I wanna say people just have different tastes. I think it was an episode of NOVA that pointed the range in tastebud density is 3x meaning people with the highes

I wanna say people just have different tastes. I think it was an episode of NOVA that pointed the range in tastebud density is 3x meaning people with the highest density of tastebuds have 3x those of people with the lowest density. I don't know if there is any research on this but a guess would be that people with high density tastebuds prefer subtler tastes and people with low density tastebuds prefer stronger tastes. If true (or even if for other reasons), one person might find dish A to be exquisite while another finds it repulsive. Add to that genetics like the fact that to 15% of the population brussel sprouts taste like dish soap. Similarly, cilantro. I'm fortunate I don't have those genes so I love both. The point is you can get huge disagreements on what's "good", possibly because of these differences in perception on top of just personal preference. One person likes strong flavored ramen (pork bone for example) and another like subtle flavored ramen (soy sauce or salt based). Note that you can't make strong soy/salt based ramen or subtle pork bone ramen but in general it's common to assume the split. Further, there's regional and family differences. If I grew up with a dish tasting one way then I'll probably feel if it's made differently it's not "authentic" even though I really have no proof that the way I tasted it first is "correct". Example: Not a fan of NYC pizza. A huge fan of well done neapolitan style (more than 80 certified neapolitan style pizza places in Tokyo, only 3 in NYC, and Japan won the pizza competition in Naples 5 times) I enjoy a good meal and don't mind paying but I've had lots of disappointments. Narisawa, $450 a person in Tokyo, considered one of the top 50 restaurants in the world, was not bad but was no better than another place I went a month later for $70. Some $150 a person Yakiniku place in Tokyo was also a pretty big disappointment. There was one piece of meat that was amazing but the other 80% of the meal was subpar compared to the $30 a person chain Yakiniku place my friends and I would often go to. 3 molecular gastronomy restaurants I went to (2 in SF, one in NYC) were interesting but not actually tasty. I'd never go back to any of them. Also went to the highest rated restaurant in Bangkok and its tastes also seemed off. The experience of being a nice restaurant was ok but the food was too salty. All of us, not just me, were disappointed after the hype. One place that stuck out as worth the price for the experience was Gastrologik in Stockholm. A 3hr 17 course meal.