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I'm so glad this was a positive story, and I'm so happy for the author! I went into it expecting this restaurant to be mocked, since articles like this are usua

I'm so glad this was a positive story, and I'm so happy for the author! I went into it expecting this restaurant to be mocked, since articles like this are usually played as a joke. No, not everyone can afford to try a Michelin Star restaurant. A lot of Michelin restaurants suck. And you don't have to pay a ton for a good meal; some of the best food I've ever had has cost $10. However, food is right up there with music as something that connects people. A taste or smell can unlock a memory you thought you lost forever, or create new ones you'll never forget. There's a reason meals are so prominent in movies and literature. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a good relationship with food (in fact, for many, the connotations can be quite negative), and I'm so happy for this person that she loved it. When done right, nice restaurants are an experience. From start to finish, from the food to the drink to the decor to the people, it's closer to going to a Broadway play or art museum than it is a normal meal. For people who can afford it readily, the experience is almost lost. It can become a status symbol, where the Instagram story is more important than enjoying it. It was so charming to see this through the eyes of someone who had no pretentious goals going into it, and had a wonderful time.

pjmorris 5y ago
> A taste or smell can unlock a memory you thought you lost forever. Here for a related personal anecdote and a movie reference. On a conference trip to Chicago I managed to snag a reservation for a Michelin-starred restaurant (Alinea.) The first appetizer was an unusual-looking canapé sprayed with a white foam, featuring salmon and dill as key flavors. It took me back to my 10-year-old self sitting at my grandparent's Thanksgiving table which included shrimp with grandma-grown dill. The meal tab was pricy, the recall of a grand moment was something akin to priceless. The movie reference is 'Ratatouille,' where the antagonist restaurant critic has such a moment.
- leeter 5y ago
  I seem to recall Chef Achatz actually talking about food as an emotional experience given his own trials with cancer and actually losing his ability to taste for awhile. I can't find the interview (or it might have been Chef's table) but I'm pretty sure that informs the style of Alinea.
  - creaghpatr 5y ago
    His Chef's Table episode covers his loss of taste, that is one of my favorite episodes in the series.
- kenneth 5y ago
  There are 3 star meals that are just excellent renditions of food, and some that are experimental theaters as much as they are food. To take two examples from my own eating experience on either end of the spectrum: - Alinea, in Chicago → the experience is full of surprises, artful experiences, etc. The desert is lowered from the ceiling and involves what is essentially violently making a Jackson Pollock on the table - Forum, in Hong Kong → on the other hand, there is nothing special or creative about Forum, which executes Cantonese cuisine traditionally and perfects its execution of traditional dining in the 50 years since it's been open Most of the time, the restaurants are somewhere in the middle, but closer to the Forum end than the Alinea end. Probably the most innovative and interesting one I've tried is Gaggan, which has since closed but had 2 stars and a ranking as Asia's #1 restaurant, doing a 25-course experimental take on Indian cuisine in Bangkok.
  - Mikeb85 5y ago
    > Probably the most innovative and interesting one I've tried is Gaggan, which has since closed but had 2 stars and a ranking as Asia's #1 restaurant, doing a 25-course experimental take on Indian cuisine in Bangkok. Gaggan Anand opened another restaurant called "Gaggan Anand". Smaller, more experimental and without his old business partners. https://gaggananand.com/ https://gaggananand.com/
    - kenneth 5y ago
      Yes, I've been. It closed due to Covid restrictions is my understanding. Believe that he's left Bangkok altogether.
      - Mikeb85 5y ago
        He's doing a pop-up in Singapore currently, it's reopening in a month or two.
  - gommm 5y ago
    Perfect description of Forum, it's not creative, certainly not innovative but it really nails the execution to a level that few restaurants can. I find that it really depends on my mood, sometimes I crave a restaurant that's more innovative, more of an artful experience (if you get a chance I recommend Pujol in Mexico (caveat for Pujol, the omakase is amazing, the tasting menu is merely decent and not worth the price) and Fu He Hui in Shanghai), sometimes I just want an Abalone perfectly well cooked and seasoned like in Forum.
- sfotm 5y ago
  The Ratatouille scene may even hearken back to “Remembrance of Things Past”: http://art.arts.usf.edu/content/articlefiles/2330-Excerpt%20from%20Remembrance%20of%20Things%20Past%20by%20Marcel%20Proust.pdf http://art.arts.usf.edu/content/articlefiles/2330-Excerpt%20...
