To think my home cooking is better than a lot of restaurants?

[penpotdot]

I'm a fairly decent cook and do make an effort to make something nice from scratch most days and will experiment with new recipes and techniques weekly. I am not masterchef level or professional but I obviously cook to my own taste and I mostly really enjoy what I make.

I do like eating out as well but as my own cooking improves eating out is less satisfying and I often find the food bland or too salty, one thing is over cooked another under or it is just generally underwhelming.

We ate out at an Italian place well regarded locally and it was just meh, the pasta with roast veg and tomato sauce I make at home is much nicer. The focaccia I make is better. There is a very cool Korean place in my town, run by brits not Koreans and everyone raves about it but the food was just so so, the Korean food I make at home is better. There is an actual Korean place in town run by Koreans and the food their is amazing. I tend to find Asian places do have really nice food and while I make decent stuff at home which is better than Wagamama's it isn't as good as proper Asian restaurant food.

Do other keen home cooks feel like this about eating out now, does good food at home spoil some of the pleasure of eating out or am I being unreasonable?

I suppose I least I don't have to wash up and it can provide the odd bit of inspiration!

No one can possibly say if you’re being unreasonable unless you’re going to cook for us all!

I do know what you mean. Eating out is a luxury - particularly these days - so I never choose stuff off the menu which I think I could do reasonably at home. I had lunch today at my local Asian fusion place and it was amazing - I just can’t do whatever magic it is that they do to make their stuff so lush. Also tends to be why I avoid chains these days - you can buy what they do, under their own brand, in supermarkets. But I agree with the washing up angle - also it’s nice to have someone else bring me wine!

I'm afraid I will have to be the decider of that OP 😁what time shall I come over to conduct my research?

I tend to feel the same. Especially about chains who microwave their dishes and add a little garnish to make it look fresh. I can buy a microwave meal from M&S and do that - or microwave what I’ve previously cooked and frozen.
I’m very resentful of paying good money for poor restaurant meals when I know that my own is better.

totally agree - we tend to only go out for food we just can't match, so usually Indian takeaway (we do rice as it's £10.00 for the 5 of us) or sushi

I feel the same. I think especially because I'm a vegetarian and the state of vegetarian options in a lot of restaurants is dire. I enjoy what I make more than what I have in restaurants a lot of the time.

Mine can be better. I found outside food got worse since covid. Or maybe covid changed my sense of taste.

I do enjoy the food when I go out but it's often not enough extra enjoyment to justify how much more it costs. Especially something when it's something simple. I try to choose things that I would find more challenging to cook at home. I agree things like roasts are usually not as good as homemade.

I think my cooking is better than most restaurants and my family agree.
Some times I have a really good meal I enjoy but most of the time I think that I could have made a better meal much more cheaply. There is usually too much oil or salt
Its why we don't go out a lot or get takeaways

I have felt the same before although not always. I think sometimes it's to do the tight margins restaurants have to work to so sometimes what the serve ends up feeling not as generous and fully-flavoured as what you might make at home.

When I eat out, I can eat exactly what I fancy, without taking the likes and dislikes of the rest of the family into account.

I don’t have to worry that dd doesn’t like mushrooms or that DH doesn’t eat dairy, or DS hates food that is too spicy.

I don’t have to think about planning, shopping, clearing up, I can just turn up and choose what I want at that precise moment.

But I wouldn’t go to a restaurant where the food was mediocre - or at least, I wouldn’t go back!

I totally agree. I think now, as eating out is so much more expensive than it used to be, that my standards and expectations are much higher. We're a family of good cooks, and I have found the same. I'm always satisfied by Asian food in decent Asian restaurants (all sorts of cuisine), but so often disappointed with other types.

I think its all fair points and I don't usually eat at chains, but we do sometimes go to Wagamama's as its handy for our local cinema. At tonight's restaurant the chef is properly trained in Sicily and its a small independent place which has won awards but perhaps just not to my taste!

I will need to put together a select panel of judges and then cook for them and then wine them and dine them at various eateries to get a scientific answer!

I think you are the only one who can answer that question.
My dad does all the cooking for him & my mum. They are both absolutely adamant that his cooking far outshines any they get in a restaurant. However, DH & I definitely disagree and would much rather eat in a restaurant than the creations my dad serves.

@Shufflebumnessie I think personal taste is key and at home I can cook to my taste exactly but I have had compliments and many say my Thai cooking is better than they have had in restaurants however I think that really depends on the restaurant. A top notch Thai place is can't be beaten.

Yes I agree to an extent...there are some cuisines and dishes I know will be better in a restaurant than I can do...so Thai food, Indian food, good pizza...the restaurants will definitely be better than my efforts. Also a very high end restaurant doing any cuisine will probably be better. But your average high street restaurant I can make things just as well, usually better.

I'm vegetarian, (& hungry!!)

spring rolls
few small surprises

Thai Green Curry
Pad Thai

let me know what time!!
😀

Whenever I’ve had food at your house, it’s been really mediocre. In fact last time I stopped at McDonalds on my way home.

Lol, I'll give you a shout when its ready!

Cheeky blighter, that's the last time I invite you over for dinner!

I agree eith you op, I get mightily pissed off if I have something in a restaurant I could have done better, which happens

I only eat out for poached eggs 🤣
Impossible to cook at home!

I mean, places like Wagamama are cheap and cheerful. They are aiming for mass food at a reasonable price, as opposed to culinary masterpieces. They are also aiming for uniform taste across their restaurants, so are likely following set menus with possible pre-made aspects. You as a willing home cook probably do put in more effort than chains like that.

@657904I I agree but I would expect a small, fancy Italian somewhat expensive place with a chef who has won awards and was properly trained in Sicily to be making food nicer or at least as nice as I do at home and this wasn't the case, DH also remarked on this. We were both disappointed in the quality compared to at home. For a good place this shouldn't be the case.

I'm a good cook, but I live alone, so often batch cook things like curries.

When I go out I make sure I order a meal that I simply would not do for myself at home - so if we go to an Indian I would have a Thali, or at lest go with people who want to share dishes so that I can have a range, same with Chinese or Thai. I would not cook 4-5 separate dishes just for myself and I don't have the fridge or freezer space to keep a wide range on standby.

Personally I love Wagamama, yes I can make a decent ramen at home, but I wouldn't also have starters like the chilli edamame or vegan "spare ribs" which are delicious.

If I go Italian then I avoid pasta, easiest thing in the world to make a decent pasta sauce, and yes, I do judge the quality - but you can't beat a proper Italian pizza, or a nicely cooked piece of fish for the main. My local "proper" italian does a fish stew to die for, with seafood and multiple different kinds of fish. I never cook fish at home, so really enjoy it when I go out.

You just have to make going out into a real treat.