the best so far.

Re: Confessions of a Michelin Star Inspector

#270

Post by stavros »

munchbunny wrote: post #238
stdbrouw wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I've definitely heard the life advice to avoid trying this kind of thing in case you do like it, then everything less is permanently tainted with the knowledge that it's not as good. Does that actually happen though? I know a thing or two about wine and sometimes buy bottles in the 50-100 euro range, which I feel are totally worth it, but I'm still happy to drink cheap plonk with friends most of the time. This work…

It definitely happened to me with steak. After a year where I unintentionally climbed that hedonistic ladder, I ended up in a place where steak I would have formerly been fine with is now unpleasant to eat. So I just don’t eat steak much any more. I don’t think anything was really lost there - well prepared steak still tastes amazing, but the environment and my body could benefit from me eating fewer slabs of cow any…

I agree with you. I find that the amount of enjoyment I get out of the thing doesn't change, I just now need more a expensive thing to get the same amount of enjoyment.

That's why I choose to listen to music on my cheap $100 speakers that can still give me goosebumps and not listen to my friend's $5000 speakers. All that would happen is that I'd lose the goosebumps because I'd notice how shitty mine are.

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