Scoring System - Restaurants

Scoring System - Restaurants

The scoring system for restaurants will be split into two:

1. Prix Fixe/Degustation Courses/Omakase

2. Ala-carte

It is simply not fair to judge these two categories on one scale as in category 1, the restaurant is in charge of the order of dishes and they are not aware of your likes/dislikes on the first visit. For Ala-carte places you will usually order what you like and you cannot blame the restaurant for a messy order of dishes because it was your call.

Also, category 1 restaurants will be expected to be tastier and smoother as the restaurant has the privilege of dictating what they serve, so if they cause the customer this minor inconvenience, they absolutely must make it up in the form of reasonable waiting times, buttery smooth service sequence and so on.

That being said, here's the scoring metric.

Category 1 Prix Fixe/Degustation Menu/Omakase

An overall score out of 100 will be computed based on the following criteria. A grade of A+ to E will also be awarded:

0-20 (incl.): E

20-40 (incl.): D

40-60(incl.): C

60-80(incl.): B

80-100: A

A+ grades are awarded on a discretionary basis.

Additionally, 5 marks will be deducted for a restaurant that does not allow photos. The reason being if you don't allow photos, it's supposed to contribute to a better experience and hence you must make up for it in other aspects. Else the policy is not justified and the deduction is warranted. It also means a restaurant which does not allow photos will never be able to get full marks, which is definitely the case as far as I'm concerned.

Each dish will be scored out of 20 based on a few criteria:

1. Quality of food

2. Plating

3. Cooking Techniques

4. Balance - flavour components

5. Balance - 5 basic tastes

What the criteria mean:

1. Quality of food

Quality of food is split into savoury and desserts as what makes a good main is very different from what makes a good dessert. Quality refers to the quality of ingredients used and the overall quality of the dish - it is possible to have good technique nice plating good ingredients but the end product looks like a dish assembled from random parts.

2. Plating

Plating does add aesthetics to the dish and it actually does contribute to the tastes sometimes - whether food is placed directly on top of sauces or to the side for instance.

3. Cooking Techniques

Were vegetables overcooked? Steak cooked to perfect doneness? Blanching done well? Fish steamed well? The list goes on.

4. Balance - flavour components

Whatever they claim, it should somewhat be there. I've lost count of the number of times a key ingredient like strawberries was mentioned but I couldn't see nor taste it. Flavours from ingredients should also not overpower one another, unless it was clearly intended.

5. Balance - 5 basic tastes

Sweet, Salty, Spicy, Sour, Umami. These 5 should be in balance and if one of them is in huge abundance it should not be unpleasant.

On top of this, the meal and restaurant as a whole will be scored on a few criteria. Each of the criteria will be awarded a score out of 10.

1. Quantity of food

2. Pacing of the meal

3. Flow/Sequence of the dishes

4. Restaurant Decor

5. Value for money

What the criteria mean:

1. Quantity of food

The amount of food served. It should not be so much such that you can't stomach dessert, but you should not leave hungry either. I'll try to be as objective as possible, I'm a rather big eater so even if I leave a little hungry no marks will be deducted here.

2. Pacing of the meal

Pacing should be comfortable. No bullet train style or ridiculous 30-minute wait between dishes.

3. Flow/sequence of the dishes

The dishes should flow well, flavours should not clash - and most importantly the meal should not end on a sour note. This might be personal preference but I doubt many people would want to leave a restaurant after dropping 1k+ on a meal with a sour note in your mouth...

4. Restaurant Decor

Restaurant decor in general. It should not distract too much from the meal, it should possibly add to the experience. Bonus points if it is easy to take photos in.

5. Value for money

Restaurants which offer degustation/omakase are generally pricey to begin with, but that does not mean they should get away with charging $200 for a few slivers of truffle. This criteria takes into account the quality of ingredients, quantity, general experience and weighs it against the price.

Overall Score:

The overall score of the restaurant will be computed as follows:

1. The average scores of the dishes will be computed and rebased to 50.

2. This average score will be added to the scores of the 5 criteria.

This gives a total score out of 100.