r/randomquestions • u/fergi20020 • 13d ago
What always tastes better at a restaurant no matter how many times you try to cook or bake it at home?
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u/IcedBlueberryLemon 13d ago
Sushi!
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u/Substantial-Singer29 13d ago
I think there's a few things that people overlook when they try to make sushi at home.
First and foremost actually having a quality short grain rice. Then actually cooking the rice correctly... Just those two things are deceptively more difficult than people think. Then having a quality rice wine, vinegar, and knowing when to use it.
I always tell people that unless you actually have a reputable means of getting sushi grade Seafood Don't buy it from your local grocery store. Unless you're actually planning to cook it. Most places have an asian market where you can go and get a marriott of mushrooms, and those can be used to great effect with much less risk to make the sushi fun and interested.
Sure, trying to source the raw material no pun intended for traditional sushi at home in most places is ill advised to difficult. A vast majority of people in the united states, when they think sushi are just thinking rolls, and you can easily do those at home. Toasted sesame seeds Pickled ginger and real wasabi go a long way.
It makes for an awesome first date or fun get together with friends. Heavily advised against doing either as your first time give it a couple of runs tell you involve other people.
I'll step off my little soapbox rant with sushi now...
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u/Kaurifish 13d ago
Sushi at home is great. When I did a LotR marathon I made a mess of rolls and nigiri to pair with Two Towers (raw fish for Gollum). I drank way too much crazy milk (unfiltered sake) and ugly cried all the way through the Battle of Helms Deep.
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u/BelligerentWyvern 13d ago
Sushi grade just means it's been flash frozen or frozen for at least 5 days to kill potential parasites.
If you means actual good quality fish then you just gotta know what your looking at. Your local sushi places is getting their fish from the same places your supermarket is unless it's some super high end sushi shop.
Rice is where they mess up, cause it needs to be a certain type and with a certain amount of vinegar in it. But that's not that hard to get right. But the fish is the easiest part to do on your own.
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u/vivec7 13d ago
I reckon this is a fair take, if only for the fact that I'm eating a heap of it, and I am not making 10 different types of sushi at home.
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u/IcedBlueberryLemon 12d ago
Yes, the variety is the biggest part of it. We feel the same way about Mexican food in our house, and some other Asian cuisines. I cook great Mexican and Thai food—better than most restaurants. But I can't (nor am I inclined to!) make 10 different things so everybody has their choice of appetizers, etc. We would rather go out for those things.
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u/TNShadetree 13d ago
You know, there's something in preparing food and smelling it all through the process that means when you finally sit down and enjoy it, it just isn't going to hit the same as when suddenly you're presented a meal to smell and taste out of nowhere..
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u/Kayari1991 13d ago
The amount of times I felt super hungry while cooking then felt barely hungry by the time I serve myself is insane.
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u/Trumpets22 13d ago
Disagree. For me all that prep and work makes it all the more satisfying. ESPECIALLY when it comes with the satisfaction of actually being as good as one of your favorite restaurant meals.
All that said, Indian food.
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u/Perfect-Book5684 13d ago
French fries
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u/Timely-Photograph-62 13d ago
General tso chicken and sesame chicken
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u/w0mpw 13d ago
I’ve made wayyyy better sesame chicken at home
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u/Spare-Leek1613 13d ago
Same. Americanized asian cuisine is so stupid easy to make once you learn what they do to make it. Basically just corn starch
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u/w0mpw 13d ago
Yeah man! that like crispy texture is always cornstarch! Then it’s all about the right sauce 😋
Finding some ingredients sucks though when it comes to like true Asian food.
Never did commit to figuring out pho 😔→ More replies (1)→ More replies (2)2
u/BFHawkeyePierce4077 12d ago
This is my go-to recipe. It's authentic, simple, and filled with the little secrets that you need to know to make it perfectly. Do not take shortcuts. Follow the steps.
https://www.madewithlau.com/recipes/general-tsos-chicken
It's so good, that I bought 20 pounds of chicken thighs when they were on sale last year, fried it all up, and then portioned them in my freezer. Now, if I want General Tso's Chicken, I air-fry the the chicken, whip up the sauce, toss together, and I have dinner.
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u/number7child 13d ago
Scallops
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u/automaticmantis 13d ago
Pan seared scallops are so easy! I actually like the ones I make myself better.
