What matters for Riddler and Ed is that after two or three months of spiralling out of control, of stimulant abuse and weight loss and food tasting of nothing much but parental anger and a fake Oswald's bemusement, food needs to appeal to make himself eat. And this... isn't doing it. Is making him want his white tablet to make himself not hungry.

"If I'm going to make myself eat, I'm at least going to find some pleasure in it, rather than just stuffing down whatever will keep me going." He pushes the plate and glass away and resolves that he's not eating here again, only at the Clocktower.