3 hours ago, robie said:Anyway, after that long digression, what do you use as test dishes at a new restaurant to judge whether the chef is good?
Since you used the word "judge," I assume you have a more impartial criteria in mind and I will quote something @Lisa Shock said with respect to judging competitions. I think it's equally appropriate if you wish to "judge" a restaurant chef. Here are some of points she mentioned:
On February 27, 2016 at 1:27 PM, Lisa Shock said:...But the most important thing is that a judge set aside personal tastes. For example, I don't like asparagus and I never serve it at home. However, it shows up in competitions regularly and as a judge I evaluate it like any other item on the plate: is it trimmed and cleaned properly, is it easy to pick up with a fork (or fingers) and eat, is it cooked properly (not too crunchy, not too mushy), how is the sauce, is there some sort of innovation present, etc. Every judge has personal likes and dislikes, but, the position demands those be set aside. You know when you take the job that you will be forced to eat a wide variety of foods and they will not all be to your liking....
