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The majority of Italian food is bang average. I don't mind spending money on decent food where the ingredients are expensive, rare, exotic or whatever but when you can put the whole dish together for less than a quid and are charging 30 you can do one.

The problem is that as people buy into the bollocks they spout and so they continue the facade.....

It's the same with the majority of French food.

While in France the other week we stopped off in this small local restaurant in this quaint little French village. It had been recommended to us. We sat outside on the terrace in the sun and all was initially good with the world. The chef's claim to fame was that Jamie 'Twatface' Oliver had eaten there and had put one of her recipes in his book. As such, I had high hopes. I settled on this duck based hot pot thing..... it was OK but nothing special and the shards of bone throughout it made it less than special. We were with my mums friend who lives nearby and she explained it away as 'rustic French food'. Bollocks, its just lazy cooking.

If I am honest we didn't have one decent meal when we were there. I've often thought that to get a decent French meal you have to go to a decent spendy restaurant, which makes it no different from most places in the world. In one place we paid something like 90 euros for 5 stale filled baguettes and 6 soft drinks. They are right royal piss takers.

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Not sure it's just the Italians.

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Who said it was just the Italians?

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I go to France almost every year including this past Christmas. We ate very well, both out and at home. But it does help to do your research in advance. One can't just walk into any place, even places verbally recommended, and assume you'll get a great meal. Even though I am indifferent to cooking and eating at home, when I dine out I can be very fussy and do a lot of advance research via tripadvisor and zomato and food blogs. I also take word of mouth recommendations with a large grain of salt as people have wildly varying reactions and expectations.

After doing this for too many years I have a pretty good intuitive instinct for what's going to be good and what will be a disappointment just by looking at the restaurant menu and a few reviews (you can often judge more about the reviewer than the restaurant and in an inverse way it can tell you something about the food in a way the reviewer didn't mean to).

I will say that it's easier to find good food randomly in Italy than in France or anywhere else in Europe. Not saying all places will be great, but only that it's easier. Last year while waiting for a train transfer at a tiny village in the Italian Alps, we grabbed a quick meal in a grotty looking restaurant across from the station. Waitress was surly, inside was rundown and walls still covered with 50+ years of smoke fug, so we ate in the outdoor garden. No real expectations. The pasta was amazing. While I agree with you that much of Italian cooking consists of ingredients that can seem to be simple (tomato sauce), at a good Italian place it's a question of achieving the right balance of ingredients and finesse, which is much more difficult than one might think, and that's where the value comes from (although I'll also admit that given how much the culinary scene has improved in the UK since the 1980s Italian food isn't quite as impressive as it was to us back in those days).

Anyway, for my upcoming trip to China (leaving tonight via Qatar Business whoo hoo!) I've booked a highly recommended food tour, researched and made reservations at a few restaurants, and downloaded a food guide by a reputable source. Will every place be what I hope it to be? Most likely not, but I'll still eat a lot better than randomly walking off the street. Hopefully!

Re: Tea / Coffee
 

I have a lot of experience in the Horn of Africa and I agree that Ethiopia has a lot to offer. I believe that for those without African experience, Addis is a much safer and more manageable entry point to the Continent than Nairobi and/or Johannesburg.

I disagree with those who think Italian food isn't consistently excellent. It is but one of the issues is that there are a huge number of tourist traps that serve meh food but charge a fortune for it. Non-Italians don't often know how to avoid those. I just let my wife and in-laws point the way.

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Agreed - and in addition to that, the freshness of the ingredients and simplicity. I can definitely taste the difference when it comes to seafood when I eat my favourite, Vongole (clams, white wine and garlic)

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I'm always underwhelmed by Italian food. Cipriani, DIFC being a prime example.

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coffee.

used to drink anything but the older i get the worse i get.

home made hipster ultra fresh annoying as **** artisanal or whatever you want to call it.

im a coffee snob, sorry but life is too short for shit coffee.

i dont have a funny beard or talk about coffee endlessly but i really do prefer good coffee and can tell the difference.

i hate myself but damn do i drink good coffee

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good italian is my favorite food, bad italian is just an insult to everyone.

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Red bull is for adolescents, I'm an adult

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I don't know what you mean by DIFC .... but.... I agree that Italian food can be underwhelming and predictable. It depends how hungry you are. I find food generally boring and eating it just a reason to stay alive.

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You've shattered an illusion I had of you :(

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Sorry! I love cooking new things & taste as I go but Him is who gets to eat it.
Tonight is tagliatelle in pistachio pesto with prawns (proper fat ones) and chicken

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It refers to a well known place in Dubai; what with this being the Middle East forum.

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As expected. Pissing contest over coffee.