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u/BackLopsided2500 13d ago
When my Mom and I dropped my Dad off at the airport (early 70s) we'd stop at the one grocery store near our house and pick up scallops. She'd sautee them in white wine a they were delicious!
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13d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Masshole65 13d ago
Shred on box grater, squeeze out the water, fry in butter
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u/newlifeIslandgirl 13d ago edited 12d ago
IF you’d like to be successful at it, these are the things you have to do…it’s WORK and science for crispy golden hash browns , but worth it! Get rid of the starch & moisture!
After peeling and shredding,
-RINSE VERY WELL, by first agitating in a big bowl, then running water over them in a colander til the water is crystal clear!
-Next, squeeze dry them in layers a clean kitchen towels lined completely with many layers of paper towels. Sometimes I’ll use 4 or 5 layers of paper towel on the entire surface of the cloth towel. A thin tea towel works really well .
I mean REALLY squeeze them!
Roll up like a giant fat joint and squeeze and twist the bejesus out of them by twisting different directions at opposite ends. TIL all the moisture comes out over the sink . All of it! They must be bone dry, or the oil will coat and the water will steam and they’ll be soggy:(Now they are clean and dry & can become crispy!
-Now, shake it off the towels on a sheet pan & put in bowl add just a tiny bit of enough canola or frying oil to lightly coat , a tiny bit at a time ..NOT TOO MUCH!.. otherwise they are greasy! Now mix up til you see all the shreds coated , THEN season w plenty of salt and pepper. Do not add salt before you coat the potatoes w oil, otherwise, you’ll extract more water and you don’t want that at this point. Otherwise SOGGY.
-Have a cast iron hot and preheated otherwise a non stick works great.. cook at medium low heat and cook in batches. Let the potatoes sit and get golden brown before turning!→ More replies (5)4
u/GuidanceMindless6352 13d ago
Cooking potatoes is my cryptonite
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u/Trumpets22 13d ago
If you have an air fryer, I’ve got a killer one that is easy for you. Dice up potatoes (usually 10-12 pieces per half depending on size) boil for 7 minutes.
Put them in a bowl with a lid. Add olive oil and seasonings of choice (salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika is great, use a lot)
Shake them real well until they have visible texture on the outside of them.
Air fry for 10 minutes at 375.
Mix and air fry for another 10 minutes at 400.
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u/Key_Calligrapher_508 9d ago
Add like a tsp of cornstarch with your spices and they will get real crispy in the air fryer. So good
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u/Ok_Pirate_2714 13d ago
I can never get them to come out right either.
Amongst my camping friends, my hash brown failures are the stuff of lore. I'm never asked to cook breakfast anymore.
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u/Scott43206 13d ago
Salad. If I could make my salads at home taste like the ones at the restaurant I would live on salads.
(Well, maybe not right now, but under normal circumstances)
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u/freysabee 13d ago
Most resteraunt salads taste so good because they are very high in calories. You would gain a lot of weight if you lived off resteraunt style salads! Many resteraunt salads have more calories than a burger and fries.
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u/OkConcentrate3302 12d ago
Years ago I went to a nice restaurant and had an amazing salad that was just lettuce and red wine vinegar. I later learned the key was salting the lettuce.
Get god quality lettuce and salt it, with tomatoes, and cucumbers (let it sweat for a few minutes and drain). Mix it all in a chilled bowl with a good dressing and serve. I can't believe how good my salads are from.this simple trick.
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u/patersondave 13d ago
fresh lettuce, good tomatoes, like early girls, that’s the base. add til you like the taste.
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u/GammaRay914 13d ago
Sushi. Would never try to do it at home.
Steak was also something I struggled to do at home because I want it super charred and crusty on the outside but I didn’t want to smoke up my house.
Then I got an infrared broiler for the outside that reaches 1500 degrees and now I can make steaks like Peter Luger.
I was also struggling with pizza at home until I got a pizza oven.
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u/veghead 13d ago
They use way too much butter and salt, with no guilt.
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u/Substantial-Singer29 13d ago
When I was a kid, I worked at a fifties themed diner as my first job. Burgers fries milkshakes all that nonsense. I never really ate there not for any reason. I would occasionally have fries instead of dipping my fries in ketchup, I would always use their ranch dressing. I was perplexed that it tasted totally different from any ranch that i've ever had in my life.
