Many people avoid going to expensive restaurants because they don’t understand what their purpose is. The prices are high, the atmosphere is very formal and uncomfortable, and the portions are absolutely small, so you might leave hungry! The last point is especially scary for potential guests because after paying a four-figure sum for a meal, you don’t want to cook pasta at home at night.
In this article we will not take into account the greedy restaurateurs who really save on portions, there are not many, but we will try to really explain how to start enjoying trips to expensive establishments.
First of all, you need to understand what restaurants create for those who want to expand their taste awareness. There are people who don’t go to museums or concerts because they’re not interested, and that’s definitely okay. I mean, with food. Some people don’t see food as a high value, they just think of meeting a basic need. They may change their priorities later or start to engage with a spouse or friend, but this is not necessary.
Second, taste is the same sense as hearing or touch, it develops over time and requires training. Oftentimes, the idea that you have to eat to improve something in yourself seems absurd, but it doesn’t work any other way. Professional sommeliers and tasters just try a lot, memorize, smell, compare, write, create a filing cabinet, as if in their heads. If you shift that to the level of the townsfolk, you’re more likely to confuse him with overly complex dishes if you bring a lifelong junkie to a fancy restaurant. Nobody learns overnight, you always have to go step by step. If you are interested in the world of restaurants, you should start with ordinary restaurants of different cuisines, ordering different dishes that are understandable and not too expensive. And then one day you’ll find yourself wanting to find out: what’s next, what do these outstanding chefs come up with, ready to free their guests in the evening for a gastro dinner and give a sizable sum.
Food is actually more complicated than it seems. While eating, we do not just fill the stomach, we use different parts of our brain, create associations, increase the level of the hormone of joy, relax, experience emotions and share them with our relatives.
People who are passionate about gastronomy love to go to restaurants together to share their experiences later. Food expands our understanding of the world, different cultures and people, because when traveling, just getting off the plane, it’s not in vain that the first thing we look for is more authentic to eat here.
Let’s get back to the topic of small portions. As a matter of fact, especially in Michelin-starred restaurants, the people in the photograph see tiny plates, literally two bites, and it is understood that they cannot taste or get enough of it most of the time.
But here’s an important thing to know: First, people don’t go to restaurants of this level just to fill their stomachs, they go there for those very emotional experiences. It’s hard to explain on paper, but modern chefs can work with flavors, textures, and aromas so subtly that even with a bite in your mouth, it’s as if a mini-universe opens in your mouth or an orchestra is playing. Sour, spicy, fresh, crunchy, everything is masterfully and carefully mixed together to create something new. And sometimes it reminds me of the past. For example, in one of the most famous St. Petersburg restaurants, a pie is served, which from the first bite takes you to childhood, to the village, to your grandmother, who carefully took the pies out of the oven, they are lightly powdered. ash and the world around it are very safe and happy and as all life is ahead. Looks like it’s just a pie.
People come to discover new wines and combinations they never knew existed in their lives.
The second thing that matters: It almost always comes as part of the set menu when you see a small serving. This is a whole dinner, where there can be from three to several dozen dishes. And believe me, no matter how small they seem to you, somewhere in the eighth you’re going to start wondering if you can make it through to the end. You will never starve a good chef because all dimensions have been considered.
And third, perhaps one of the most important: When you come to eat to explore and savor, you want to try more. It is somehow sad to eat a meal with pleasure and realize that you want more, but it seems that you are already full. Even if you don’t go for the set menu, you may want to grab a cocktail, a dessert, or both. Another thing is that in the modern world we often eat more than we really need, and restaurant meals are also more nutritious than homemade ones due to sauces, frying and oil. And sometimes it may seem to you that there is not enough food on the plate, and after dinner it turns out to be quite enough.
We live in a wonderful time where we have a choice.
And then you need to understand in advance where it is better to go. If you need a good hearty lunch, preferably one-dish, then a good serving of cream pasta or khachapuri is perfect. For a light snack, you can run to a cafe with healthy food and eat a salad. For a romantic dinner, go to an expensive fish restaurant and share the highland of seafood delicacies for two. Or go for a set menu for quite a bit of money, but enjoy it so much that you won’t regret a single ruble.
Food is about self-discovery and it’s never too late to start.
The author expresses his personal opinion, which may not coincide with the editors’ position.