- slibhb 5y ago
  The Nick Cage movie "Pig" involves the same idea. It's quite good.
fennecfoxen 5y ago
> No, not everyone can afford to try a Michelin Star restaurant. If I'm not mistaken, Good Luck Dim Sum has a Michelin star. If you're already in San Francisco, or if you can get there, then basically everyone can afford it.
- gkoberger 5y ago
  They don't! They might be Michelin-rated, but that's different. Here's the full list in SF: https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/california/san-francisco/restaurants/1-star-michelin/2-stars-michelin/3-stars-michelin https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/california/san-francisco/re...
  - kenneth 5y ago
    There are some cheap Michelin stars in Asia, which were added rather recently after the guide got flak for being too snooty. A few local spots in HK and Singapore cost just a few bucks and have stars (and incredibly long lines).
    - gommm 5y ago
      Also in HK, rather weirdly, mediocre mid range restaurants are rather expensive. So much so, that I've been invited to such restaurants and ended up paying about the same as I'd pay in 3 Michelin starred restaurant like Forum (we average around 70 usd per person for Dim Sum) or Tang Court (about the same).
      - thematrixturtle 5y ago
        Much of traditional high-end Chinese dining revolves around status, meaning you can easily pay megabucks for a luxury ingredient like shark's fin or abalone, but the taste and presentation of the $100 dish containing these will otherwise be identical to the $10 one without them.
- tootie 5y ago
  They gave a Michelin star to a (Hainanese) chicken and rice stall at a hawker market in Singapore. I think it's mostly PR honestly because it wasn't all that interesting. The food was very tasty for sure, but it wasn't particularly refined or unique.
tootie 5y ago
Haute cuisine is like fine art. You can recognize the skill and significance of the achievement, but taste is still subjective. De gustibus non est disputandum.
seanp2k2 5y ago
I've seen a decent number of really sad-looking folks at Michelin restaurants, usually older couples, just kind of picking at their food and not talking to each other, looking around longingly. I remember a couple quite vividly when my wife and I were having dinner at Pacific’s Edge in Carmel ( https://goo.gl/maps/Bmj5jFPmYGgVfNCJ9 https://goo.gl/maps/Bmj5jFPmYGgVfNCJ9 ) and there was a 40-something couple who had just ordered a $500ish bottle of wine, and they both looked as if they couldn't be less interested while trying it. They barely spoke to each other the entire meal, and I just felt kinda bad for them in the same way that I feel for people in dance clubs obviously not enjoying themselves at a literal party. I've seen many many more people having an absolute blast at fancy restaurants, so that's great. For example, last time we were at Press ( https://g.page/pressnapavalley?share https://g.page/pressnapavalley?share ), we had an amazing meal next to a group of seniors celebrating one of their birthdays and reminiscing about all their adventures together. They were curious about one of our dishes and chatted with us for a few minutes, and we helped them take a photo together. Life and experiences like these are what you make of them.
- Mikeb85 5y ago
  > I've seen a decent number of really sad-looking folks at Michelin restaurants, usually older couples, just kind of picking at their food and not talking to each other, looking around longingly. I remember a couple quite vividly when my wife and I were having dinner at Pacific’s Edge in Carmel ( https://goo.gl/maps/Bmj5jFPmYGgVfNCJ9 https://goo.gl/maps/Bmj5jFPmYGgVfNCJ9 ) and there was a 40-something couple who had just ordered a $500ish bottle of wine, and they both looked as if they couldn't be less interested while trying it. They barely spoke to each other the entire meal, and I just felt kinda bad for them in the same way that I feel for people in dance clubs obviously not enjoying themselves at a literal party. Some people are just miserable people. Some people also just spend money because they have it. I've seen people order $3k bottles of wine and leave half on the table and leave. They didn't not enjoy it, they just didn't care.
  - geodel 5y ago
    > Some people are just miserable people. Some people also just spend money because they have it... True. Further sometimes people are just in miserable situation. Also having money helps them make statement like "meh, it taste like crap anyway". Middle class me would scared to say or imply any such thing at fancy places.
CPLX 5y ago
> A lot of Michelin restaurants suck. Not really. I've been to a whole lot of them and seek them out. I've been mildly disappointed here and there, or underwhelmed. Never seen one that sucked though.
- gkoberger 5y ago
  I do mostly agree with you. I can think of two that I was quite disappointed with (I won't name them, but both no longer have stars... meaning the system works!). I luckily didn't mind, personally, but if I sacrificed 6 months of takeout for it I would have said it "sucked".

