And the chef will make something out of them. The restaurant doesn't have to stock any ingredients except maybe some sauces and spices, you don't pay as much for your meal, and you get to get rid of all those miscellaneous ingredients left in the fridge at the end of the pay period that might otherwise get thrown out. Win-win.-- 21 Quest, Jul 08 2010 Vindaloo http://www.youtube....watch?v=0T1pXsJp_goYou can shoot me if you want, but this is just soooo bad, that I like it. The vindaloo chant starts after about 2 minutes. I just wonder what the American equivalent would be like? Probably even worse, and therefore somehow even better because of it. [xenzag, Jul 08 2010] Ready Steady Cook http://www.youtube....watch?v=TZ1DUmcBkJo [Jinbish, Jul 08 2010] Good idea. A friend of mine who lives in California always brings here own hot spices when she goes to Indian restaurants, because she finds the curries so bland. (she used to live in the UK where Vindaloo is a national dish) +-- xenzag, Jul 08 2010 The "Vindaloo" link reminds me of what a video collaboration of the Stone Roses singing "Stellify" with Robert Llewellyn of "Car Pool" and "Scrapheap Challenge" fame might look like. But that's Britain for you.-- jurist, Jul 08 2010 Given suggested ingredients for chef-specials or popular dishes, I can see this as a popular trendy restaurant. [+]-- swimswim, Jul 08 2010 One of the cooking shows on the Food network does something like this, where chefs are given whatever is in the fridge and they have to dream up a delish-dish!
I don't think I'd want to bring my own ingredients to a restaurant though- I mean the reason I'm going to a restaurant is because I don't want to do anything! [ ]-- xandram, Jul 08 2010 Cool, you can bring in a fishbone! [-]-- daseva, Jul 08 2010 Ever been to a "Mongolian Barbeque"? It's a sort of halfway house between this, and a buffet. You go up to the counter, choose the bits you want cooked, and take them over to the chef, who quickly mullers them before giving them back for your delectation. Quite fun really.-- zen_tom, Jul 08 2010 That was actually one of my inspirations for this, Tom. I love Mongolian Barbeque.-- 21 Quest, Jul 08 2010 This would be fun! In particular, I'd love to see what a decent chef did with my chosen ingredients.
It would also be great fun for the chef. However, patrons tempted to test the chef by bringing chocolate, tomatoes and gherkins would have to accept whatever sense of humour the chef had.
Drawbacks: (1) I don't think it could be any cheaper than a normal meal out. The chefs have to work harder than if they are cooking to a set menu, and the cost of ingredients for most meals is a small proportion of the bill anyway. (2) You might have to wait longer; in a normal kitchen, they have things set up to deal with orders from the menu (eg, they'll have some sauces made up, stocks, vegetables diced and maybe par-boiled, and some level of pre-preparedness). This wouldn't be the case if you turned up with a partridge, a turnip and some borlotti beans.
[+]-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jul 08 2010 Good point about the time waiting. It had occurred to me, but I was thinking a rec room with pool tables, ping pong, and arcade games would provide a place for patrons to wait.-- 21 Quest, Jul 08 2010 now that you've added the rec room, I want to give it a [-], but I'll refrain...-- xandram, Jul 08 2010 I like it. So do meanmemumanmedadanmegran.-- gnomethang, Jul 08 2010 Just a thought was all, Xan. I'll leave it out of the post.
@ Xenzag, perhaps I've been misinformed, but it's been my understanding that British food was notoriously bland compared to American fare. I really have got to get across the pond and try it for myself...-- 21 Quest, Jul 08 2010 //a rec room with pool tables, ping pong, and arcade games would provide a place for patrons to wait//
Ah - I was thinking of something with a bit more class - maybe a dinner theatre. The people you describe would be "customers" rather than "patrons" (or "eaters" rather than "diners").-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jul 08 2010 //it's been my understanding that British food was notoriously bland compared to American fare.//
Indeed it is. As long as you compare 1950's Britain with, maybe, 2010 Mexico. Still, you can bring a bottle of chilli sauce if you're worried.
I was trying to find a country-by-country breakdown of Michelin-starred restaurants, and failed. Closest I found was a 2005 list of the best 50 restaurants in the world. England has 14 (including the number one slot), US has 9 (including the number 3 slot), France has 10. Come and try!-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jul 08 2010 Well, the sign does say BYOI... anyways, I like the idea for a place to bring in all your shit to confuse the chef with, not the class side of it though. Seeing as this isn't fully established []-- daseva, Jul 08 2010 My [+] stands, but to add to [MB]'s list of drawbacks, there could be confusion on identifying fault in food-poisoning cases at this type of restaurant. For example, was it the unsanitary nature of the cook's fingernails that caused the upset stomach, or was it the rotten gherkin supplied by the customer?-- swimswim, Jul 08 2010 Good point. I am therefore supplementing my bun with this additional and entirely metaphorical one, simply because a place like this would clash with good old Health and Safety.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jul 08 2010 Perhaps this would be better as a theme for a restaurant, with multiple locations catering to different clienteles. In any given city there'd be at least 2 different restaurants. One with a rec room, one with more sophisticated entertainment, or even cater to both in one location. Upstairs is the dinner theater/ comedy club, downstairs is the game room. Perhaps a more relaxed dress code for the downstairs area.-- 21 Quest, Jul 08 2010 well done 21-- po, Jul 08 2010 Thanks. Oddly enough, this came to me while I was stumbling home drunk from a bar last night. I passed a restaurant and stopped to talk to a waitress who was outside on a smoke break. I fixed her blackberry (she was cursing at it because it wasn't getting service), got her number, and went home... at some point this idea came to me.-- 21 Quest, Jul 08 2010 I would be glad to pay a decent cook half his day's wages, plus provide the food, If he provided the kitchen, table and candles and let me byob. You could have several cooks who turn only two or three tops a night. This is a great idea. +-- nomocrow, Jul 08 2010 //I fixed her blackberry (she was cursing at it because it wasn't getting service)//
If that entendre isn't double, I don't know what is.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jul 08 2010 If only RIM had called their flagship smartphone the "cherry"....-- 21 Quest, Jul 08 2010 Hey, they called themselves RIM. What more?-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jul 08 2010 That's my point. RIM Cherry....?-- 21 Quest, Jul 08 2010 Ah. D'oh. Aha. Ah.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jul 08 2010 We're talking about smartphones, right?-- daseva, Jul 09 2010 Were we?-- 21 Quest, Jul 09 2010 //I fixed her blackberry (she was cursing at it because it wasn't getting service), got her number, and took her home//
Does this mean we'll be seeing less of you on the HB?-- swimswim, Jul 09 2010 By no means! I'm a multitasker.-- 21 Quest, Jul 09 2010 Trying ... not ... to make... peanut butter ... cup ... joke ...-- nomocrow, Jul 09 2010 Hey Mack. You want salt on these frozen fries you brung then ya gotta bring yer own salt. We don't have salt. BYOI. Read the sign, Mack.
Someone could bring one rib in.
An ethnically diverse visually impaired guy might want a sign that says 'don't cook' on his helper dog.
Someone could panhandle for cooking and just find the ingredients on the way to the restaurant.
Great idea 21_Quest. Loved your solution to the long wait.-- Mustardface, Jul 09 2010 Thanks, Mustard. Personally, I like the idea of the two-floor version. Some days I'm in the mood for both kinds of entertainment.-- 21 Quest, Jul 11 2010 random, halfbakery