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Comment by pjmorris | Hacker News Reader

> A taste or smell can unlock a memory you thought you lost forever.

Here for a related personal anecdote and a movie reference.

On a conference trip to Chicago I managed to snag a reservation for a Michelin-starred restaurant (Alinea.) The first appetizer was an unusual-looking canapé sprayed with a white foam, featuring salmon and dill as key flavors. It took me back to my 10-year-old self sitting at my grandparent's Thanksgiving table which included shrimp with grandma-grown dill. The meal tab was pricy, the recall of a grand moment was something akin to priceless.

The movie reference is 'Ratatouille,' where the antagonist restaurant critic has such a moment.

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There are 3 star meals that are just excellent renditions of food, and some that are experimental theaters as much as they are food.

To take two examples from my own eating experience on either end of the spectrum:

- Alinea, in Chicago → the experience is full of surprises, artful experiences, etc. The desert is lowered from the ceiling and involves what is essentially violently making a Jackson Pollock on the table

- Forum, in Hong Kong → on the other hand, there is nothing special or creative about Forum, which executes Cantonese cuisine traditionally and perfects its execution of traditional dining in the 50 years since it's been open

Most of the time, the restaurants are somewhere in the middle, but closer to the Forum end than the Alinea end.

Probably the most innovative and interesting one I've tried is Gaggan, which has since closed but had 2 stars and a ranking as Asia's #1 restaurant, doing a 25-course experimental take on Indian cuisine in Bangkok.

Perfect description of Forum, it's not creative, certainly not innovative but it really nails the execution to a level that few restaurants can. I find that it really depends on my mood, sometimes I crave a restaurant that's more innovative, more of an artful experience (if you get a chance I recommend Pujol in Mexico (caveat for Pujol, the omakase is amazing, the tasting menu is merely decent and not worth the price) and Fu He Hui in Shanghai), sometimes I just want an Abalone perfectly well cooked and seasoned like in Forum.

> Probably the most innovative and interesting one I've tried is Gaggan, which has since closed but had 2 stars and a ranking as Asia's #1 restaurant, doing a 25-course experimental take on Indian cuisine in Bangkok.

Gaggan Anand opened another restaurant called "Gaggan Anand". Smaller, more experimental and without his old business partners. https://gaggananand.com/

Yes, I've been. It closed due to Covid restrictions is my understanding. Believe that he's left Bangkok altogether.

He's doing a pop-up in Singapore currently, it's reopening in a month or two.

I seem to recall Chef Achatz actually talking about food as an emotional experience given his own trials with cancer and actually losing his ability to taste for awhile. I can't find the interview (or it might have been Chef's table) but I'm pretty sure that informs the style of Alinea.

His Chef's Table episode covers his loss of taste, that is one of my favorite episodes in the series.

The Ratatouille scene may even hearken back to “Remembrance of Things Past”: http://art.arts.usf.edu/content/articlefiles/2330-Excerpt%20...

The Nick Cage movie "Pig" involves the same idea. It's quite good.

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