To feel like I cook better meals at home!

[WilsonMilson]

Went out for a bank holiday meal today with the family. Tried somewhere new. Same thing as usual happened when we go out for mid priced meals - felt disappointed and underwhelmed by the food.

It was a gastro pub. I had fish and chips - the oil it had been fried in tasted old, the batter was hard and burnt, the fish had bones and overall it was just edible but average. I cook much better and tastier food at home. I find this happens more often than not, unless we go to really expensive restaurants, which is not realistic to do all the time. The place gets great reviews on Tripadvisor too, so I was looking forward to it.

Anyone else feel the same way when eating out and think you make nicer food at home? I am a keen cook, and for the money we spent I could have cooked an absolute feast at home.

I became a much better cook during lockdown as I was able to get experimental and shopping at the local market for food was pretty much the only allowable outside activity apart from walking up and down the riverbank for an hour's exercise. I nailed some basic recipes and tried some new one (Tasting History anyone?). I'm so much more critical of restaurants now, and more discriminating about where I spend my money on food.

In my experience, not all home cooks who profess to 'cook better meals at home' actually do.

I can cook better meals at home, but usually it's more or less the same or not quite as good as your average restaurant.

For me, eating out is more about the lack of personal effort, and eating in is about more control over the dish.

For example I never feel like I get a good amount of veg when eating out, and it's my favourite part of the meal.

Maybe not but I can certainly cook meals at home that we enjoy eating. That can't be said for meals served to me in a restaurant lately.

An appalling attempt at shakshuka recently sticks in the mind followed by an apple crumble where the crumble was not properly cooked, the filling lukewarm and the custard tepid. I sent the pudding back as uneatable.