Do you like to make copycat recipes (aka "clones" of restaurant dishes)? Why?

Question

I'm writing a story about home cooks who enjoy duplicating recipes from restaurants -- like Applebees, Red Lobster, Swiss Chalet, etc. I'm curious to hear from people who like to do this, especially in Canada. Do you do it to save money? To make restaurant recipes more healthy? Or is it the thrill of sleuthing out and recreating a "secret" recipe? Or some combination/something else? Please e-mail me if you'd like to chat about this phenomenon. Thanks!

Answer 1

Often, the duplicates aren't that much cheaper, actually.

Mostly, it's the challenge.

But it's also the ability to have the food at home, at your convenience. I have dishes that I'd love to be able to put together on a Sunday night, rather than packing up the family and driving to the restaurant that serves it.

Answer 2

Personally, I don't like doing that. The copycat recipes I've tried are nowhere near what I've had in the restaurant. I mean, they're decent, but not the same. I know from the restaurant that they're really secret recipes, and the sauces come in bags and nobody really knows what's in them anyway.

Answer 3

In my case its because I don't eat out very often so it gives me an opportunity to enjoy the particular dish that I'm making without having to go to a restaurant for it.

Take the Red Lobster biscuits for example: Delicious! But I don't want to have an entire meal there....nor could I afford to do so on as regular a basis as I'd like to have the biscuits. And they don't sell them in an individual a la carte to-go situation, so there you go.

Answer 4

I do it for the challenge of it. A dish will often get a reputation as top-notch, and it's fun to NOT have to go to that restaurant to get it.

Saving money is part of it; no tip, no tax, no overpriced alcoholic bevrages... but you can do it at home w/ friends, you don't have to stay seated at one table, when the kidsa re ready to get up and run around they can AND there are toys and backyards to keep them occupied.

Some recipes are ridiculously easy, and too simple to NOT try at home. Like Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits or Outback's Tiger Sauce for steaks. But some dishes, like a Blooming Onion from Outback, are NOT work doing at home... do it once and you'll happily pay the $6 for a fried onion!

Answer 5

Actually I don't use the CC recipes, I trust my tongue to tell me what something has in it, do it enough times and you start to see a pattern of ingredients. Restaurants create dishes to appeal to the masses and they stick to a formula that they hope everybody likes, hence the copy cats. I try and recreate alot of dishes and tweak them to make them just a bit better for my taste. Everybody has access to the ingredients, it's having the knowledge of combinations that makes a successful CC.

Answer 6

Hihi... Welcome to Singapore... Food that you have to try while in Singapore are: 1) Rojak-It's a appetiser (salad) made up of pineapple, turnip, beansprout, you tiao with prawn sauce... 2)Hainanese chicken rice- My favourite stall is the one at Downtown East (Pasir Ris) food court. 3) Fish head curry- There is one restaurant at Race Course Road (Little India)... Muthu's Curry that serve really good and spicy curry fish head... 4) Curry/ chilli crab- the one at Jumbo seafood restaurant (Boat Quay) or No-Signature restaurant (Esplanade)is really good. 5) Roti prata- the "so-called" indian pancake to be eaten with curry. Most food courts/ hawker centres sell this. 6) Satay- barbeque meat (chicken,beef,mutton, duck, pork) to be dipped with a spicy peanut sauce@Lau Pat Sat(Raffles Place MRT). There is one area that have many stalls selling nothing but just satays. You can also find teh terik there... Enjoy ur stay in Singapore... and Happy Eating!!!

Answer 7

Yes, because every time I leave a restaurant, I feel that I could have made the same dish, BETTER, at a fraction of the cost.

Answer 8

if there is a dish i really like, then i want the recipe to make for my family/friends......it is not so much it was introduced at a restaurant -- just that it was really good. also,good chefs can come up with really great dishes.

Answer 9

I actually to, i test new things out or twist it around if its good. Like when i went to a local restaurant they had this really bread dipping mixture. Since its good, i like to impress my friends with it, to me its always good to look and be good in front of your friends. Presentation is not everything, but its a plus!

Answer 10

I like to improve on them,sometimes they better then restaurants,but then sometimes they are not too good,it nice to make them on your own,then you can romantic dinners at home in privacy,YUP