Principle of Professional Menu

As we get seated in a restaurant, the first thing we’d expect is the menu. Flipping
through, have you ever felt that some menus are rather confusing; whether in
terms of types of food or its creative design? Or silently applauded the
restaurant which was able to present a menu that you ‘got it’ at first look? A
menu functions as a communication tool between the kitchen and the diner and
it is one of the most important tasks for the chef and restaurateur to co-operate
and co- ordinate. The reason for a menu is essentially to inform the crew of
what is to be prepared and to let the diner know what is available. A menu
should ideally contain information of each dish, its preparation method and cost
(whether set price or seasonal price). Before planning the menu, it is imperative
to note that there are a few kinds of menus.

 Set menu (table d’hôte) which comprises a complete meal of few courses
offered at a set price. The number of courses will depend on the price; it
could be a two, three or four course meal.

 A la carte involves picking a single dish from the menu which should be
cooked when ordered thus involves some waiting.
 Specialty or ethnic could be presented with set or a la carte. Specialty can
be taken to mean fish, pasta, vegetarian, desserts while ethnic offerings
encompasses Chinese, Greek, Indian, Caribbean or any other food of a
region.
 Function menus ought to involve foods that can be eaten by all guests
simultaneously thus items that need to be prepared ala minute like steaks
are not particularly suitable.
 Hospital menus give patients the flexibility to choose their preferred items
by ticking on the menu card.
 At work menus are usually incorporated by large companies who provide
meals at the workplace. Usually run by a sole operator, the menu ought to
be rotated often or provide an ala carte option.
 Cyclical menu whereby the menu would be compiled to cover a certain
period of time. A scenario: the management would usually compile menus
in advance to minimise work when time comes and by the time the fifth
menu’s rotation is complete, it is time to return to the first and diners would
not complain of boredom either. This menu approach is widely used by
industrial caterers where volume is the most important factor. It is preferred
because of the time saving factor and if using cook/freeze operations, it also
allows for production of certain items to last the whole cycle. By cutting down
commodities held in stock, the management can have better cost control.
Time and labour can also be more efficient. Cyclical menus have to be time
sensitive especially if implemented at establishments of captive clients,
rotated at a reasonable time before the clientele gets bored. At the same
time, the kitchen might miss out on ‘offers’ that suppliers give on a regular
basis unless such items happen to be needed for that particular menu cycle.
 Menus for children should be specially tailored to provide adequate
nutritional needs and encourage healthy eating from a young age.
 Pre-designed menus are planned in advance according to customers’
preference and how each item affects the entire menu. One plans a menu
to revolve around the kitchen’s equipment and capabilities. This type of
menu also provides banqueting managers to instantly quote prices to
customers plus quality control can be better maintained when the staff is
familiar with preparing the similar item. Yet, this menu has limitations
towards mass appeal as well as might bore the crew having to produce the
same food often or limits the chefs’ creativity

After determining the kind of menu you are going with, planning it takes form
and it isn’t simply whipping up a menu according to a chef’s or restaurant
owner’s fancies. Well, of course a little of it does; as a symbol of identity but
there are other things to consider too.

A SKINNY OR COMPREHENSIVE MENU?

This is a little tricky to navigate. Many restaurateurs want to capture as many

audience group as possible, hence they tend to want to provide a menu of
‘everything’ but that is not wise in the long run because there will be too much
wastage, and the possibility of needing to hire more workers to prepare various
items. At the same time, you don’t want to seem limited in your choices. A
suggested route to take might be to start small and expand according to your
capabilities.

WHERE IS YOUR ESTABLISHMENT?

Ideally the location is easy to access although some would not mind a far or
difficult journey if the food is good but the regularity is likely affected. If you are
setting up in an area well-known for a special local dish, you might want to
include it into the menu. Speaking of location, the suitability comes into play. A
fast-food joint in an affluent neighbourhood or a specialty restaurant in an
average income class residential would definitely look out of place.

WHO ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS?

Prepare a menu that would appeal to the majority of your clientele. If patrons
are mostly office workers, they are likely to want something quick and
affordable. Whatever that is not extremely popular should also be taken off the
menu. Value-for-money must be top of your consideration.

