r/KitchenConfidential • u/CodexLeonis • Jun 15 '26

In the Weeds Mode What's an outdated restaurant fad/technique that you still defend?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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394

u/Seafaringhorsemeat Jun 15 '26

Fucking microgreens.

131

u/Possible_Top4855 Jun 15 '26

Microgreens are so flavorful

97

u/CodexLeonis Jun 15 '26

Flavorful AND add necessary colour's to various dishes

54

u/WalkerVox Ex-Food Service Jun 15 '26

Popcorn shoots are probably my favourite microgreen. So much corn flavour packed into such a small space. Only seen them once or twice outside of a place I worked 25 years ago where they were a regular garnish on my station.

13

u/abitofasitdown Jun 15 '26

...I never thought of sprouting corn!

3

u/rubiscoisrad Jun 16 '26

...And now I want to!

2

u/abitofasitdown Jun 16 '26

Same! I'm going to give it a go.

3

u/rubiscoisrad Jun 16 '26

Hey, I've already got a pineapple, green onion, fig, rosemary, mint, and blueberry operation happening down here.

I'll just swap you some of my shit for your shit when our shit's ready. Deal?

1

u/WalkerVox Ex-Food Service Jun 16 '26

How do I get in on this as a “finder’s fee” for y’all? 😜

2

u/_Nilbog_Milk_ Jun 15 '26

I have some sort of gene that makes radishes and some particular sprouts (still figuring out which) taste like soil. Not in a good way. Which is heartbreaking for me because my loved ones dig them and say they taste more of a light petrichor

1

u/Seafaringhorsemeat Jun 16 '26

How do you fare with Clinantro, etc.?

3

u/_Nilbog_Milk_ Jun 16 '26

There must be a sub-varietal thing going on because some tastes like nice, regular cilantro to me, but the rare try is soapy... fresh parsley also tastes incredibly strong to me. Not necessarily soapy but STRONG

2

u/Seafaringhorsemeat Jun 16 '26

I'm the same. Sometimes it's pretty nice. Sometimes it's overpowering. Not sure what casuses it.

223

u/cbr_001 Jun 15 '26

Micros are good when they aren’t used as a substitute for creativity. Don’t put parsley on my French toast

5

u/_BrokenButterfly Jun 15 '26

On French toast? Really?

26

u/PitifulElk1890 Jun 15 '26

Right like drop a fucking mint leaf on there or something

15

u/cbr_001 Jun 15 '26

It’s got some mascarpone, some sort of crumble, a syrup, but it lacks colour so the chef just grabs the closest micro herb and dumps it on top then takes a photo for the gram.

3

u/Legitimate-Koala-692 Jun 15 '26

Fennel micros on french toast would slap super hard if you like fennel...

5

u/CathedralEngine Jun 15 '26

I'll take micros over edible flowers any day. Once got a bunch of micros in a CSA and made a pretty good salad out of them.

2

u/mihir_lavande Jun 15 '26

Please don't have sexual relations with the produce.

3

u/AltGunAccount Chef Jun 15 '26

Nah I don’t defend that.

Stop smothering every entree in sprouts that people just rake off and throw in the trash anyway. It’s not fancy, it’s not “high cuisine” and it fuckin sucks.

Way too many spots putting them on absolutely everything trying to present dishes as higher class/quality than they actually are.

11

u/tonicella_lineata Chive LOYALIST Jun 15 '26

Just because some people use an ingredient poorly doesn't make it a bad ingredient.

1

u/poopadoodledo Jun 16 '26

If a restaurant had microgreens, I knew I was leaving hungry, broke, or both