culinary masterpiece
/ˈkʌlɪnɛri ˈmæstərˌpiːs/
Meaning
A culinary masterpiece refers to an exceptionally prepared dish or meal that is outstanding in taste, presentation, and creativity. It implies that the food is not just sustenance, but a work of art created by a highly skilled chef. This expression is commonly used in formal restaurant reviews, high-end food writing, and sophisticated culinary discussions.
Examples
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The signature chocolate soufflé at that French bistro is nothing short of a culinary masterpiece.
The signature chocolate soufflé at that French bistro is nothing short of a culinary masterpiece.
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With its delicate balance of flavors and stunning presentation, the dish was a culinary masterpiece.
With its delicate balance of flavors and stunning presentation, the dish was a culinary masterpiece.
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Critics praised the head chef's tasting menu as a modern culinary masterpiece.
Critics praised the head chef's tasting menu as a modern culinary masterpiece.
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He spent three days preparing the beef Wellington, determined to make it a culinary masterpiece.
He spent three days preparing the beef Wellington, determined to make it a culinary masterpiece.
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The food critic wrote a glowing review, calling the main course a true culinary masterpiece.
The food critic wrote a glowing review, calling the main course a true culinary masterpiece.
Common Mistakes
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✗ This homemade sandwich is a culinary masterpiece!
✓ This homemade sandwich is delicious!
While you can use it jokingly, 'culinary masterpiece' is a very formal and high-level term. Applying it to extremely simple, everyday foods like a basic sandwich can sound overly dramatic or sarcastic.
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✗ The chef cooked a master culinary piece.
✓ The chef cooked a culinary masterpiece.
The standard collocation is 'culinary masterpiece'. Rearranging the words or splitting them up sounds unnatural to native speakers.
Related Expressions
Practice
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The slow-roasted duck served with a cherry reduction was an absolute ___.
💡 An outstanding, artistic dish.
Show answer
culinary masterpiece
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To create a ___, a chef must master both flavor profiling and visual presentation.
💡 A work of art in cooking.
Show answer
culinary masterpiece