HOW MUCH SPACE DO YOU HAVE?

The menu must be able to accommodate the frequency of turnover in the
establishment. Some foods take longer to prepare and eat; you would not want
to have harried customers waiting impatiently for a space. If space is a concern,
the menu could be adjusted to cope such as have self-service or a separate
service for drinks. Aside from dining space, workspace is also to be looked at;
there is no point offering items that a kitchen’s equipment cannot produce while
certain equipments should not be overloaded.

HOW IS THE STAFFS’ RESPONSE TIME?

You must ensure that the crew is able to execute the items planned in good
time to ensure customer satisfaction. They must be given a trial run before
facing the real crowd.

WHO ARE YOUR SUPPLIERS?

It is advisable to have regular suppliers so that you can lock down the
frequencies of items being delivered and be in the know of availability of
produce to help plan the menu. Also, do you have storage space should you
want to provide seasonal foods?

WHAT’S YOUR COST?

Goes without saying, this is an essential point if an establishment is done for

profit. A menu that is poorly planned in terms of buying produce and not selling
it at a profitable price or unable to achieve the volume (if prices are put lower)
will not benefit the establishment.

THE CREATIVE SIDE OF MENU PLANNING

After the technical aspect is finalised, it’s time to present the menu in an
attractive manner to the diners. The top rule is to keep the language simple;
primarily this would be English and if the establishment focuses on regional
cuisines like French, Spanish, Greek or others, it is important to have English
descriptions to the items. When describing each item, refrain from using big
words or conjuring imaginations of a diner before he / she even experiences it.
Just state how the item will be cooked, what are the ingredients and a
suggested wine pairing (if wine is part of your menu). Accuracy cannot be
compromised when writing a menu. It may seem like a no-brainer but many
establishments may not clearly describe how they do things and customers may
have a differing perspective. For example, a customer may perceive ‘chicken
chop’ to be grilled but the kitchen’s way is deep-frying it; that means customer
satisfaction and expectations are unmet. Decide if the menu structure is
according to course such as appetiser, mains, desserts, beverages or by type
like soups, salads, poultry, seafood and such. Applying codes to items also help
the staff to take orders faster or for restaurants that want the customers to write
their own orders. A menu design should reflect the theme of the establishment
and ambience to maintain the brand identity and keeping it recognisable. A
loudly coloured menu is definitely not in line with a fine-dining or mid-range
outlet.

The menu planner is often, by default, the head chef. What a diner experiences
is paramount in crafting the communication tool in a food establishment. What
time does the establishment operate? Some places open for breakfast right up
till dinner but puts a time cap on when customers can order certain food. Or
serve food differently depending on time of day; for example, a quick set lunch
of an all- in-one item plus a drink while dinner can take the form of a slow
course-by-course structure. Time is a great element when it comes to dining
experiences. A meal should also be one of nutritional balance therefore it would
be ideal that the entire course fulfils a diner’s nutrition needs in each dish. It is
also recommended to avoid repetition of commodities like basic ingredients
such as peas, tomatoes or flavours (herbs and spices) in two courses that
belong to one menu. Colours should also contrast yet complement, never the
same shades in one platter and the same principle applies to textures - you
wouldn’t want to eat mashed potatoes and pudding together, isn’t that so?

Some establishments work on the premise of ‘if it’s not broken, why fix it?” There
is no refuting that, particularly for joints that have attained cult-like status and
loyal customers who prefer the familiar. But eating trends are constantly
changing, while the abovementioned still has its allure, it can be a smart move
to innovate and put new touches to the menu; maintaining the favourites of your
clientele which you would have observed over a period of time. The key to menu
changing is a balance of old and new. And if there are seasonal specials, it is
also appropriate to offer because limited time items tend to captivate diners;
which also helps in your profitability.

In concluding, menu planning is definitely one of the earliest task to undertake

when planning a food & beverage establishment because it has to fall in line
with so many aspects - from the geographical factor, space availability, produce
and ingredients, cost, business direction and most importantly, the customer. A
well-planned menu, together with an execution according to abilities largely
helps an establishment in sustainability and profitability.