In spite of being vegetarian/pescatarian, I’m pretty adventurous and adaptable eater. My favorite foods have always come from a diverse spectrum of cultures. I love the main stream ethnic foods like Italian, French, Indian, Mexican, Thai, Chinese, etc… as well as some of the less mainstream like Ethiopian and Peruvian.
There is a growing problem however. As much as I love all these foods, when I can find them, back home in the United States, as soon as I have them in their respective home countries I’m ruined forever.
Even the best Chinese, Thai and Indian restaurants don’t compare to what I became accustomed to in China, Thailand and India.
As I eat my third plate of pasta in Italy it occurs to me I may never be able to eat pasta again in the United States.
The sauces here are so good. The pasta is al dente in a way I didn’t even know was possible.
I’m ruined.
My new favorite thing is tacos al pastor. Absolutely ruined by this taco stand that sets up every night here in Mexico, where I can stuff myself for three bucks.
No tofu or miso will ever be as good since I went to Kyoto. I keep searching. I remember a fish stew in Venice…. Oh dear! Now I’m starving and there is absolutely nothing that will satisfy. Damn you!
LOL… yes it’s embarrassing that some of the best sushi I’ve had was at an airport (Narita)… perhaps not truly the best ever, but certainly the best airport food I’ve ever had and on par with the good sushi restaurants I’ve been to in Southern California.
We know exactly what you mean Jon. We just got back to N. America after 2.5 years in Thailand and went to our first Thai restaurant. Although it was run by Thais, it was the worst Thai food we have ever had. And the truth is before we went to Thailand we probably would have thought it was incredible! We also got spoiled by olives in Turkey, Greece and Israel. But, out of all the problems in the world, I’ll take this one! 🙂
Enjoy your next trip, wherever it may take you.
I’ve long been ruined on Thai food in the US. I find that the proper sit down restaurants are the worst. There is a “fixed in place food truck” near us on Maui, it was always good, but ever since I chatted with the owner/cook in Thai it’s been even better.
I think a huge part of it is just that ingredients in the US are rarely fresh.
One of the strangest things here in Rome however has been that there are a LOT of restaurants that offer gluten free pasta and pizza For Elena this has been delightful. For me however these restaurants, some of which also offer regular pasta, have been been universally disappointing.
Heres’s the bizarre thing… They all have _by far_ the best gluten free pasta noodles and pizza dough I’ve _ever_ had… and I’ve had a lot. It’s that the sauces/toppings/flavors/etc… are not up to par with all the other restaurants in Rome.
I just don’t get it… If I could just get the sauces from KarmaZeta and pour it over the pasta noodles from Mama Eat or Voglia di Pizza. The food adventure continues.
Totally agree. I Iive between Dublin and Huahin (Thailand) and find the selection of Thai food, take aways and restaurants, to be heartbreakingly disappointing in Ireland. Ruined here too.