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| (courtesy of the net) |
I am not talking about street food or those sold at your friendly carinderia, though at times they are delicious. I'm talking about food being sold in establishments known to all or at least above in level from that of a carinderia. It is either they are cutting cost or don't know how the food should really look and taste. What ever their reason may be, bottom line, it shouldn't be in the market.
First on my list: Rose Tequila (1) and Salted Caramel Gelato (2) of Mio Gelati
It is either my taste buds went wrong when I tasted those two flavors or I am a fool to even think that its worth my time and money. It could also be both happening at the same time but it is more of the 2nd reasoning.
The Rose Tequila Gelato tasted like melon! Sorry to say but it is one flavor that I am not a fan of. Half-way of a small cup and I already had a buzz! The level of tequila is too high for a gelato! I tasted gelato that has alcohol in it and I enjoyed it but not this one. I have to throw the remaining gelato 'less I get drunk and get a full blown headache. I think they forgot to take in consideration that rose as a flavor is very delicate. Use a small amount and you don't get to taste it. Use a lot and it is one strong flavor. Same goes for tequila. Right idea, delicate flavors in wrong proportions = gelato disaster!
Their Salted Caramel is also a disaster. It's like the caramel and salt agreed not to agree with one another. I know that caramel and salt are two opposing flavors (1 is sweet, the other is salty) but there is a way that they can serve as counterpoint to one another. I have tasted a gelato of the same flavor from another company and the way they did it was right. Balanced saltiness and sweetness. For Mio Gelati, there was no marriage between the caramel and the salt. It was a dispute in motion. Like what I said, the caramel and the salt agreed to disagree.
Thank the gods of food creations that they are simply participating in food fairs and not yet that established in the market. Too bad for me that I had to try and waste money on them. And to think those 2 flavors are part of their premium flavor line. The saying curiousity killed the cat is so apt in this scenario. My curiosity killed me in figuratively.
Chili con Carne Frankfurt (3) of Wendy's
When someone talks about chili con carne, I think about a well-seasoned ground meat with onions and beans that has sauce (may it be thick or thin sauce). Something that when added to bread would add flavor and moisture. Not the one from Wendy's.
It's dry, not much flavor and not enjoyable to eat.
A sad creation from the makers of the baconator and frosty.
Next on the list is the ramen (4) of Watami.
When you think of ramen, you think of a bowl of rich broth enhanced with other ingredients added to it. You have seaweed, meat, herbs, an egg and especially the noodles. It needs to have a flavor distinct of being a ramen; a staple food in Japan.
The ramen of Watami failed in two levels. Presentation and flavor. There was no art when it was served on our table. Japanese food is known for its visual stimulation, a very important factor in Japanese culture. For Japanese, which I do agree 100%, you need to stimulate the senses for people to enjoy what they are eating and what is the very first sense of man when it comes to food but one's sight or vision. When the presentation failed, I was hoping that it would at least taste good. Another failure on their end. It tasted like a glorified instant noodles. A less than 10Php instant noodle raised to 200+ % in terms of pricing. Yes, the meat was tender (which was good ) but the broth was dead. Some of the noodles are not cooked thoroughly. It has a gummy texture in some parts.
I have tasted better looking ramen. And it never came from a restaurant. It is from a food stall that I get to see during banchetto days in Robinson's Forum.
Such a poor food creation coming from a restaurant under the Bistro Group of Restaaurants.
Completing my list is the chicken offerings (5) of Bon Chon.
At first, it tasted good when you get to eat the skin, coating and meat at the same time. When the coating is gone and left with simply the meat, that is when the taste challenge takes place.
Don't get me wrong. The meat is soft and cooked. The flavors on the skin is great. The coating delivers the flavor that it says it has. Only the coating not the meat.
There is what we call salt and pepper. The meat can be lightly seasoned so that it would have a nice flavor and not bland. The coating is good but it never went to near bone level. Remove the coat and what you have is bland chicken meat. A tasteless, well cooked chicken meat that is priced high.
If I am to spend again good hard earned money just to eat tasteless chicken meat, then call me a fool! The first time is for experience. Not planning to follow thru. I guess its the KPop culture that made them a hit but food is food. It needs to be seasoned thoroughly so that the meat and the coating enhances each other and not just one the coat dressing up the meat. This is a case of a monkey dressed in gold.
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Should they be marketed still? To be brutal, no. If they really want to get loyal followers of their new creations then they should do their research and improve in their creations. They would say that research was made and wouldn't serve anything not worthy of the distinctive consumers taste. Then they should do more research!
Everybody who has a mind to go into the food business has to ready to meet someone who has a unique but selective palate. To lessen food criticism to a point of simply improvement, then they have to think like a consumer to win a consumer.
(Most of the pictures used are personally taken by the myself.)
