History Main / SnootyHauteCuisine

* Serendipity 3, a New York-based restaurant has a reputation for offering extremely expensive food:

** They serve the most expensive sandwich in the world: the Quintessential Grilled Cheese that has such decadent ingredients the thing has to be ordered at least 2 days in advance. The bread is baked with Dom Perignon champagne and edible gold and then brushed with truffle oil and then the edges are crusted in more edible gold. The cheese is an extremely rare kind made from the milk of a cow breed consisting of only 25,000 individuals that also lactate only two months a year to boot. The sandwich is served with tomato bisque with lobster in it.
** There's the Golden Opulence Sundae, which also must be ordered at least 2 days in advance. The ice cream is Tahitian vanilla covered with a 23-karat gold leaf, the type of chocolate is one of the most expensive in the world, it comes with dessert caviar and fruits from Paris, has an artfully crafted sugar flower, and comes in a crystal goblet the buyer can keep.

** Shiori's status as a wealthy heiress is perhaps best demonstrated when she's trapped in a building with her bodyguards with hordes of mechanical monsters outside. While holding out in a barricaded room, she decides to dip into her emergency rations... which are more or less still a restaurant-quality meal eaten off a plate with a knife and fork atop a folding table. Even while in a life-or-death situation, Shiori still manages to dine in a manner befitting her station.

->PHILADELPHIA—As the fifth plate of his 10-course, $150 prix fixe tasting menu dinner was carefully placed on the manicured table in front of him, Kohl-Strauss Media Group CEO Tom Byatt reportedly told a colleague Tuesday that in order for the company to stay afloat in this adverse economic climate, staff layoffs would likely be necessary.

* Serendipity 3, a New York-based restaurant that had a reputation for offering extremely expensive food, debuted their "Haute Dog" on National Hot Dog Day 2010. It was a foot-long frank grilled in white truffle butter and garnished with black truffles and foie gras, and sold for [[LOL69 $69 dollars]].

* ''Literature/AmericanPsycho'': Keeping with the book's vicious parodying of the '80s upper-class yuppie lifestyle, Patrick Bateman repeatedly sings praises of the nouvelle cuisine that he and his colleagues eat to flaunt their wealth and social status. However, these dishes turn out to be [[HauteCuisineIsWeird fairly ridiculous]] (and in some cases outright inedible) when stripped of their glamour, indicating that Patrick and company only care about the fancy image that the food gives them. In the film adaptation, the more bizarre aspects of their food isn't touched on, instead focusing solely on how the yuppies seek reservations at these high-class restaurants to prove how sophisticated they are.

* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'': As heir to the throne, not only is Elayne accustomed to the kind of food prepared by royal chefs but she can somehow [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething make elaborate, finicky meals]] while traveling [[KingIncognito incognito]]. Nynaeve realizes that Elayne is simply making what she knows, not showing off.

* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'': As heir to the throne, not only is Elayne accustomed to the kind of food prepared by royal chefs but she can [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething cook haute cuisine herself]] while traveling [[KingIncognito incognito]]. Nynaeve realizes that Elayne is simply making what she knows, not showing off.

* This trope is utterly [[DeconstructedTrope deconstructed]] in ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'', perhaps as a natural consequence of being a movie about [[FrenchCuisineIsHaughty French cuisine]]. The lovable [[BigFun Chef Gusteau]] firmly believes that [[ArcWords "anyone can cook"]] and thinks haute cuisine should be accessible to everyone, but he's still heartbroken when CausticCritic Anton Ego gives his restaurant a bad review--to the point where he dies from the shame. Similarly, Gusteau's name being tied to a line of frozen dinners is viewed as incredibly insulting, as his followers believe that his name should be associated with greatness, not "common" food like microwavable meals. Ego himself makes a point of only eating and drinking the finest items available, best demonstrated by his taste for ''Chateau Cheval Blanc'', an extremely expensive vintage. Later, Colette notes that "people think haute cuisine is snooty, so chef must also be snooty, but not so." [[spoiler: And when Remy is faced with preparing dinner for Ego, he chooses ratatouille, which Colette initially describes as "a peasant dish" because it's made from simple ingredients. However, a single bite takes Ego back to his poverty-stricken childhood, when his mother would prepare it for him when he was sad. Ultimately, the movie's argument seems to be that while haute cuisine can be extravagant and snobbish, it is also a labor of love and should be celebrated for the joy it brings.]]

-->'''Zoidberg''': "Goose liver? Fish eggs? Where's the goose? Where's the fish?"
-->'''Elzar''': "Hey, that's what rich people eat; the garbage parts of the food."

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': When everyone on Earth gets a tax return of 300 dollars, [[PerpetualPoverty Dr. Zoidberg]] wants to try "rich people food", but it's less than impressed with caviar and foie gras.

the garbage parts of the food.

* M'nuka honey (sometimes spelled as manuka) is said to be richer in taste and healthier than conventional honey. The latter point has been disputed by scientists, who have found it to be [[AllNaturalSnakeOil no more beneficial]] than other types of honey. Despite this, it still fetches over $1,000 per kilogram, due to the fact that it comes from the nectar of a specific flower, ''Leptospermum scoparium'', aka manuka myrtle.