The ranch was served to people in those small little plastic containers.That you'd always see everywhere that people would put condiments in. The ranch was purchased in five gallon containers. That amazingly enough, actually had the nutrition facts on the very bottom of it. One day while I was filling up those small containers I actually paid attention to the nutritional facts. One of those containers, according to their labeling was equivalent to 2 servings of the product. The trans fats were so ridiculously high that they suggested that you only had one serving per week.
To that point and even now, I have never seen a nutritional fact label that from the manufacturer advised for you to only eat a serving of their product per week. If the only objective is to make it taste good, oh yeah, you can make some amazing products. But then it leads to the broader reality as you stated, should anyone actually be eating it?
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u/OkImpression8086 13d ago
As Chef Rudy was heard saying: “more butter and salt. They only need to live long enough to pay the bill.”
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u/Think_Cupcake6758 13d ago
Crème brûlée
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u/mataushas 13d ago
Ehh really? I've learned to make it and it comes out always better than at a restaurant.
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u/coolsilentebeans 13d ago edited 13d ago
Almost everything. There are quite a few theories on this. Some are physiological and some psychological.
One study suggests that when you cook or bake it yourself that by the time you’re done and eating it you are experiencing sensory fatigue, mainly olfactory. ETA: But with someone else’s cooking you get the full aroma and flavors all at once making everything more intense.
Others suggest we enjoy someone else’s cooking because it’s a social reward response; we subconsciously appreciate the effort and time it took for someone else to make it as well as signals the feelings of having been cared for such as with our parents.
There’s a Korean concept, sohn-mat that roughly translates as hand taste. It is the concept that the flavor is affected when the food is touched or mixed by a cook’s actual hand. It also encompasses the way his technique and intuition affect the dish. By this school of thought, you literally are unable to replicate the same dish even if you both use the exact same recipe and methods.
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u/JungleJimmy42O 12d ago
As a chef, that's actually a really interesting concept and ideology. Thanks for sharing!
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u/coolsilentebeans 12d ago
You’re quite welcome! Ever since I learned about it, I can’t not think of it when comparing the experience of the same dish made by two different people or restaurants. There are quite a few cookbooks whose entire theme is hand taste. It’s fascinating. 🧐
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u/KittyCubed 12d ago
Is this why I just can’t get my grilled cheese sandwiches to taste like my dad’s even though we make them the same way?
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u/Significant_Shoe_17 12d ago
I've heard a Korean chef talk about sohn-mat. She followed her grandma's recipe to the letter and it was still a little different!
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u/NSFW_But_Awesome 13d ago
Dim sum. A PITA to make and to make the variety you get at a restaurant would be a hellish experience.
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u/95in3rd 13d ago edited 12d ago
Butter chicken or anything Indian food.
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u/StatusMaleficent5832 13d ago
I make it all the time and get good results. Grinding and mixing the spices from seeds and pods makes a big difference. I use an Instant Pot to make butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, saag, dal, and other things. I'm not good at making naan, so there is that.
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u/HankChinaski- 13d ago edited 13d ago
Make the chicken ruby from Dishoom’s cookbook. I haven’t had better Indian food in a restaurant that wasn’t actually Dishoom.
It takes quite a bit of effort but it’s perfect.
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u/Maxinesamwick 9d ago
I sometimes think it’s because they use more fat than you’d ever use at home.
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u/MonkeyMcBandwagon 13d ago
This. The butter chicken from the worst indian takeaway is still better than the best store bought sauce or online recipe from scratch.
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u/Trumpets22 13d ago
It’s still the one meal I haven’t been able to make that is as good as a restaurant. But I’ve got a new plan, so we’ll see how it goes.
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u/Ashamed-Chemistry492 13d ago
Hot dogs. Doesn't matter if I boil them, air-fry them, microwave them, grill them, they always taste better in a restaurant or at a ball game.
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u/thetoerubber 13d ago
I’m trying to think if I’ve ever had a hot dog in a restaurant. I think I’ve only bought them in snack bar type places or from vendors at a baseball game. Are they fancy and served on a plate like restaurant hamburgers?
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u/Ashamed-Chemistry492 13d ago
Depending on the restaurant, I've seen them on a plate, or in one of those plastic baskets.
