Foods You Should Never Order According To Chefs

Disappointment is, unfortunately, a harsh reality in the world of foodies. We've all experienced the let-down of looking forward to trying out a new restaurant, then when the big night finally arrives, receiving a meal that is underwhelming (to say the least). You did your research, scheduled the babysitter, even called ahead for reservations, but when the food came, it was just blah.

That happens to all of us sometimes, but fortunately there are some ways to avoid that. First, make sure not to order the wrong dish. No one knows what dishes you should avoid better than seasoned chefs, and these ones all have foods they steer clear of, no matter what — even at the fanciest of restaurants. It may be because the food usually isn't fresh — or even what it claims to be, or it may just be that certain dishes are never as exciting as you think they're going to be. Either way, steer clear of these restaurant dishes. 

Kobe beef is the best of the best, but if the special sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Kobe beef doesn't come cheap, so if the restaurant has a special deal, be skeptical.

"You're probably getting Wagyu beef, since all Kobe beef is Wagyu but not all Wagyu is Kobe beef. The labeling is used very loosely in the United States, and there is also only a number of restaurants that serve real Kobe since it's very limited. Some Japanese breed could be called Kobe, because of its very supreme quality and hence the mislabeling," warned Tai. "Educate yourself. You are the one who is going to eat it. If you are paying a price to eat out and to enjoy an experience, by all means you want to know what is it you're enjoying."

Don't be afraid to ask more questions before you place your order.

Chefs are serious about their food, so when it comes to processed food products, they usually pass. Processed food never tastes as good as fresh and comes with a laundry list of negatives. "All the leading causes [of death] are directly related to processed food," Canadian chef Michael Smith told MSN Lifestyle. "The single biggest ever number one [lie] was low fat... Low fat became high-processed sugar. More people have been killed by low fat than anything else in history." Stick to the real stuff.

I never order oysters at a restaurant (or anywhere), because they are salty, slimy slugs that should not be consumed by humans. Now I know not everyone shares my disgust for oysters, but you still shouldn't order them in restaurants. At the very least, it pays to be very picky. Before ordering, know where they came from and when they arrived at the restaurant. "If handled and stored incorrectly, raw oysters can kill you," Cordon Bleu-trained chef Mark Nichols told Reader's Digest. See? Steer clear of the oysters.

Eating out is a celebration, so treat it like one. Branch out and try something new. Always sticking with the same dish, like the house salad, will leave you bored. "When I go to a restaurant and sit with a menu, I tend to stay away from the House Salad," Chef Kayson Chong told Reader's Digest. "I prefer to have something special that a chef created with seasonal products and interesting combinations. I like experiencing new and exciting things to eat when I go to other restaurants, not something I can find easily anywhere."

The bread basket is one of those things that always looks better than it is. You arrive at the restaurant starving, and suddenly that incredible-looking bread basket makes its way to your table. You dig in, unable to resist. Unfortunately, that bread may have just been on your neighbor's table. That's why chefs avoid it. According to Food Network's chef survey, it's not uncommon for uneaten bread to make its way to multiple tables.

When dining at a new restaurant, always take a look at the specials. If there are too many to count, it's best to avoid them. "Specials are there to disappear throughout the evening," Chef Gordon Ramsay told Cosmopolitan. "When they list ten specials, that's not special."

It's also best to avoid any dishes that have crazy names. Ramsay does not approve of labeling a dish "wicked," "famous," or "the best."

"Who said that? Who named that?" he asked. Order a dish, because the food is amazing, not because the restaurant had to get creative with the name.

If you tend to enjoy the finer things in life, you may be better off savoring them at home. Luxury food items have a higher markup and are almost never worth the extra cost. "I avoid high-end ingredients like white truffles and caviar, because as a chef, I can get them wholesale for much cheaper," Lost at Sea chef Tim Carey told me. "However, for guests, they may find that these ingredients are less costly outside of a restaurant at retail stores."

Do a little research on Pinterest and Youtube, then head out to the grocery store. You can prepare your own gourmet meals at home for a fraction of the cost. Light a few candles, put on some soft music, and you've just created your own high-end restaurant in your kitchen.

Valentine's day comes with a lot of pressure. You have to make a reservation weeks ahead of time, and if you happen to forget until the day before, don't even bother trying. The irony is that Valentine's day is actually the worst time to try out a new restaurant. The preset Valentine menu is never a good move, and chefs avoid it.

"Valentine's day is the worst day of the year to go out," chef Gordon Ramsey told Town & Country. "Busy kitchens with tons of diners means you don't get the true feeling of the restaurant. You should be cooking on Valentine's. What's more romantic than a meal cooked for your partner with good bottle of wine?"

So head to the grocery store with your partner and enjoy planning a romantic meal together. Ditch the prix fixe and choose what you actually like.