* The BigBad of ''VideoGame/Psychonauts2'', [[spoiler:Gristol Malik]], is an aristocrat in exile who loves caviar. Initially, he is content to live within the Lady Lucktopus hotel because they supply him with caviar, but in one memory, when he sees that they have run out, he decides right there to mastermind the plot to revive Maligula and conquer Grulovia, solely so he can reattain his IdleRich lifestyle and eat endless caviar.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'': Discussed when Colette notes that "people think haute cuisine is snooty, so chef must also be snooty, but not so".

Caviar, foie gras, and other such foods are notable for how expensive they are- and as such, being able to afford them can serve as a status symbol. Whereas PovertyFood is meant to show how poor and lower-class a character is, Snooty Haute Cuisine is instead a symbol of a character's immense wealth.

A form of ConspicuousConsumption, a character can be identified as rich when seeing them eat these expensive foods. In addition, consumers of Snooty Haute Cuisine will likely have extremely high standards for their palate and shun "commoner" foods, insisting on only the highest quality, most expensive foods money can buy. They will react to a simple hamburger as if it were revolting MysteryMeat. The commoners, in turn, will often hold the opinion that HauteCuisineIsWeird.

A su trope of FoodAsCharacterization. Compare GrapesOfLuxury, which is also a trope about showing luxury but is more about a character being fed by servants while seated or lying in a comfortable space. Also compare ExpensiveGlassOfCrap.

* ''LightNovel/TheCaseFilesOfJewelerRichard'': Wealthy BlueBlood Richard adamantly refuses to drink any tea that comes in a bottle, claiming it has "died" and the soul is gone -- which means making fresh tea from expensive leaves imported straight from Sri Lanka, every time. He also refuses to let Seigi buy sweets on sale, on the idea that buying sweets with an eye to price is less meaningful and disrespectful to the people they will later be served to. Of course, he also frequently takes Seigi out to fancy dinners together--and then orders himself strawberry parfaits.

* ''Anime/KillLaKill'' episode 7 does this to illustrate the RagsToRiches plot. The Mankanshoku family are initially content with eating strange MysteryMeat for meals, but when Ryuko and Mako rise up the ranks of Honnouji Academy, allowing them to gain more wealth, the family's living situation skyrockets. The family is now able to afford better quality ingredients, and once they can live in a big fancy mansion, they can have massive feasts of splendor. Unfortunately, this is around the same time that the family begins drifting apart and turning into snobs due to their newfound decadence, leaving poor Ryuko to eat alone. By the time they decide to give it all up at the end so they can be together again, they show no issues going back to the PovertyFood.

* In ''Film/TheJerk'', Navin and Maria take advantage of their [[NouveauRiche recently gained wealth]] by eating at a posh French restaurant, but [[TheDitz Navin]] winds up ComicallyMissingThePoint throughout. He insists on drinking the newest wine the restaurant has, rather than the vintage bottle the waiter initially brings out--and he gets angry when Maria's order of ''escargot'' has snails all over the plate.

* Kopi luwak, AKA civet coffee, is a special form of coffee that has been dubbed "the rarest coffee in the world", fetching $600 dollars a pound. Its high price tag is due to the fact that its beans are derived from one type of coffee cherry tree, and the fact that in order to create the coffee, the fruit has to be eaten by civets that later poop out the beans, making it a semi-literal case of SolidGoldPoop. Unfortunately, this has led to civets being forced into factory farm conditions where they are force-fed the cherries and abused.
* Caviar (eggs from the Sturgeon fish) has often been the image of ConspicuousConsumption, fetching $35,000 per kilogram. Many of those who've tried it say that it's not worth the price. Additionally, the demand for caviar has led to the Sturgeon fish becoming critically endangered.
* M'nuka honey (sometimes spelled as manuka) is said to be richer in taste and healthier than conventional honey. The latter point has been disputed by scientists, who have found it to be [[AllNaturalSnakeOil no more beneficial]] than other types of honey. Despite this, it still fetches over $1,000 per kilogram, due to the fact that it comes from the nectar of a specific flower, Leptospermum scoparium, aka manuka myrtle.
* The "Douche Burger", which was sold by the UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity food truck [[NumberOfTheBeast 666]] Burger in 2012. Described by co-founder Franz Aliquo as "a fucking burger filled and topped with rich people's shit", at $666, it was christened the "world's most expensive burger". The burger itself was made out of a Kobe beef patty (wrapped in gold leaf), foie gras, caviar, lobster, truffles, imported aged gruyere cheese (melted with champagne steam!), kopi luwak bbq sauce, and Himalayan rock salt. According to reports, very few of these burgers were sold and it was created primarily as a marketing ploy to create interest in the 666 Burger food truck.

