There are few things more awkward than wondering if you’re breaking an unspoken dining rule.
If you’ve ever sat down at a fancy restaurant, taken a bite of your meal, and wished you had a salt shaker within reach, you may have wondered if asking your server for one is considered rude.
The good news? You don’t have to eat a dish that doesn’t suit your taste just to avoid offending the chef, but there is one thing you should do before reaching for the salt.
“Requesting additional salt at a fine dining restaurant is not rude, but I do think there is something to be said for tasting a dish as the chef intended before adjusting,” Chef Robert Kalish, an instructor at Johnson & Wales University’s College of Food Innovation & Technology in Charlotte, North Carolina, tells Southern Living.
At chef-driven restaurants, you may notice that salt and pepper shakers are nowhere to be found on the table. That’s often intentional, Kalish says. Chefs carefully season dishes throughout the cooking process, building layers of flavor rather than simply adding salt at the end.
“As chefs, we spend years developing our palates and learning how to build and balance flavors throughout the cooking process,” Kalish says, adding that seasoning is not simply something we add at the end. “It is an essential part of creating a dish, usually by layering flavors onto each other.”
That attention to detail can make a difference in how a dish tastes as a whole. Kalish points to pan-seared duck breast served with parsnip purée and a tart cherry gastrique as an example.
“The chef has carefully balanced the richness of the duck, the natural sweetness of the parsnips, and the acidity of the sauce. Each component of the dish is seasoned individually, but they are designed to complement one another when together,” he says.
That’s why Kalish recommends tasting a little of everything together before deciding whether you need more salt.
“You might find that what seemed under seasoned on its own makes perfect sense when all those flavors come together,” he explains.
Of course, even the most carefully prepared meal won’t appeal to every palate in exactly the same way, and that’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Just politely ask your server.
“I believe we should respect the chef’s intention without forgetting that dining is about the guest’s enjoyment,” Kalish says. “Throughout my career in both fine dining and casual restaurants, I have always believed that a chef’s responsibility is to prepare food with care and intention, while recognizing that the guest’s enjoyment is what matters.”
Kalish says there’s no need to apologize or worry that you’ve insulted the kitchen. In fact, a good restaurant may use the request as an opportunity to make your meal even better.
Trained staff might offer a selection of salts, such as truffle salt, fleur de sel, or Himalayan pink salt. These options can bring different qualities to a dish beyond simply adding saltiness, giving diners a chance to find what best suits their preferences.
“The best hospitality leaves room for both,” Kalish says, referring to respecting a chef’s intentions while recognizing that guests have their own tastes.
Read the original article on Southern Living
