I’m so completely done with Michelin Starred restaurants

[Anonymous]

Are you saying the portions were too large? That is highly unusual for a Michelin starred restaurant. It would be so helpful if you named the restaurant - this is an anonymous forum and you don't intend to ever go back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just buy Korean fried chicken when you want tasty food! I tried it just a few months ago at regular restaurants and even Bonchon place; it is so delicious and so good that I do not see why people are not eating it all the time. Runs circles around other fried chicken shops.
(Also, I have a dairy allergy, so I can't have proper fried chicken anymore.)

You lost me at fried chicken.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you sure you went to a restaurant with two stars? There are only 3 in the DC area so you might as well name it. More likely you went to one awarded the “bib gourmand” recognition, which in part signifies good food at a low cost.

I am not stupid. It was a two star restaurant that was completely overrated. Maybe you shouldn’t assume I was even in the USA.

Oh dear lord just tell us which restaurant

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you mean by “the portions were grotesque”? In my admittedly narrow experience the portions tend toward smaller, more picturesque portions and plating.

It was a 5 course meal. But by the time you were done the smaller starter plates and ready for the main, you were already so full you could barely eat the main. We literally had to ask for a takeout in order to not waste the main. It’s not enjoyable to be bursting at the seams before you get to a main.

When you go to an omakase restaurant you can tell the chef to reduce the amount of rice so you aren’t so full by the time you get to the last piece. A great chef knows how to balance portion size.

One of my worst experiences was at one of those “tasting menu” places with a ton of courses. It cost $500 (in 2012) and I wasn’t even drinking. I was SO full after. I woke up in the middle of the night with a sense of acute guilt and panic for having paid $500 to literally stuff myself sick.

This is on you, not the restaurant. You stuffed yourself and you couldn’t afford to eat there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just buy Korean fried chicken when you want tasty food! I tried it just a few months ago at regular restaurants and even Bonchon place; it is so delicious and so good that I do not see why people are not eating it all the time. Runs circles around other fried chicken shops.
(Also, I have a dairy allergy, so I can't have proper fried chicken anymore.)

You lost me at fried chicken.

PP is right; Korean fried chicken is on another level. Please keep eating kale; first, massage it a lot, then combine it with seaweed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you mean by “the portions were grotesque”? In my admittedly narrow experience the portions tend toward smaller, more picturesque portions and plating.

It was a 5 course meal. But by the time you were done the smaller starter plates and ready for the main, you were already so full you could barely eat the main. We literally had to ask for a takeout in order to not waste the main. It’s not enjoyable to be bursting at the seams before you get to a main.

When you go to an omakase restaurant you can tell the chef to reduce the amount of rice so you aren’t so full by the time you get to the last piece. A great chef knows how to balance portion size.

One of my worst experiences was at one of those “tasting menu” places with a ton of courses. It cost $500 (in 2012) and I wasn’t even drinking. I was SO full after. I woke up in the middle of the night with a sense of acute guilt and panic for having paid $500 to literally stuff myself sick.

This is on you, not the restaurant. You stuffed yourself and you couldn’t afford to eat there.

The whole point of the tasting menu is to stuff yourself. It’s too much food - that’s the point.

[Anonymous]

I eat a lot but it would be harder to pace yourself when there are so many small courses. You lose track and don’t know what’s coming. Luckily I’m also too poor to eat at these restaurants now that I have kids. My last tasting menu was 20 years ago at BlackSalt.

[Anonymous]

I feel like Michelin rewards “creative” chefs but honestly that’s not always the best food. Cooking classics well is likely to result in better food than constantly reinventing the wheel with new combinations or cooking techniques. I feel like The Bear shows that really well—they are so focused on chasing the star with ingenuity that they don’t repeat even the stuff that worked really well.

I have a huge pet peeve on this with pastry chefs. It is incredibly hard to make a really good piece of cake or really good berry cobbler. Do that — don’t feel like you have to throw gold flakes on it or add tarragon or something weird like that. There are sometimes that it really works but most of the time it’s just covering up for substandard baking. I can’t tell you how many “meh” pieces of cake I’ve had at really highly rated restaurants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you all rank the DC Michelins?

Not sure there are any, are there?

DC has a bunch of Michelin starred restaurants
https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/article/michelin-guide-ceremony/michelin-guide-washington-d-c-stars

They have even more Bib Gourmands, which is Mixhellin recognition but not a star. Usually more casual places like tacos or pizza

[Anonymous]

Name the restaurant!

[Anonymous]

Michelin is about unique adventures with traveling for
It's about highlighting gems around the world

It's not comprehensive evaluations of every restaurant in the world.

It's not for great food or great experiences that you can get everywhere.

If you live somewhere amazing like NYC, there are emant non Michelin restaurants that are better dinners than Michelin restaurants.

[Anonymous]

Genius OP can't figure out that different people are different sizes with different metabolisms and might enjoy different amounts of food at a meal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Name the restaurant!

She's in Thailand. You wouldn't know her.

[Anonymous]

It was Gymkhana in London

It was good, don't get me wrong. 2 Michelin star good? Highly questionable. I just don't see how it was leagues above Rasika in DC. Service was fine except for the missed drink order. Food was tasty. But it wasn't mind warping. The portion was massive for the tasting menu. We had to take away the main course, because we were both gut bustingly full by the time it came out. I have a dirty secret - we had to literally throw the food away because there was no fridge in the hotel room, nor anyway to heat it up even if we did want it eat it. Imagine that - having to throw away a large portion of Michelin starred meal in the trash!

I honestly just have had better meals in Rockville and and Falls Church than most of the Michelin places we have gone to. Michelin starred restaurants like Tim Ho Wang back when they had a star....it was good but whatever. I don't really remember it 8 years later. We've tried various other Michelin starred places over the years. I honestly just cannot even remember the courses or any of the foods that have ever stuck in my brain from any Michelin meal ever. Meanwhile, I can still taste the chicken and rice dish with the most amazing broth ever that I had in Thailand for $1.75 per plate. If I am ever in death row, that $1.75 meal will be my.last request.

I dunno who ever crowned Michelin as the experts on food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Genius OP can't figure out that different people are different sizes with different metabolisms and might enjoy different amounts of food at a meal.

I am not small and eat a lot. It was a guy buster. And there was still dessert coming after the main we couldn't even eat.