Raw bell peppers, no matter what color. They should always be roasted or braised, IMHO.
Quail. Love chicken, duck and goose; okay with turkey. But quail does absolutely nothing for me, even at $300/pp restaurants. I'll eat it, but am never enthused about it.
Mochi. My spouse loves to tease me by saying I make a lousy Japanese American. I've never thought highly of Japanese cuisine in general, especially compared to Chinese, French, and Indian cuisines. There's a few dishes I like, but overall it is historically a poor, isolated country's cooking, and until it acquired global influences post-WWII was of little culinary note.
Poutine. A great French fry is worthy of appreciation; there are so many bad ones served these days. To turn them limp, greasy, and wet with an oversalted fake gravy and cheap cheese - I honestly don't get it. Why?
Onglet. I love meat and beef is my favorite protein, but onglet......there is something about the texture and unique taste of it that has never worked for me.
Tamales. I've had magnificent, light-as-a-feather, housemade-nixtamalized masa steamed around delicious stewed fillings. They're delicious, but I still wouldn't go out of my way for them, nor order them if there's something else on the menu.
Soft shell crabs. Living where sweet juicy Dungeness crab is available either locally or from Alaska year-round, I can't imagine why I would want to eat a plate of greasy battered, crunchy chitin with hardly any meat inside.
Anything that is over-sugared, over-salted, or overly sour.
- I love sauerkraut, but always drain it, then braise it in broth to mellow out the flavor.
- I love fresh pickles, especially as chutneys or Korean ban chan - as accents to a main dish; especially contrasted with something rich, they're fine. But one diner served me Eggs Benedict with a large portion of over-mature raw pickles that tasted of nothing but undiluted Heinz white vinegar. They were awful on their own and certainly did nothing for a decent Eggs Benny.
- I love foie gras, but the way most restaurants serve it with dessert-like jams and sauces, is disgusting. Foie gras is fine by itself, but does go well with a touch of sweetness leavened with acidity, such as a Sauternes jelly or grilled fresh pineapple.
- The current fad for decorating desserts with at least two, sometimes three different sweet sauces is one I abhor. There is no reason why a fine cheesecake, tiramisu, pot du creme, layer cake, pie, bread pudding, etc., needs to be tarted up like a cheap Christmas tree. If the dessert can't stand on its own, it isn't worth eating, is it?