I’ve had a dinner made privately by a Master Chef. It was a gift for my wife and I when we were on our honeymoon.
There were no gimmicks, no flamboyance, no showing off. The food was the best I’ve ever eaten by far and it was a more educational experience than I thought it could be. He went over each of his dishes, the best way to eat it, how each piece of the dish complements the others, and how they fit within his larger vision across the meal. They were pieces of art and were on another level of flavor.
Anyone who thinks fine dining needs to be eating chocolate syrup with your fingers, involves licking things off a table, or is drowned in gold leaf is wasting their money and dignity.
Agreed. There are a lot of false “fine dining” restaurants about. They are all flash, no substance. The good ones are absolutely amazing.
The portions are often small, because you don’t NEED any more. They are an intense bit of artwork with flavours, textures and smells. The visual side acts to support that.
Interestingly, the prices often aren’t actually that bad. If you go at the right time, and limit yourself to the set menu, it’s only a little above a normal, decent, restaurant. While there are some that go the whole hog with fanfare and celebrities, they also charge an arm and a leg. There are also some chiefs who specialise in playing with your senses. These are more akin to a theatre trip, than a normal meal. Outside of those however are a number quietly providing an exceptional dining experience for a fairly reasonable price.
That’s exactly what fine dining is - not the chocolate fingers part - the other bit. The menu changes sometimes daily, depending on what the chef was able to find that day and if they’re feeling in the mood to try something new. The server should know every dish and ingredient. The ingredients themselves are hand-selected and top-of-the-line, and often come from a local farm.
The private chef experience can go a step beyond that in terms of service, because it’s really just the chef and sous chef(s), and your party. All of their time is yours.
I’ve had a dinner made privately by a Master Chef. It was a gift for my wife and I when we were on our honeymoon.
There were no gimmicks, no flamboyance, no showing off. The food was the best I’ve ever eaten by far and it was a more educational experience than I thought it could be. He went over each of his dishes, the best way to eat it, how each piece of the dish complements the others, and how they fit within his larger vision across the meal. They were pieces of art and were on another level of flavor.
Anyone who thinks fine dining needs to be eating chocolate syrup with your fingers, involves licking things off a table, or is drowned in gold leaf is wasting their money and dignity.
Agreed. There are a lot of false “fine dining” restaurants about. They are all flash, no substance. The good ones are absolutely amazing.
The portions are often small, because you don’t NEED any more. They are an intense bit of artwork with flavours, textures and smells. The visual side acts to support that.
Interestingly, the prices often aren’t actually that bad. If you go at the right time, and limit yourself to the set menu, it’s only a little above a normal, decent, restaurant. While there are some that go the whole hog with fanfare and celebrities, they also charge an arm and a leg. There are also some chiefs who specialise in playing with your senses. These are more akin to a theatre trip, than a normal meal. Outside of those however are a number quietly providing an exceptional dining experience for a fairly reasonable price.
That’s exactly what fine dining is - not the chocolate fingers part - the other bit. The menu changes sometimes daily, depending on what the chef was able to find that day and if they’re feeling in the mood to try something new. The server should know every dish and ingredient. The ingredients themselves are hand-selected and top-of-the-line, and often come from a local farm.
The private chef experience can go a step beyond that in terms of service, because it’s really just the chef and sous chef(s), and your party. All of their time is yours.