In general I think techniques are being simplified. People are looking more toward simple and fresh foods, and there is a lot of emphasis on plating and garnishing. I really see the Zen art of Japanese cooking influencing a lot of today's chefs, especially in composition. It's important to be sure the elements on the plate, and the plate itself, match for the overall composition of the dish. Garnishing, too, has become a very personal statement, but too much touch up can really overwhelm a dish.
Details are very important, like tempura fried basil for example.
The long history and the fineness of the cuisine. Haute cuisine really appeals to me for exactly this reason, it is very refined cooking in which a lot of attention is paid to making it so refined. CSCA teachers inspire one to love working with food, not just by showing, but by lighting a fire in one's heart. Everything I learned was very important.