To judge the quality of a review, you have to understand where the reviewer is coming from. How many times have you read a glowing review like “OMG best sushi in the city!!” or “Most delicious burger in my life”, and was disappointed by the reality? Well, the reviewers may not be lying. Maybe the city only has three sushi restaurants and that was the best. Maybe you’ve dined at critically-acclaimed restaurants in Japan while they haven’t. Maybe they only had fast-food burgers their whole life and it was their first time trying a gourmet burger.
My eating profile
So, to give you some context for my reviews, here is my background as a foodie. I have visited over 100 countries in all continents. I have sampled the major cuisines of the world in their home countries. I seek out the best-in-class when I travel. For example, the best momos in Kathmandu or the best arepas in Bogota. It can be a dingy hole-in-the-wall or a posh restaurant. Ambience, service, and location doesn’t matter (much). It’s all about the food.
I travel to the corners of the Greater Toronto Area because that’s where some of the best ethnic food can be found. I try to go to a new place each week. It’s easy because my list of places to try is long.
I prefer street food and food that regular people eat. I’m not a fine dining person, but I’ve been to numerous Michelin-starred restaurants and high-end establishments.
If I’m unfamiliar with a particular cuisine, I will mention that in the review.
Review policy
- Reviews are done incognito. I avoid preferential treatment so that my experience will be typical of a normal customer. That said, it’s difficult to keep a low profile when I’m taking photos of everything.
- Neutral photos. No fancy lighting or re-plating of food. The aim is to present an accurate visual experience, not make food look better or worse than it is.
- Service is not reviewed unless it is exceptionally good or bad.
- I pay for my food.
- Prices mentioned include taxes and mandatory charges but exclude tips. As a customer, the final price matters the most. Not how much goes to the owner, the landlord, the waitstaff, the government, or the mafia.
- No reviews below 5 out of 10. There’s the old saying that if you have nothing good to say, it’s better to say nothing at all.
Scoring
General weighting is
- 80% for food
- 15% for value
- 5% for service and ambience
Value is not the same as price. It’s easy to create delicious dishes with expensive ingredients. Restaurants score high on value when they price their dishes below the industry average for raw ingredient cost, portion size, and skill level.