When does a food trend go too far? It depends who you ask. For me, I can’t get enough of the caviar craze, but others think it’s excessive. Meanwhile, I’m sick of seeing American cheese everywhere, ruining perfectly good burgers; but some swear it has the best texture, even though it tastes disgusting.
Obviously, this is a subject many chefs have strong opinions on, so I asked 17 of them what they think are the most overrated food trends right now. From truffles to edible flowers, here’s what they said.
The Liberal Use of Luxury Ingredients
“Uni, truffles, caviar — these ingredients used to be special. Now they’re often tossed onto dishes just to make them seem more luxurious for Instagram. We’re living in a time where presentation is sometimes prioritized over purpose, and the integrity of a dish can get lost in the hype.” — David Garcia, executive chef of Eddie & Vinny’s
“You can find caviar on pretty much anything these days, from a lobster roll, to a fried chicken sandwich, to even just taking a caviar bump off your hand. This has made caviar more of a mainstream, household staple rather than this luxury, special item. I’m a big believer that caviar shouldn’t be mixed and eaten with anything. Caviar should be savored in its purest form. When buried under layers of cheese, sauces or fried toppings, you start to lose the unique flavor and texture. You lose its distinct, briny, oceanic flavor and, most importantly, its delicate pop. Caviar is like an expensive bottle of wine — you should savor it in every bite and be able to taste the complexity of the item at hand. It should be the star of the show, not just another topping mixed in with hundreds of flavors.” — Eldredge Ropolo, director of operations and chief operating officer at Washington Street Hospitality
“As someone who’s worked as a private chef in New York City for many years, to me the most overrated food trends are caviar and truffle. I just don’t have a fancy enough palate to understand why salty little fish roe are so popular. As for truffles, I don’t think they taste any better than dried shiitake mushrooms; personally I love the fragrance of shiitakes in broth, stir-fried, even slowly grilled.” — Chuck Valla, chef and owner of Valla Table
“As much as I appreciate creativity in the kitchen, some trends feel more like style over substance. One that stands out is the obsession with truffle mushrooms, especially when synthetic truffle oil is being used. It overpowers dishes, lacks nuance and often masks what could have been great ingredients.” — Sarabjit Singh Assi, executive chef of Sanjh Restaurant & Bar
“Caviar, which I’ve seen on desserts as well, is a true delicacy and deserves to be treated with respect. It should enhance a dish, both in flavor and experience, not just serve as a decorative garnish.” — Chef Gabriel Kreuther
Messy Food Tables
“I think a food trend that is extremely overrated are nacho tables or any other food table. It’s one thing to have nachos, charcuterie or any number of dishes available at a party or event. But dedicating an entire table to pre-smothered food like it’s a trough has never sat right with me.” — Amanda Wachowski, chef at Beggars Banquet
Pointless Garnishes
“I’m not sure it even qualifies as a new trend anymore (it’s been happening for years), but I have a deep dislike for the use of edible flowers in cooking. In my view, food should be able to garnish itself. If a dish needs color or visual appeal, that should come from ingredients that contribute meaningfully to the overall flavor and balance of the plate. Just because something is technically edible doesn’t mean it belongs on the plate. Most edible flowers offer little to no flavor, and more often than not, they get pushed aside rather than eaten. They distract from the experience rather than enhance it. Call me old-fashioned, but I’d much rather see those flowers left in the garden, where they belong, feeding the bees so they can keep making us honey.” — Michael Mayer, executive chef of La Fuga
“I feel like tuiles [delicate French wafers] are a bit overdone these days. You see them on everything from food to desserts to drinks. I think they’ve lost their original purpose of adding texture, and now they’re mostly just decorative. The trend is intended to make things look pretty by placing a fish, leaf or a butterfly tuile on something — it is on the rise, and I’ve been seeing it more and more. I have always believed in adding an element to a dish if it adds value and meaning, and if the end product looks beautiful, that’s a plus. But when you’re using tuile in so many things, it feels forced. It all comes down to when it makes sense.” — Chetan Shetty, executive chef of Passerine
Dinner Party Luxe: How to Dish Out the Most Expensive Ingredients
And why they’re worth splurging onFusion Cuisine
“Global fusion. In the wrong hands, global fusion leads to confusion and is a big issue in food. It sounds great on paper but does not always pan out on the palate.” — Franklin Becker, chef of Point Seven
Simple Foods Overdone
“Mac n’ cheese with too many ingredients. Stop smackin’ the mac!” — Melba Wilson of Melba’s
Food Made for the ‘Gram
“Food that looks good for a photo but tastes like a picture, not a dish.” — Marc Forgione, executive chef and owner of Forgione and Peasant
Avocado Toast
“Avocado toast. Look, I have no problem with it, but the fact that it’s been considered a trend for years still baffles me.” — Sean Thompson, executive chef at Porter House
Protein Everything
“Veganism and plant-based was a huge trend in the ‘00s and ‘10s. As soon as the ‘20s happened, we switched. Now everyone is a carnivore, eating as much protein and fat as possible. This craze/trend is having massive repercussions, not only on health, but most importantly farming. Losing sight of the health benefits and bountiful flavors of vegetables is a sad thing to watch.” — Sam Hart, owner of Irreverently Refined Hospitality and executive chef of Counter-
Over-the-Top Omakases
“I think all the places that layer Wagyu, uni and caviar on top of sushi. I love all of these ingredients when used accordingly, but the idea of taking 10 luxury items and piling them on top of each other, to me, loses the point of each of the ingredients. And dare I say it, but every week another omakase place opens up. I think it’s starting to become less special, and I’ll leave it at that.” — Marc Spitzer, executive chef and partner at Okaru
“Over-the-top omakase. Too many flashy toppings and contemporary takes on sushi are distracting and take away from the quality of the fish. I prefer to let ingredients speak for themselves through thoughtful preparation without the addition of anything that makes you question if you are even eating sushi.” — Ben Chen, chef of Sushi Ouji
Goji Berries
“As a Chinese-born chef, I find the superfood trend around goji berries overrated. They’ve long been used in our cuisine not just for flavor, but for their health benefits, often alongside other traditional Chinese medicinal ingredients. The Western hype tends to isolate them from that holistic context and turn them into a standalone health food. At Maison Sun, we incorporated goji berries into a dessert course in a way that respects their traditional role, as one thoughtful element among many.” — Zhaojin Dai, chef of Maison Sun
Name-Brand Ingredients
“I think too many chefs use an excessive amount of branded products. While some are genuinely delicious, a lot of the branded products are focused on marketing and packaging with higher costs because of name recognition. Many chefs and restaurants feel obligated to use them at times, as customers naturally assume non-branded items are inferior.” — Mitsunobu Nagae, chef of l’abeille and l’abeille à côté
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