The new scoring system that I will be using is an ‘Out of 5’ system. It will now reflect enjoyment of a particular meal as opposed to placing importance on technicality and skill of a dish. What this means is that something as commonplace as a pizza or a burger, if done well, has as much chance of achieving a high score compared to a meal at Robuchon’s.
Also I will be doing away with individually scoring each dish. I feel that in today’s trend of tasting menus, a dish that may seem out of place on an ALC menu makes perfect sense in terms of progression in a multi-course menu. A meal, like a Symphony, should be judged in its entirety, not based on one movement. However, like Beethoven’s 5th or Mozart’s 40th, there will of course be some parts which will be more memorable than others. This will of course be reflected in my writing which will highlight the best and (hopefully not) worst dishes in a meal.
As per before, the rating system only applies to the cooking and does not take into account service and/or ambience of the eatery. Naturally if either are outstanding, this will be commended on in the review. Without further adieu, here is the new rating scale.
0 – A complete train wreck of a meal from start to finish, with no redeeming features. Probably ask for a refund.
1 – An extremely poor meal with many flaws be it with technique, produce or conception.
2 – A meal with a few flaws but still passable.
3 – Middle of the road. An enjoyable meal I would be happy to pay for but will probably not remember in 2 weeks.
4 – Very good and at times excellent cooking, but lacking that je ne sais quoi to make it unforgettable.
5 – Perfection. A one of a kind dining experience. Reserved only for the most memorable of meals.
gen.u.ine.ness 