An overall score out of 100 will be computed based on the following criteria. A grade of A+ to E will also be awarded:

 

0-20 (incl.): E

20-40 (incl.): D

40-60(incl.): C

60-80(incl.): B

80-100: A

 

A+ grades are awarded on a discretionary basis.

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Additionally, 5 marks will be deducted for a restaurant that does not allow photos. The reason being if you don't allow photos, it's supposed to contribute to a better experience and hence you must make up for it in other aspects. Else the policy is not justified and the deduction is warranted. It also means a restaurant which does not allow photos will never be able to get full marks, which is definitely the case as far as I'm concerned.

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Each dish will be scored out of 20 based on a few criteria:

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1. Quality of food

2. Plating

3. Cooking Techniques

4. Balance - flavour components

5. Balance - 5 basic tastes

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What the criteria mean:

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1. Quality of food

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Quality of food is split into savoury and desserts as what makes a good main is very different from what makes a good dessert. Quality refers to the quality of ingredients used and the overall quality of the dish - it is possible to have good technique nice plating good ingredients but the end product looks like a dish assembled from random parts.

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2. Plating

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Plating does add aesthetics to the dish and it actually does contribute to the tastes sometimes - whether food is placed directly on top of sauces or to the side for instance.

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3. Cooking Techniques

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Were vegetables overcooked? Steak cooked to perfect doneness? Blanching done well? Fish steamed well? The list goes on.

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4. Balance - flavour components

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Whatever they claim, it should somewhat be there. I've lost count of the number of times a key ingredient like strawberries was mentioned but I couldn't see nor taste it. Flavours from ingredients should also not overpower one another, unless it was clearly intended.

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5. Balance - 5 basic tastes

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Sweet, Salty, Spicy, Sour, Umami. These 5 should be in balance and if one of them is in huge abundance it should not be unpleasant.

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On top of this, the meal and restaurant as a whole will be scored on a few criteria. Each of the criteria will be awarded a score out of 10.

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1. Quantity of food

2. Pacing of the meal

3. Flow/Sequence of the dishes

4. Restaurant Decor

5. Value for money

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What the criteria mean:

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1. Quantity of food

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The amount of food served. It should not be so much such that you can't stomach dessert, but you should not leave hungry either. I'll try to be as objective as possible, I'm a rather big eater so even if I leave a little hungry no marks will be deducted here.

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2. Pacing of the meal

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Pacing should be comfortable. No bullet train style or ridiculous 30-minute wait between dishes.

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3. Flow/sequence of the dishes

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The dishes should flow well, flavours should not clash - and most importantly the meal should not end on a sour note. This might be personal preference but I doubt many people would want to leave a restaurant after dropping 1k+ on a meal with a sour note in your mouth...

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4. Restaurant Decor

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Restaurant decor in general. It should not distract too much from the meal, it should possibly add to the experience. Bonus points if it is easy to take photos in.

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5. Value for money

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Restaurants which offer degustation/omakase are generally pricey to begin with, but that does not mean they should get away with charging $200 for a few slivers of truffle. This criteria takes into account the quality of ingredients, quantity, general experience and weighs it against the price.

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Overall Score:

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The overall score of the restaurant will be computed as follows:

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1. The average scores of the dishes will be computed and rebased to 50.

2. This average score will be added to the scores of the 5 criteria.

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This gives a total score out of 100.