To ask what one thing is that ruins a dinner?

[ChloefromSundy]

I'll go first - nothing being crispy and no texture, so slop on a plate.

This has reminded me of a certain male relative who blows his nose on his napkin throughout any meal. Grim.

Lack of seasoning -?
my step mother stopped using salt n pepper a few years ago and her food is absolutely inedible
vile even

On one occasion I liked the sound of a dish in an Indian restaurant, but suspected it might contain mint. I checked the ingredients carefully and also double checked with the waitress. No mint, I was assured. Until the dish arrived with a huge slick of mint all over it. I sent it back.

Interesting to see so many mint-haters here - I thought it was quite a rare thing to dislike.

Especially dried herbs. I once stayed with a vegan friend and everything had mouthfuls of desiccated oregano or basil poured all over it. Yuck.

Oh no @proximalhumerous- that’s so annoying!

I’m also surprised by how many fellow mint haters are on here. I’ve never met another in person so I always feel like the awkward one when friends suggest various Turkish restaurants etc. as I doubt there would be much I can eat there. I’m such a non-fussy person apart from that as well, I love any seafood, don’t mind offal if it’s cooked properly, loads of things many people hate. It’s just mint and olives that are my definite nos and at least olives are usually easy to pick out of something.

It permeates everything and I simply cannot ignore its revolting flavour. It ruins things like Turkish food.

Bizarrely one of the few things I don't mind is proper Moroccan mint tea. Possible all the sugar makes it palatable.

Do you also dislike peppermint? I can't even eat chocolate which has been sitting in close proximity to something minty.

You do know Indian food isn't some obscure cuisine that no-one in the UK is familiar with?

Yep all mint, even mint chocolate (although I’m not the biggest chocolate person usually but I’d have chocolate orange a million times over mint chocolate). I said upthread as well that I struggle with toothpaste and I honestly can’t tell the difference between a mojito and mouthwash. 🤣

Undercooking depends on the meat, I like my steak mooing for example!

Done properly, that's delicious, lots of mash and a really good gravy.

Worse still , half a caterpillar in your salad!

Tinned sweetcorn.

Coriander. Tastes like soap to me and ruins everything it’s in. I’m aware to some people it tastes different though.

Beef Wellington - served individually.

Cheese (ducks for cover).

Or by that Australian woman that's been in the news.

You take that back 😁🧀 😋

Now I loooove cheese but trying to come off it for ethics.

If I focus on it being bacteria stink with a hint of gastric or curdled formula puke, that tends to help, yes.

Men at the table being served bigge/better portions

Having to eat with people with poor table manners.
Pets anywhere near the kitchen or dining table.
Raw onion or tomato in anything (pico de gallo needs to be in its own container or not on my plate at all)
Insufficient gravy or sauce.
Hard potatoes, but especially when someone serves jacket potatoes and they’ve obviously been done only in the microwave. 🤢 (5 minutes in the microwave before 45-an hour in the oven is fine, but they MUST have been baked in the oven.)

Celery

When there are multiple serving dishes on the table and a person puts them back down as far away as possible, so they have a nice clear space and the others get all the clutter. No, it’s not being considerate, quite the opposite, DH!

Not using a side plate/bread board for crusty bread and smooshing the crumbs away from their space on the tablecloth.
Grrr.

Having to make it! I’ll gladly
eat pretty much anything if it’s made for me. I loathe making dinner.

Half a caterpillar is worse.

In restaurants insufficient gravy or sauces. Minuscule amounts drizzled gently so you have to ask the wait staff to ‘just bring a massive jug of it’. (Just me probably)