Our decisions are often times influenced by people around us, especially by so called "experts" and persons in authority.  Many times, we fail to rely on our own judgement for fear of appearing ignorant or offensive to others.  This is what inspired a consultancy firm to conduct a social experiment in Hong Kong as reported by CNN.

CatchOn, a Hong Kong-based independent strategic marketing and communications consultancy, wants to prove if a presence of a chef really affects the perception and the over-all dining experience.  So they conducted a social experiment on 48 unsuspecting diners at Serge et le Phoque, a French restaurant, in Hong Kong  and the results were what they expected.

The 48 guests were under the impression that they were taking part in a food testing to help the restaurant's chef reform the dish.  They were served saffron risotto with licorice and lime prepared in two ways.  The first version used rich ingredients and was served with a nondescript card stating the ingredients.  On the other hand, the second version used bouillon powder diluted in plain tap water but was introduced personally by the chef.  Chef Charles Pelletier, went to each table, relaying childhood memories that inspired the dish and describing the source of ingredients used.  "So another version of the risotto, very small changes but important ones," Pelletier tells his diners. "Iranian saffron, Japanese rice, French.  It looks like a stick of wood, we would use it as candy as a kid and suck it -- it's weird but it's good! Bon appetit, merci beaucoup."

The diners were then asked to rate both versions according quality, overall taste, presentation, smell and portion size.  At the last part, they were asked to choose their preferred version.  Results show that majority of the diners preferred the second version with inferior ingredients.  This version also rated higher in terms of quality, overall taste, presentation and portion size.  What was fascinating was the fact that both versions were served in the same portion size.  The diners left without knowing they took part of a social experiment.

This only shows that the gastronomic experience can be elevated with the presence of chefs as the phenomenon of celebrity chef grows, regardless of ingredients and execution.  More so, it also indicates the growing demand for chef's to be effective communicators.  As Virginia Ngai, CatchOn's director of strategy, explains, "It's hard to imagine legendary chefs having to charm diners into embracing their food. But this is the reality of what it takes for chefs to be successful today. They've got to be equal parts scientist, artist and storyteller to stand out".

Pelletier couldn't agree more.  He is actually a co-owner of Serge et Le Phoque and not a real chef.  He agreed to take part in the experiment to know how people react to storytelling since the restaurant runs surprise menus all time.  The experiment only proves that dining has been more theatrical than before.