system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why do these fancy restaurants all serve tiny portions or odd dishes I've never heard of?
gpt
I've cooked in upscale restaurants. The reason for smaller portions is because most nicer restaurants serve in multiple courses, not all at once. If they served "normal" portions, you'd be super full before the end of the meal.

The idea behind eating multiple courses is that you get to really experience the chef's talent and style. Eating one single dish is like only hearing the chorus of a song. Can you really judge a band based on a chorus or a single verse? Eating multiple dishes is like getting to hear the band's entire album.

And the reason for odd dishes really depends on the chef. Some chefs want to be really wild and use crazy ingredients, other chefs want to be a little more traditional. Either way, the idea is to give you something you can't get at home.