I've learned that the Michelin Guide tends to be a bit Euro-centric and the top percentile of its ranked restaurants tends to incorporate elements of molecular gastronomy (the new hotness these days), which isn't everyone's cup of tea.

I ate a Michelin restaurant in San Sebastian (Basque Country) a few weeks ago. New Basque Cuisine is heavily reliant on fresh ingredients, which is its hallmark, but this restaurant also tried to present its dishes using molecular gastronomy inspired techniques (i.e. foam of sea water, etc.).

It was such a heavily cerebral experience (trying to figure out what I was supposed to be tasting etc.) that I had no more energy to simply enjoy the food on an emotional level. In that sense, I think Michelin restaurants miss the mark.

I learned that I'm more interested in food that people miss when they move away. I'm thinking of Brazilian stews like moqueca de peixe (fish stew), bobo de camarao (shrimp stew) or even feijoada (pork and beans with rice). These are simple every day foods that are enjoyable on a visceral level, and that one thinks about wistfully when one is abroad. I don't think I could ever miss food from a Michelin restaurant.