Does History and Ambience Add Taste?

murphyscreek

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Hi, am new here and thought this would be a good place to get ideas and thoughts on a topic provoked by a recent visit to Hanoi, Vietnam.

I had previously visited Hanoi about 16 years ago and experienced a fantastic dining experience back then sampling Cha Ca, a famous Hanoi fish dish that is cooked at your table with tumeric, dill, spring onions, served with noodles and a multitude of accompaniments. The restaurant is called Cha Ca La Vong and is very famous for only serving this one dish, and it's long history as well as famous dignitaries, celebrities, etc visiting over the years.

I was going to revisit there this trip, but had read it is now overrun by tourists and another restaurant called Cha Ca Thang Long was more relaxed without the hordes (or history though) , and actually made a better version of the dish. It was indeed delicious, and the environment was pleasant, but definitely lacked the atmosphere of the older version restaurant.

My question I've been asking myself, is how important is that sense of tradition and history as food lovers? Should we just be enjoying the food as its own entity, or the overall dining experience?
 
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Interesting question @murphyscreek, and something my wife and I were discussing yesterday in relation to restaurants we use when in Cyprus. We both agreed that one particular restaurant stood out, even though it probably only ranks about third in terms of absolute food quality. A combination of location, ambience, hospitality of the owner, service from the staff and value for money all add up to the best overall dining experience, and we both chose this as where we eat our most memorable and enjoyable meals.
 
Hi, am new here and thought this would be a good place to get ideas and thoughts on a topic provoked by a recent visit to Hanoi, Vietnam.

I had previously visited Hanoi about 16 years ago and experienced a fantastic dining experience back then sampling Cha Ca, a famous Hanoi fish dish that is cooked at your table with tumeric, dill, spring onions, served with noodles and a multitude of accompaniments. The restaurant is called Cha Ca La Vong and is very famous for only serving this one dish, and it's long history as well as famous dignitaries, celebrities, etc visiting over the years.

I was going to revisit there this trip, but had read it is now overrun by tourists and another restaurant called Cha Ca Thang Long was more relaxed without the hordes (or history though) , and actually made a better version of the dish. It was indeed delicious, and the environment was pleasant, but definitely lacked the atmosphere of the older version restaurant.

My question I've been asking myself, is how important is that sense of tradition and history as food lovers? Should we just be enjoying the food as its own entity, or the overall dining experience?

:welcome:
 
We went to Cipriani's in Venice, Italy. The food was mediocre at best because I don't remember it, but the experience was memorable. The best food we had was at a small family owned place in Stresa and the best Irish coffee we had was at a pub there as well.
 
At the end of the day, it's the food that keeps me coming back for more. Can't eat the chandeliers, violins, and an ocean-front view.

One of the best meals I've had, was in a plain mom-and-pop restaurant in San Francisco. They served course after course of home-style dishes. Found the restaurant through Frommer's years ago, rather than word of mouth.

Sadly, the smaller less fancy restaurants don't always have as long a history as their ritzy competitors, due to rising costs and neighborhood gentrification. Enjoy it now. In 6 months it will be a Starbucks.
 
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My question I've been asking myself, is how important is that sense of tradition and history as food lovers? Should we just be enjoying the food as its own entity, or the overall dining experience?

I agree. History & ambiance make a difference. Years ago, I had a miserable business trip. Lost luggage, misplaced rental car reservation and a cancelled hotel reservation. Very frustrating. However, the desk clerk directed me to the Lost Dog Cafe where I was treated to one of the largest selections of craft / micro-brew beer and pizza with bean sprouts and artichokes. Every time I travel to Arlington VA, I make it a point to stop at the Lost Dog. So, yes, tradition & history makes a difference.
 
I get caught up in the history and ambiance of a place, right up to the point where the food or the service are bad. My wife and I had dinner at The Whitney in Detroit at the end of the year, and we were caught up in the ambiance and the history. Things started to fall apart as the dinner service commenced. Orders were botched. Steaks were overcooked. Rice was undercooked. And, the server was mostly nowhere to be seen. They still seem to be operating under the principle from decades ago, whereby fancy pants restaurants are expected to have bad service. I'm genuinely surprised that they're still in business.

