Annoying Things in life #5. Blunt Restaurant Knives

Nearly everyone I know enjoys eating out at a restaurant from time to time. Clearly there are many meal options from which to choose, but the majority require utensils including a knife and fork. Unless you are ordering soup or simple omelette, the knife becomes an essential utensil in helping to consume the meal successfully and neatly. I have lost count of how many times I have been at a restaurant where the knife is so blunt that I am unable to cut a component of the meal (usually protein) without feeling like I am needing to use a chopping or sawing action. It is always a telling sign when you order a steak at a restaurant and the (better) restaurants will bring out a specific steak knife to your place setting prior to the meal arriving. I appreciate the gesture of course, but this generally indicates to me that they are acknowledging that their normal knives are not up to the task! As someone who has a love of sharp knives (nothing to do with my time working in the operating theatre?!) it really impresses me when a restaurant has good cutlery including sharp knives. Has anyone else had the same experience? A similar theme applies to the knives in my kitchen – I am a fan of beautiful Japanese knives and other efficient gadgets – but that is a topic for another post. Enjoy your next meal out and hopefully you will be able to complete the cutting of your chicken, beef, lamb, pork or steak without straining your forearm muscles.

 Look out for my next posting in the following week