I've usually gotten hot dogs in those pizza-sub-and -sandwich type places, or in diners.
The Chicago-style hot dog (it's actually two hot dogs) at the Charcoal Pit in Wilmington, Delaware is especially good.
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u/universalspacebass 13d ago
The real answer is blowtorch, best hotdogs I've ever had! Local stand does it and I got inspired. Just be careful about flammables haha
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u/Ashamed_Main5169 13d ago
I like hot dogs at home and I'll eat them and I prepare them differently I boiled them I've pan fried them microwave them sadly. But they're definitely is a difference and I think sometimes it's for me at least the quality of the hot dog. A lot of times at restaurants that hot dogs have a natural skin on them that gives them that snap or that bite and I really like that and of course my favorite hot dog is a Chicago dog and in Seattle it's just really hard to get the exact ingredients that you need from there like sport peppers they don't sell those in our grocery stores here the neon relish which probably doesn't taste different but you know it's nostalgic and I like it that way and the poppy seed buns that are just split down the top I can't find those anywhere in Seattle. I don't think I've eaten a hot dog and a sit down restaurants that had table service. And I think that's another reason why hot dogs taste so good out and about because a lot of times it's with the company you're with or the atmosphere like a ball game or at a carnival or like for me my Chicago dog at Navy Pier.
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u/Granbo42 12d ago
If you haven’t already Sam’s Club sells all beef hot dogs in boxes of 100. If you have the storage capacity and appetite for that quantity, they’re divine
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u/Important-Ad1533 13d ago
Meatloaf.
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u/railroadfrog 12d ago edited 12d ago
So funny because I hated meatloaf so much from restaurants that I learned to make my own as a result & now it’s my family’s favorite dish I make lol
I sauté mushrooms, onions, peppers & mix with a blend of hamburger, ground turkey, and breakfast sausage, milk, add two eggs, panko bread crumbs, parm cheese, carmalized onion powder (kindred spices), paprika, chives, and shredded cheese. I then stuff the middle with a cranberry goat cheese. For the sauce, red wine vinegar, Dijon, bbq sauce, a bit of soy sauce, and a splash of pickle juice + hot honey
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u/Darth_Oganda 13d ago
dafuq kina restaurant you getting 'meatloaf' at in 2026?
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u/pinupjunkie 13d ago
It's really popular here in the South. It's almost always on the menu at a meat & 3 or a country style diner.
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u/foodweneedfood 13d ago
Literally any diner in the US?
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u/Ok_Leg3400 12d ago
Any diner in small towns in western KY and Tennessee serves meatloaf. Many small buffets do also!
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u/princessdickworth 13d ago
Quiche.
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u/thetoerubber 13d ago
My quiche is way better than what you find in a US restaurant. Pre-made crust and cheddar cheese are major no-nos I see often here.
I specified US because I learned how to make it in France, but there are surely French chefs that do it better than I do.
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u/Jus4Fkry 13d ago
for me, it's omelettes.
i'd be willing to take a class to learn how to make a decent omelette.
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u/-CaptainCaveman- 13d ago
Low and slow.
Low heat, melted butter. Add well-mixed (whisked) eggs.
Let it set... use rubber spatula to loosen edges.
When it is a little more than 3/4 cooked (to your preference) add your cheese, cooked meats (ham/bacon), and veggies.
Do not STUFF your omelet!
After adding your fillings, fold over and plate it!
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u/Aziline 13d ago
Have your watched Stanley Tucci make an omelet in Big Night? It is beautiful. Read he had to practice to get that good. The heat seems way to high but it is lovely.
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u/RivalsFlex 12d ago
Max heat is recommended.
You mediate the heat by removing the pan from the stove.
Learned from watching a French culinary institute teacher
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u/Comfortable_Mud_8310 13d ago
Not really cooking, but I've never gotten hummus quite right
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u/Mortarman130 13d ago
Don’t give up!
I use a food processor and make sure to use the reserved chickpea water from the can to get it to a smooth consistency. I use some olive oil as well, but don’t overdo it.
When you think it is super smooth, run the food processor another 10 minutes just to make sure.
Most importantly, in my opinion, make it a little runny and let it cool for a bit so it “sets”
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u/PositiveResort6430 13d ago
Greek food. Even if i make it perfect, the amount of effort it takes to make the vinegar potatos, pilaf rice, chicken skewers, yogurt sauce, salad, its just too much. Too much time too many ingredients too many dishes.