pjmorris 5y ago

> A taste or smell can unlock a memory you thought you lost forever. Here for a related personal anecdote and a movie reference. On a conference trip to Chicago I managed to snag a reservation for a Michelin-starred restaurant (Alinea.) The first appetizer was an unusual-looking canapé sprayed with a white foam, featuring salmon and dill as key flavors. It took me back to my 10-year-old self sitting at my grandparent's Thanksgiving table which included shrimp with grandma-grown dill. The meal tab was pricy, the recall of a grand moment was something akin to priceless. The movie reference is 'Ratatouille,' where the antagonist restaurant critic has such a moment.

leeter 5y ago
I seem to recall Chef Achatz actually talking about food as an emotional experience given his own trials with cancer and actually losing his ability to taste for awhile. I can't find the interview (or it might have been Chef's table) but I'm pretty sure that informs the style of Alinea.
- creaghpatr 5y ago
  His Chef's Table episode covers his loss of taste, that is one of my favorite episodes in the series.
kenneth 5y ago
There are 3 star meals that are just excellent renditions of food, and some that are experimental theaters as much as they are food. To take two examples from my own eating experience on either end of the spectrum: - Alinea, in Chicago → the experience is full of surprises, artful experiences, etc. The desert is lowered from the ceiling and involves what is essentially violently making a Jackson Pollock on the table - Forum, in Hong Kong → on the other hand, there is nothing special or creative about Forum, which executes Cantonese cuisine traditionally and perfects its execution of traditional dining in the 50 years since it's been open Most of the time, the restaurants are somewhere in the middle, but closer to the Forum end than the Alinea end. Probably the most innovative and interesting one I've tried is Gaggan, which has since closed but had 2 stars and a ranking as Asia's #1 restaurant, doing a 25-course experimental take on Indian cuisine in Bangkok.
- Mikeb85 5y ago
  > Probably the most innovative and interesting one I've tried is Gaggan, which has since closed but had 2 stars and a ranking as Asia's #1 restaurant, doing a 25-course experimental take on Indian cuisine in Bangkok. Gaggan Anand opened another restaurant called "Gaggan Anand". Smaller, more experimental and without his old business partners. https://gaggananand.com/ https://gaggananand.com/
  - kenneth 5y ago
    Yes, I've been. It closed due to Covid restrictions is my understanding. Believe that he's left Bangkok altogether.
    - Mikeb85 5y ago
      He's doing a pop-up in Singapore currently, it's reopening in a month or two.
- gommm 5y ago
  Perfect description of Forum, it's not creative, certainly not innovative but it really nails the execution to a level that few restaurants can. I find that it really depends on my mood, sometimes I crave a restaurant that's more innovative, more of an artful experience (if you get a chance I recommend Pujol in Mexico (caveat for Pujol, the omakase is amazing, the tasting menu is merely decent and not worth the price) and Fu He Hui in Shanghai), sometimes I just want an Abalone perfectly well cooked and seasoned like in Forum.
sfotm 5y ago
The Ratatouille scene may even hearken back to “Remembrance of Things Past”: http://art.arts.usf.edu/content/articlefiles/2330-Excerpt%20from%20Remembrance%20of%20Things%20Past%20by%20Marcel%20Proust.pdf http://art.arts.usf.edu/content/articlefiles/2330-Excerpt%20...
slibhb 5y ago
The Nick Cage movie "Pig" involves the same idea. It's quite good.

fennecfoxen 5y ago

> No, not everyone can afford to try a Michelin Star restaurant. If I'm not mistaken, Good Luck Dim Sum has a Michelin star. If you're already in San Francisco, or if you can get there, then basically everyone can afford it.

