The main course of lamb came on a plate with four or five vegetables, several sauces, chutneys, garnishes and vinaigrettes. I couldn't tell if the lamb tasted good. As a whole it didn't work. I found the same problem at another famous restaurant, Manoir Hovey in North Hatley, Quebec, where we stayed on our way to New England. My duck at Hovey was delicious and perfectly cooked but the mounds of extraneous hoopla on the plate added nothing.
Wines are expensive.
I suspect that some high-end restaurants do this because they want to impress. When they charge high prices they figure they need to go overboard with multiple foods and sauces. And probably many people are impressed, just as many people appreciate sugar in every course. No doubt, in some cases sugar and extra ingredients are used to hide substandard food or cooking. A good meal, however, is thoughtfully planned and balanced.