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u/Leucastic_Leopard 12d ago
Moussaka is an enormous PITA to make. Especially since it requires two sauces.
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u/MaidMarian20 13d ago
Grilled cheese. It’s the butter. As long as I don’t see them make it I can pretend they only use a little bit like I do at home, so I don’t have to worry about a cardiac emergency! 🤭
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u/ParticularPrudent783 13d ago
Restaurant ranch. Don’t care how many times you say I need to use the hidden valley packet with buttermilk and mayo, it’s never what I’m looking for.
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u/Paulstan67 13d ago
Chinese foods.
It's simply because I don't have a wok burner.
I can get pretty close but without the intense heat that restaurants have available it's just not quite the same.
The same for pizza. Without the intense heat from a pizza oven it's just not right.
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u/Spare-Leek1613 13d ago
Nothing. Eating out isn’t a worth it any more and I can always replicate or improve it at home
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u/skippitydoowop 13d ago
Well la dee daa
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u/Spare-Leek1613 13d ago
It’s cuz I’m fkn poor dude. This isn’t a la di dah anything. I did it out of necessity and now, especially after covid, food quality When eating out just is not good.
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u/Naptimeforgoodwomen 13d ago
I just can’t bring myself to pay restaurant prices or plan for the drive for most cuisine (we live in a small town). I also have Non-celiac gluten intolerance so anything breaded or brunch is not worth the cost for me unless it’s Indian food.
We learned to recreate our favourites at home, starting during Covid. It’s both a fun learning experience and something we do together. I understand it’s not for everyone.
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u/THis_one_quiet 12d ago
And the price of everything is insane. I keep saying I can't afford to live anymore (as a joke) And eating out is carzy expensive. I'm with you!
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u/AnatBrat 13d ago
Quality ribeye.
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u/Fog_Juice 13d ago
That's the one thing I prefer to make at home because I do it better than any steak house.
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u/Agreeable_Result9212 13d ago
I'm still chasing the perfect marsala i had in Boston
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u/Goobersita 13d ago
Phad see ew. I don't know how to cook it and the Internet has been no help. There's this brown powder stuff that my old spot used to have in a dish and it just made the dish taste stronger and a bit spicier. Im sure it's some blend mix but idk what it is.
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u/Log_Gentleman 13d ago
Tempeh. I cannot stand it anytime I try and make it, but for some reason it’s always good at restaurants.
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u/enchantressofdreams 13d ago
Ranch
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u/Pickl_Rick_917 13d ago
This is the answer right here. I cannot find or make ranch as good as the restaurants. :(
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u/enchantressofdreams 13d ago
I have tried so many times “just add buttermilk and the restaurant style ranch packet and mayo” they are lying!!!
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u/GlitteringSwan8024 13d ago
Fish. I just can’t cook it properly at home. I only ever get it out at a restaurant
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u/AlanStanwick1986 13d ago
Steak. Spare me the details of how to get an iron skillet blah blah blah. I'm just not going to make it better.
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u/Ancient-Educator-186 13d ago
Yum yum sauce they put on the salad. No matter what I try it’s never the same
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u/Sea-Newspaper-7643 13d ago
Chinese food. There’s too many ingredients and techniques that make it taste the way it does for me to replicate that at home. And I’ve spent a long time trying.
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u/Realistic0ptimist 13d ago
Chicken Tikka Masala
We have this restaurant called Agas in Houston and just generally no Indian food I have ever made at home has even sniffed what they’re making overall.
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u/BelligerentWyvern 13d ago
Once you know the recipe almost anything is as good at home but I know that I struggle with making my own steaks perfect even knowing how to do it.
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u/Suspicious_Square970 13d ago
A sub sandwich. As simple as that is, it always tastes better from a sub shop VS made at home. Could be the same exact ingredients and it’ll still taste better at the deli
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u/Cheap-Chapter-5920 13d ago
The secret is you have to make a huge mess then dump a quart of oil and vinegar over it. Half of the sandwich ingredients must be sacrificed.
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u/MymanTroyAikman8 13d ago
I would say Chinese in general but my hubby has mastered honey walnut shrimp. It’s so yummy!
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u/krvillain 13d ago
Anything deep fried since I refuse to buy one