* M'nuka honey is said to be richer in taste and healthier than conventional honey. The latter point has been disputed by scientists, who have found it to be [[AllNaturalSnakeOil no more beneficial]] than other types of honey. Despite this, it still fetches over $1,000 per kilogram, due to the fact that it comes from the nectar of a specific flower, Leptospermum scoparium, aka manuka myrtle.
* The "Douche Burger", which was sold by the UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity food truck [[NumberOfTheBeast 666]] Burger in 2012. Described by co-founder Franz Aliquo as "a f-ucking burger filled and topped with rich people's shit", at $666, it was christened the "world's most expensive burger". The burger itself was made out of a Kobe beef patty (wrapped in gold leaf), foie gras, caviar, lobster, truffles, imported aged gruyere cheese (melted with champagne steam!), kopi luwak bbq sauce, and Himalayan rock salt. According to reports, very few of these burgers were sold and it was created primarily as a marketing ploy to create interest in the 666 Burger food truck.

* ''LightNovel/TheCaseFilesOfJewelerRichard'': Wealthy BlueBlood Richard adamantly refuses to drink any tea that comes in a bottle, claiming it has "died" and the soul is gone--which means making fresh tea from expensive leaves imported straight from Sri Lanka, every time. He also refuses to let Seigi buy sweets on sale, on the idea that buying sweets with an eye to price is less meaningful and disrespectful to the people they will later be served to. Of course, he also frequently takes Seigi out to fancy dinners together--and then orders himself strawberry parfaits.

** Shiori's status as a wealthy heiress is perhaps best demonstrated when she's trapped in a building with her bodyguards with hordes of mechanical monsters outside. While holding out in a barricaded room, she decides to dip into her emergency rations... which is more or less still a restaurant-quality meal eaten off a plate with a knife and fork atop a folding table. Even while in a life-or-death situation, Shiori still manages to dine in a manner befitting her station.

* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'': As heir to the throne, not only is Elayne accustomed to the kind of food prepared by royal chefs, but she can [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething cook haute cuisine herself]] while traveling [[KingIncognito incognito]]. Nynaeve realizes that Elayne is simply making what she knows, not showing off.

* [[GoldMakesEverythingShiny Gold leaf]], sometimes referred to as edible gold, is one of the most infamous examples of this trope. These incredibly thin sheets of gold were originally used for gilding metal surfaces, but later found use as a shiny, expensive culinary decoration. Though it's typically used sparingly as a garnish, some chefs have taken to covering the entire dish in gold, such as the chicken pictured above from the [[https://www.ediblegold.co.uk/edible-gold-gallery/ Edible Gold Gallery]].
* Kopi luwak, AKA civet coffee, is a special form of coffee that has been dubbed "the rarest coffee in the world", fetching $600 dollars a pound. Its high price tag is due to the fact that its beans are derived from one type of coffee cherry tree, and the fact that in order to create the coffee, the fruit has to be eaten by civets that later poop out the beans, making it a semi-literal case of SolidGoldPoop. Unfortunately, this has lead to civets being forced into factory farm conditions where they are force-fed the cherries and abused.
* Caviar (eggs from the Sturgeon fish) has often been the image of ConspicuousConsumption, fetching $35,000 per kilogram. Many of those who've tried it say that it's not worth the price. Additionally, the demand for caviar has lead to the Sturgeon fish becoming critically endangered.
* M'nuka honey is said to be richer in taste and healthier than conventional honey. The latter point has been disputed by scientists, who have found it to be [[AllNaturalSnakeOil no more beneficial]] than other types of honey. Despite this, it still fetches over $1,000 per kilogram, due to the fact that it comes from the nectar of a specific flower, Leptospermum scoparium, aka m?nuka myrtle.
* The "Douche Burger", which was sold by the UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity food truck [[NumberOfTheBeast 666]] Burger in 2012. Described by co-founder Franz Aliquo as "a f-ucking burger filled and topped with rich people's shit", at $666 dollars it was christened the "world's most expensive burger". The burger itself was made out of a Kobe beef patty (wrapped in gold leaf), foie gras, caviar, lobster, truffles, imported aged gruyere cheese (melted with champagne steam!) kopi luwak bbq sauce and Himalayan rock salt. According to reports, very few of these burgers were sold and it was created primarily as a marketing ploy to create interest in the 666 Burger food truck.
* Serendipity 3, a New York-based restaurant that had a reputation for offering extremely expensive food, debuted their "Haute Dog" on National Hot Dog Day 2010. It was a foot long frank grilled in white truffle butter and garnished with black truffles and foie gras, and sold for [[LOL69 $69 dollars]].
* [[UsefulNotes/{{California}} Santa Monica]]-based restaurant Melisse offers truffle-based dishes during truffle season, which runs from October through December. Among these dishes is a $95 dollar truffle-infused macaroni and cheese dish.

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* When ''Characters/DoctorDoom'' is shown dining, it is ''always'' an elegant meal with multiple dishes and goblets of wine, served on expense cutlery with his servants hovering in the background. If he's [[NoMrBondIExpectYouToDine invited his enemies to dinner]], expect it to get taken up to eleven.