Pompousness is dead. Where is fine dining heading?

I am both too young and too new to the restaurant industry to have had the chance to experience the Nouvelle Cuisine being constructed, one chef at a time, in the 70s in France. At the heart of this novel movement was none other than the recently formed Gault&Millau guide, also known as Le Nouveau Guide. The movement, whose principles were lighter, more visually pleasing and intelligently cooked food, was a major turning point for high-end dining. The revolution persisted, as every country started modernising its cuisine.

It is difficult to imagine how luxury restaurants were before the Nouvelle Cuisine movement. Thankfully, there were both photographs and food critics to make it easier for our imagination. For us, millennials, even restaurants with starched, white tablecloths are a thing of the past, a somehow astonishing relic that still feeds hungry die-hards. As pompousness surrenders to modernity and hipsters, where is fine dining heading, after all?

I still remember the fascination that besieged me as I indulged in my first fine dining meal. The eight-course tasting menu was a delight to all senses. It felt like the servers sang chants that listed uncountable elements and ingredients that made up every dish. There were pairings that my novice palate had never deemed possible. In all that time, I prayed that my memory would…