gkoberger 5y ago
They don't! They might be Michelin-rated, but that's different. Here's the full list in SF: https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/california/san-francisco/restaurants/1-star-michelin/2-stars-michelin/3-stars-michelin https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/california/san-francisco/re...
- kenneth 5y ago
  There are some cheap Michelin stars in Asia, which were added rather recently after the guide got flak for being too snooty. A few local spots in HK and Singapore cost just a few bucks and have stars (and incredibly long lines).
  - gommm 5y ago
    Also in HK, rather weirdly, mediocre mid range restaurants are rather expensive. So much so, that I've been invited to such restaurants and ended up paying about the same as I'd pay in 3 Michelin starred restaurant like Forum (we average around 70 usd per person for Dim Sum) or Tang Court (about the same).
    - thematrixturtle 5y ago
      Much of traditional high-end Chinese dining revolves around status, meaning you can easily pay megabucks for a luxury ingredient like shark's fin or abalone, but the taste and presentation of the $100 dish containing these will otherwise be identical to the $10 one without them.
tootie 5y ago
They gave a Michelin star to a (Hainanese) chicken and rice stall at a hawker market in Singapore. I think it's mostly PR honestly because it wasn't all that interesting. The food was very tasty for sure, but it wasn't particularly refined or unique.

tootie 5y ago

Haute cuisine is like fine art. You can recognize the skill and significance of the achievement, but taste is still subjective. De gustibus non est disputandum.

seanp2k2 5y ago

I've seen a decent number of really sad-looking folks at Michelin restaurants, usually older couples, just kind of picking at their food and not talking to each other, looking around longingly. I remember a couple quite vividly when my wife and I were having dinner at Pacific’s Edge in Carmel ( https://goo.gl/maps/Bmj5jFPmYGgVfNCJ9 https://goo.gl/maps/Bmj5jFPmYGgVfNCJ9 ) and there was a 40-something couple who had just ordered a $500ish bottle of wine, and they both looked as if they couldn't be less interested while trying it. They barely spoke to each other the entire meal, and I just felt kinda bad for them in the same way that I feel for people in dance clubs obviously not enjoying themselves at a literal party. I've seen many many more people having an absolute blast at fancy restaurants, so that's great. For example, last time we were at Press ( https://g.page/pressnapavalley?share https://g.page/pressnapavalley?share ), we had an amazing meal next to a group of seniors celebrating one of their birthdays and reminiscing about all their adventures together. They were curious about one of our dishes and chatted with us for a few minutes, and we helped them take a photo together. Life and experiences like these are what you make of them.

Mikeb85 5y ago
> I've seen a decent number of really sad-looking folks at Michelin restaurants, usually older couples, just kind of picking at their food and not talking to each other, looking around longingly. I remember a couple quite vividly when my wife and I were having dinner at Pacific’s Edge in Carmel ( https://goo.gl/maps/Bmj5jFPmYGgVfNCJ9 https://goo.gl/maps/Bmj5jFPmYGgVfNCJ9 ) and there was a 40-something couple who had just ordered a $500ish bottle of wine, and they both looked as if they couldn't be less interested while trying it. They barely spoke to each other the entire meal, and I just felt kinda bad for them in the same way that I feel for people in dance clubs obviously not enjoying themselves at a literal party. Some people are just miserable people. Some people also just spend money because they have it. I've seen people order $3k bottles of wine and leave half on the table and leave. They didn't not enjoy it, they just didn't care.
- geodel 5y ago
  > Some people are just miserable people. Some people also just spend money because they have it... True. Further sometimes people are just in miserable situation. Also having money helps them make statement like "meh, it taste like crap anyway". Middle class me would scared to say or imply any such thing at fancy places.

CPLX 5y ago

> A lot of Michelin restaurants suck. Not really. I've been to a whole lot of them and seek them out. I've been mildly disappointed here and there, or underwhelmed. Never seen one that sucked though.

gkoberger 5y ago
I do mostly agree with you. I can think of two that I was quite disappointed with (I won't name them, but both no longer have stars... meaning the system works!). I luckily didn't mind, personally, but if I sacrificed 6 months of takeout for it I would have said it "sucked".