Why does food you order from Chinese restaurants such as plain steamed vegetables always taste better than the food you prepare at home even if the restaurant food has no MSG?

Some say, "Because they're professional cooks." But the fact that they might be professional cooks cannot be the answer. Steamed vegetables are steamed vegetables and preparation by a professional is no different from preparation by an amateur. The reason it tastes better is that restaurants add something. Even though they claim they "use no MSG," they probably do add it. What we need here is a response from someone who works in a Chinese restaurant and who can honestly tell us what ingredients they use.

There is a little something called a court bullion (nothing to do with chicken or beef bullion) its a mixture of water, spices like pepper/garlic, and an acidic ingredient like lemon juice, vinegar, or wine. Using this as your steaming liquid, preferably in a bamboo steamer will do wonders to your vegetables no MSG required!