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Some very interesting thoughts and experiences in the above posts. Has always been a topic that I enjoy thinking about. And it's not just those tangibles like ambience, fine dining/service, history and reknown, etc that I think can add to our perceptions.

Probably like many on here (and many, many tv personalties.. haha) , I like to combine my love of food with a love of travel. Some of my most memorable food experiences have been in out of the way little places, off the well travelled and written about routes, that on appearances would never lead you to suspect that food was about to be served to you that will remain in your memory for years to come. It only happens rarely, and I'm sure the thought I've "discovered" the place adds to why the experience remained memorable along with the taste sensation.
 
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Some very interesting thoughts and experiences in the above posts. Has always been a topic that I enjoy thinking about. And it's not just those tangibles like ambience, fine dining/service, history and reknown, etc that I think can add to our perceptions.

Probably like many on here (and many, many tv personalties.. haha) , I like to combine my love of food with a love of travel. Some of my most memorable food experiences have been in out of the way little places, off the well travelled and written about routes, that on appearances would never lead you to suspect that food was about to be served to you that will remain in your memory for years to come. It only happens rarely, and I'm sure the thought I've "discovered" the place adds to why the experience remained memorable along with the taste sensation.

I so much agree with you - I lived in Egypt many, many years ago for a while and can still remember some of the meals - I think it was more to do with ambience than the meal itself though. I remember eating fish in Alexandria in a restaurant on the beach. The waiters dressed in long white jelabas walked ankle deep in the med with silver trays held high, to serve us. The fish was super fresh - you picked what you wanted from a tank of live fish.
 
I get caught up in the history and ambiance of a place, right up to the point where the food or the service are bad. My wife and I had dinner at The Whitney in Detroit at the end of the year, and we were caught up in the ambiance and the history. Things started to fall apart as the dinner service commenced. Orders were botched. Steaks were overcooked. Rice was undercooked. And, the server was mostly nowhere to be seen. They still seem to be operating under the principle from decades ago, whereby fancy pants restaurants are expected to have bad service. I'm genuinely surprised that they're still in business.

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Pretty.
 
My question I've been asking myself, is how important is that sense of tradition and history as food lovers? Should we just be enjoying the food as its own entity, or the overall dining experience?
For me its about the whole package - so it really depends on how the food, the atmosphere and the service combine.

Obviously the aim is to eat somewhere where the food is excellent and so is the atmosphere.....but unless the food is truly terrible then I'll usually forgive the food a bit if the atmosphere makes up for it. Our most memorable meal in recent years was one that managed to combine all elements perfectly....a little place on the main square in Poznan: fantastic food in a really interesting building with friendly staff who were happy to chat about why local Polish wine was so much more expensive than the imported Italian wines.

I think the service can actually be the overriding memory of a place if they get it wrong! We're not too fussy when it comes to service: we just want to order when we're ready and pay easily at when we've finished. I don't need someone checking up on me every five minutes, though I do want to be able to attract their attention when necessary. There's nothing worse than being sat their for ages waiting to order or to request the bill and I think sometimes that can ruin what was until that point a great meal.

Probably like many on here (and many, many tv personalties.. haha) , I like to combine my love of food with a love of travel.
Yes us too: we eat out far more when we're travelling than we do at home, so I do try to remember that what I consider good or bad service doesn't always align with local customs and practices :okay:
 
I've visited Mont St Michel several times, the most recent being about 3 or 4 years ago when I booked a stay at an hotel on the 'Mont' as an anniversary treat for my wife and I. It also happened to be during the highest tides of the year, so we got cut off for a short while which was interesting.

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On my several visits previously I had wanted to try the 'Omelet' at La Mere Poulard, and this time was my chance. I needn't have bothered. It was interesting and I'm glad I did it but I was unimpressed by the food.

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My review. I wasn't the only one.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowU...t_Michel_Manche_Basse_Normandie_Normandy.html

I hadn't realised but the hotel we were staying in was an annex, so for breakfast we had to walk up the main drag to the restaurant.

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'Grog' for breakfast. Yikes!

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The view from our hotel room window.

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So all in all, despite my misgivings about the meal I have to say that I wouldn't have missed it for the world. And taking the meal within the context, the ambiance of the whole trip I would still go again!
 
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