Eating out is getting more popular in recent years, everywhere is loaded, you can hardly walk on the pavements because of the chairs and tables of the restaurants which overflow to the streets. Besides, people are waiting in queues to be seated in these ‘restaurants’. How does this happen, how does these McDonaldized restaurants get so crowded? Is it the new rich middle class, the nuclear family structure, the growing working hours or the need for socialising which is to see and to be seen?
How did it get so normal to dine out while we were just doing it in special days at one time? Ok, it is very good for the food and beverage sector that the culture of eating out is becoming ordinary; however, I strongly believe that we should be more picky in what and where we eat. We can not let the ‘cheap’ food to surrender us just like the ‘cheap’ music does with its vulgarity. I hope, people will get sick and tired of eating the same things in different seasons and in different places sooner. (On the other hand, the international restaurants opening new branches in Istanbul and closing down after a couple of months is a totally different topic to discuss.)
Actually some group of people did not like eating this cheap food from the beginning and some of the people are following them. Maybe we should see this as a process of transition. I take this process as the development of the taste in every aspect. I am happier when I see my friends who discover different places instead of the ones that are offering some salads, pasta and a selection of deep fried patatoes. I want to take all my friends to the restaurants which use some rarely used ingredients in a good treat.
In one of the chicest and ‘trendiest’ restaurants I worked for, my chef used to place haricot beans under the octopus or serve chickpeas with the calamari. Now, I respect that chef even more since it is not very easy to feed those people in Turkey with these kind of ingredients who pays that much money for a single dish.
Talking all about these things, I will give a recipe from my German Chef in Cape Town in my next writing. It is a dish that combines local flavours with local techniques in a very elegant way. Coming soonJ
I hate the McD's and the KFC's of this world. Seems like they have commoditised food in every way possible! It used to be called "fine dining", and over the years "fine" just dropped out of the phrase. When you discover that little restaurant in some nook or cranny serving a delicious steak and serving up a local concoction of fine spirits, I bet there is a part of your tummy that just looks up and smiles. ;)
YanıtlaSilWell written Esra and absolutely spot on. Can't wait to get back to Turkey, and that Calamari is due. :P Waiting for the recipe too!!
KJ
PS: I need Google translate to find which button to click, its all in Turkish! o_O Turkce yok! ;)
I hate them too, and I now see many people looking for McDs when we go abroad, I really do not understand them. And I really know what you mean when I see a small corner that is lost among those fancy restaurants:)
YanıtlaSilThank you very much my friend, when I decided to write in English, I was excited because I could get your opinion, someone who writes actually.
And come as soon as possible, there are many things you have not seen here yet!