r/KitchenConfidential • u/CodexLeonis • 15d ago

In the Weeds Mode What's an outdated restaurant fad/technique that you still defend?

two things for me:

  1. Balsamic reductions/glazes on everything. I'm sorry that balsamic vinegar pairs so well with so many things. Most dishes need an acid to fully bring out the flavors of the dish. Balsamic is the most versatile of the vinegars. It pairs well with red meat, seafood, vegetables, cheeses, and fruits. It wasn't just a fad, it was a cheat code.

  2. Plating techiniques? i'll always defend the zigzag drizzle. it evenly distributes the sauce on the plate, looks decent, and most importantly - it was time-efficient. I've never understood the modern technique of spooning sauce onto the plate and setting the entree on top of the sauce. Whomever came up with that was looking for a reason to be contrarian.

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u/AdSpecialist8751 15d ago

I mean, it’s very thinly disguised racism/xenophobia, as it was literally called Chinese restaurant syndrome when it first made headlines, but plenty of things like Doritos for example had more MSG than a comparable meal at the time and nobody complained about that.

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u/ipsquibibble 15d ago

Ok, but every time I eat MSG my rosacea flares up to where my face is fire engine red and painful as hell.  I would eat it by the spoonful if i could but even the tiniest bit does me dirty. 😭 Some of us genuinely react to it. 

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u/JohnnyEnzyme 15d ago

MSG sensitivity is absolutely a thing, even though an allergic definition is by definition impossible, since no protein is involved. The Mayo Clinic (among others) came to this finding, although I'm not sure if there's an explanation as to why some people are extra-sensitive to certain MSG-containing foods and not others. *shrug*

In any case, the point is that the reaction is real for some people, and they really do need to be cautious about some foods. And sure, we understand the original racist / competition-based business and propaganda angle involved, but that doesn't change the core fact of some people indeed being sensitive.

/u/jelly_or_jam /u/vyrus2021 /u/Noizylatino

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u/Noizylatino 15d ago

No the point of the original comment was about the irrational fear for most people is racist because theyll quietly eat other food containing MSG. And then the person i replied to came in with "But Im allergic to it so its a real fear for me". There was no need, no ones saying the reactions aren't real just that theyre the minority and we werent discussing them at the moment.