Food, like Sex, is an area where, everybody thinks he/she is an Expert!
Everybody seems to have a huge
body of personal experiences to dig into and come out with, just that little
thing that would make the experience, infinitely more enjoyable! Most,
sincerely believe, that, their insights would prove to be invaluable for lesser
mortals, with ‘milder’ sensory powers, to be able to truly appreciate both.
While Internet’s reach and ease of use, gave unparalleled and
bludgeoning growth to the Sex industry; Social Media, provided the perfect
platform as well as audience for the growth of Food Experts, but they somehow
didn’t affect the Food Industry positively.
So anybody, who could afford lunch at an eatery, suddenly, became an
expert and had a voice. They could write about this all over Facebook, Twitter,
or closer to home, Burrp, Zomato or Tripadvisor! These writings, sometimes,
found an audience online and definitely drew some response from the Food
establishment. Sites like Zomato and Tripadvisor, even gave them online
designations depending on the number of ‘reviews”, like Foodie, Big Foodie and
Super Foodie! Tripadvisor has titles like, reviewer, top reviewer and Top
contributor etc.!! Thus these set of highly encouraged experts, became,
compulsive commentators on food and Restaurants, with scant regard to accuracy
or quality.
Food establishments, soon, woke up to the fact that, this could be
turned into a viable marketing medium. They thus employed their marketing teams
and PR agencies to keep flooding these sites with fake reviews and experiential
stories. Thus, online reviews soon became ‘noise’ and could not be
distinguished between genuine or “plants”. The above mentioned ‘mortals’, now
became, further befuddled and even less illuminated. Their ‘mild’ sensory
powers now, became ‘muted’!
Newspapers and Periodicals,
immediately, took upon themselves the responsibility of ‘educating’ the
ignorant populace about the finer aspects of dining and food. They decided to stand out from the din and
employ ‘Food experts’ who would get a weekly slot and a small purse to go and
experience Hotels and Restaurants. The criteria for qualifying for the job?..
well, good writing skills and…. and
, that’s pretty much it! These new
breed of ‘critics’ were often, young 20 something’s, with an air of
superiority, a fake accent and an attitude, that would evoke a violent reaction
from any normal self-respecting Chef! They are usually completely oblivious to
the sheer hard work and perseverance that goes into putting together the
restaurant. Not to mention, the financial burden, political/ bureaucratic
manipulations and difficult legal tussle that the poor investor has to endure.
Thus was born the New-Age Food Critic! The Official, Self-proclaimed
Food Expert!
As a Restaurant professional, I have scant regard for these ‘critics’. I
hate the fact that, these self-proclaimed custodians of good dining, potentially,
could write out eloquent obituaries for restaurants, just because, they wield
the power to do so! The writings are
also often, quite shallow, error-ridden and more narrative than actual
insights! Food writing is often just ‘tasting and reporting’ and focused
simply, on meeting the word limit or time deadline! Worse still, they may also depend on how deep
the beneficiary restaurateur’s pockets are!! This breed of food critics seldom
understand the importance or even the impact of the décor, ambience, lighting
levels, music, smiling service or even a tiny little gesture, that could make a
dining experience memorable! Normally the dishes that these critics ‘trash’ are
works of passion by a diligent chef, who slogged his backside to get it right.
I look back wistfully, at the times when Food critics were widely
travelled, highly respected Gourmets, who would have possibly been to distant
lands to merely sample the local fare. The Michelin star classifications or a diamond
rating is still highly coveted today, purely because, of the quality of food
inspectors and critics. I am often extremely nostalgic about the times when
food criticism was an art and not a ‘job’ with a deadline. A truly, good critic,
in my opinion, would visit a restaurant a number of times before writing about
them. They would normally offer delightful insights about the dining experience
that could even be at times philosophical.
Everyone has the right to an opinion, but not to express it, requires
sense and sensibilities, which few people have !
"Every Saint has a Past and Every Sinner has a Future "
