

The new sign on French menus - dmmalam
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28313666

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nestlequ1k
To take a contrarian point of view, I have to agree with one of the chef's in
the article. If I knew buying a prepackaged type of food would taste better to
customers than what I can make in house 99% of the time, then wouldn't it be
pretty stupid not to use that instead?

I've been using an automated espresso machine at home and what it makes tastes
better than most of the fancy coffee shops in San Francisco.

When stuff gets automated it takes that fun out of things, but the end result
improves regardless.

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greggman
I agree with "what tastes good" but the problem is if prepackaged tastes
better than you can make then just sell me the package and I'll re-heat it at
home.

I don't know why but I expect food at a restaurant to be made at the
restaurant and generally the same day. If I wanted packaged food I would have
gone to the supermarket and bought packaged food.

I guess what I'm saying is just be honest about it. If you think people are
fine going to a restaurant for re-heated packaged food then say so on the
menu. For whatever reason it feels dishonest to not do so.

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aaron695
Are you a chef? What makes you think you can make prepackaged food at home as
well as a chef?

Do you have ambiance at home?

Do you have other random people go so you can people watch?

Do you have a wide variety of meals so all the people you invite can eat what
they want?

Is your house central for everyone to go to?

Do you have all the machines to properly prepare the pre packaged food?

Can you go home early to start the processes some of which might take hours
before the meal?

Do you have a good selection of beer and wine?

Can you serve food with the style of a waiter (And not mind not eating while
everyone else does)

Edit: Admittedly I don't eat steak at restaurants now I have a sous vide
machine. But it still takes work to make, and washing & cleaning that won't
fit in a dishwasher. But there's obviously always still many things on a menu
I nether have the knowledge or the tools to make at home, pre-packaged or not.

~~~
greggman
Those are all good points.

I think my basic objection is it feels like I'm being deceived. It's like
going to a concert and finding out they're just playing a recording and
pretending to play their instrument live or sing live. Sure there's the crowd,
the venue, the stage, the show, but at a basic level I paid for a live
performance, not a recording. Similarly I paid for a meal made by the
restaurant, not made by someone else and just served at the restaurant.

Just be honest about it.

I don't get upset when the menu says "Donuts from Dynamo Donuts" or "Ice Cream
from Humphry Slocombe" so tell me "Chicken Kiev by Sarah Lee" if that's the
case.

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mattl202
Here is that symbol in case anyone wants it, I kind of like the design.
[http://www.economie.gouv.fr/files/fait_maison_371px_0.png](http://www.economie.gouv.fr/files/fait_maison_371px_0.png)

~~~
retroencabulato
I had no idea what it meant until the article described it. I can't unsee the
pot now, but I still think it is confusing.

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ddebernardy
Or, you can stick to restaurants with menus that offer a handful of dishes
only -- say a dozen at most. If they carry more than that, the logistics
involved to get the ingredients fresh rules out that anything is home made.

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yaur
A lot of places around where I'm at (NYC) get their pies/pastries from a
neighborhood bakery. It doesn't seem to me that there is much of a difference
between buying a pie from the bakery or buying a slice of it from the
restaurant 2 doors down.

I'm also curious how this affects Sous Vide. If they vacuum seal and freeze on
site is it still "home made"?

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CountHackulus
If you do your research beforehand, and don't just follow a huge queue of
tourists off a bus and into a restaurant, you'll likely have a much better
experience.

~~~
swimfar
Except that it's not that easy even for the French. I'm sure the law wasn't
passed for tourists. Even some fancier restaurants were found to have been
just warming up pre-made dishes. If a restaurant is not required to disclose
this information, how would one ever find out?

Although, I do agree that a small bit of research will get you away from the
touristy restaurants and into some more "local" places. Sometimes it's even
just a matter of getting off the main streets.

~~~
dragonwriter
> Even some fancier restaurants were found to have been just warming up pre-
> made dishes. If a restaurant is not required to disclose this information,
> how would one ever find out?

If the meal provides experienced utility (enjoyment, etc.) that justifies the
cost, why do you _care_?

~~~
dfxm12
Prepackaged foods tend to be loaded with preservatives and who-knows-what-
else. I know it's naive to think all restaurants are only using fresh
ingredients, but a lot of restaurants also _claim_ to use the freshest
ingredients, when they aren't.

Also, you don't know if it will provide enjoyment to justify the cost before
you eat it...

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devindotcom
Nice little graphic, though I'm not sure it will get across the "home-made"
message to tourists. And I tend to agree with the skeptical guy in the article
that it will end up more trouble than it's worth.

