Why is good simple food so hard ?

[Noger]

Was just adding a comment to the Good Food list to enthuse greatly about The West Beach in Bournemouth, and it struck me how rare places that that are.

I am a big fan of the haute cuisine end of the market, but for everyday eating simple is best. So why do restaurants find it so hard to do ?

The West Beach is basically a fairly nondescript beachfront place that specialises in fish. And very very good fish it is too. But they key is that it is not mucked about with.

On Monday we had Local Bass, with some grilled courgettes and crispy parma ham. Just 3 ingredients. And some oil drizzled on. It was perfect. But so many places would have not been confident in their abilties, and bunged a load more stuff on. Garnished it up to the eyeballs.

Is it confidence in your product that allows you to do this (and charge quite a lot for it, but for a Monday lunch in September the place was packed, so they are doing something right) ? Or is it other place's pander to their clienteles need for carrots and cauli in a little dish on the side ?

[Noger]

It is interesting that people think it is more to do with the clientele, and the chef pandering to what they think their guests want. Sad but often true.