Lesson 01- Menu planning

• Theory of serving
• MBO
• Studiejaar 1

Menu
Which words come to mind?

What do you think menu planning is about?

What could be sections on a menu?

What could be sections on a menu?

What could be challenging in menu planning?

Can you write down any of your favourite menu items/ dishes ?

Why menu knowledge?

Everything starts with the menu

Why menu knowledge?

The Menu helps to determine:

• The concept of a restaurant or F&B outlet
  
• The image
  
• The guest’s experience

Guest experience 

Goals

Understand the history of serving meals (service methods) and making menus

Understand the Classical Menu Sequence and it’s “modern” versions

Understand the rules in menu planning

Where does the word menu come from? 

minor, minutus - latin for menu,

something made small; 

in French, it came to be applied to a detailed list or résumé of any kind.

Purpose of a menu

• Selling aid
  
• Design should be appealing
  
• Should encourage guests to view the items
  
• Information should be clear
  

History

• Medieval Banquets
  
• Service a la francaise
  
• Service a la Russe
  
• Modern ways of serving- Nouvelle cuisine (  during the 60’s )
  

Medieval 3-Course

3 – 4 “services”

Sometimes with  32 courses

1393

Service à la Francaise 

• Started at the beginning of the 17th century
  
• All food from each course was put on the table, symmetrical and arranged by size. Each course had a piece de resistance. This is the largest dish and served on silver.
  
• Hors d'oeuvre was served around the piece the resistance.
• Such side dishes served as proof of the generosity of the host.
  

Service a la Russe

• End 19th century to present 
• The dishes go round the table one after the other
  
• Guests were served one meal at a time
  
• Dishes such as roasts were first presented in a glorious way and then cut to a side table. The advantage of this way of serving is that the dishes remain warmer. There was also a place on the table for candles and decoration
  
• Similar to service nowadays
  

Classical menu sequence

You need to study and know the order of the courses

Starters

Cold starter – hors d’ouvre froid

Soup – potage

Warm starter – hors d’ouvre chaud

Cold starter

Warm starter

Fish dish – Poisson

“Spoom” – Boisson Frappé

Meat dish – grosse piece / relevé de viande

Poultry dish– relevé de volaille

Game dish – relevé de gibier / rôti

Spoom 

To cleanse your pallet

Refresh appetite  

Fish dish

Meat dish

What is poultry?

What is game?

Cheese – fromage

Warm sweet – entremet sucré chaud

Cold sweet – entremet sucré froid

Ice dish – entremet glacé

Fruit- fruits 

Rules in menu planning

1. Description of Dishes
2. Menu Sequence
3. Variety
4. Miscellaneous Characteristics

Description of dishes 

1. Cooking methods
2. Pre-Preparation
3. Parts and pieces
4. Accompaniments

Grilled Rib-eye steak served with green beans and mushroom cream sauce

What is the cooking method ?

Grilled Rib-eye steak served with green beans and mushroom cream sauce

What part describes part and pieces ?

Grilled Rib-eye steak served with green beans and mushroom cream sauce

What part describes accompaniments

Menu sequence

Order of Dishes: for main courses, entrees and roasts the following applies:

• Fish before meat
  
• White meat before red
  
• Game meat after red meat
  

Menu sequence

Light to Heavy - For main courses, entrees and roasts the following sequence applies:

• Blanching, Boiling or Poaching
• Pan Frying
  
• grilling 
• Roasting
• Stewing
• Deep Frying

Variety in cooking methods 

• Less influence on the taste :
  
• Boiling, poaching, steaming
  
  
• More influence on he taste:
  

•  frying, deep frying, griling
  
• A sauce
  
  
• Cooking methodes influence texture into:
  

•       dry, crisp, crumbly, hard, tough
  

Variety in cooking methods

Fried calamaris with aioli 

Fried hake fish 

Burger and French fries 

Churros with sugar and chocolate sauce? 

Variety in colour

Fresh

Complimentary garnish.

Clean plate, cutlery and glassware.

The way a dish is served needs to be suitable for the end product.

Variety in colour

Asparagus soup 

***

Stir-fried pork with cream sauce, cooked celeriac and mashed potatoes

***

French cheese

Miscellaneous Characteristics

• Soup: if a dish with a sauce is served after the soup, the soup should be clear
  
• Composition: consecutive dishes and sauces should differ in color and taste
  
• Portion Size: in large menus, cold and hot starters should be kept small and light.
  
• Ingredient use: unless there is a specific concept to the menu, do not use the same ingredients more than once.
  
• Coffee: coffee does not count as course.
  
• Spelling: correct Spelling is very important.
  

Miscellaneous Characteristics

• Seasonal:  no kale in summer
  
• Fresh,  not out of packet
  
• Adapt to wishes of guests. Business dinner, leisure or special event such as a wedding
  
• Price: the budget per guest
  
• The possibilities of the hospitality establishment can you handle what you want to serve
  
• Make sure you know how to prepare the dish and what it taste like.