I don't go to fancy restaurants for good food
Tired of restaurants not meeting my expectations, I am looking for good food elsewhere
The other day one of my coworkers, a fellow foodie, asked me for restaurant recommendations in Vancouver. I have a list of my favourite places but they rarely match the “higher end” Vancouver Restaurant scene. I personally find it hard to go to expensive restaurants, not because of money, I have been very close to buying a cheese wheel, I am happy to waste money on food. But expensive restaurants never match my expectations. I feel very out of place in really fancy venues. I enjoy the process of researching recipes, ingredients and trying new techniques. So the price point of having already made fancy salmon lacks all the fun. For me it's not worth it, fancy restaurants have never delivered on their ‘good food’ promise.
I know I am speaking out of turn here. I haven't been to the best restaurants in the world or tried caviar (to be honest it's mostly because I know I won’t like it). I can have the best meal in front of me cooked by the best chef in the world and I would still much rather have a tasty tomato with just salt. I am not saying fancy meals are bad, I am saying that for me the best option would be something that I challenged myself to make. This is a way to put my money on practicing a skill rather than (to be honest) be very disappointed in food.
This all made me think of the times I have had food so good I have stopped myself to take a photo with a bite already out of it. None of those moments have been at high end restaurants. And isn't that the goal of fancy restaurants? Take your breath away through their food? I dont know, I have never experienced that. I want to make food that makes people stop and savor. I am not a perfect cook but I care a lot. I do eat very good food without going to fancy restaurants. Here is how I do it:
Care about ingredients. Making ice cream I realized that buying the more expensive cream goes A LONG way. Yes, a store bought pint of ice cream is delicious, but have you had my homemade blueberry ice cream? It's delicious.
Be willing to put in the time. Restaurants have our business because we are not willing to put the time into cooking. If you care about cooking, it's easier to put in the time.
Read the recipe, does it sound good? If it has ingredients you are not familiar with, research them. Your nose can tell you many things, be willing to try new things but if something doesn't sound good you probably won’t enjoy the final product. Which won't be good food for you.
If you enjoyed a meal so much, make it again. Practice makes perfect! Just saw a video of a girl that has been eating the same greek salad for years now, and she loves it so much. That greek salad is good food for her.
Good food can be as delicious as nutella and raspberries on toast, have you had this?
You don't have to be rich and famous to open a restaurant. Good food can be found on the cart on the street. That is my whole point, good food is a subjective term. We can go to the same restaurant and order the same thing with your friends and you will all have very different opinions. This, in my opinion, applies to any creative field that deals with your senses. I don't think there is objectively good food, I think it is all subjective and none of it is bad, health-wise there is a “bad” connotation but not for taste. There is no way for you to control other people’s preferences so might as well make food you would enjoy.
Have a breathtaking experience with that delicious pie you made. Take a photo after you have taken a good chunk of it because you were so excited to try it you couldn't hold back. Cherish and hold those moments. I don't want to try fancy restaurants that are going to disappoint. If I want to have food that disappoints it better come from my kitchen, at least I would know why it was so bad. In 2025 I am making good food for me, and I am happy to share.
