service

[cheftomlin]

ok in school i have two classes that deal with the seven service guidelines and types of service (fench, american,russian). what we dont cover just happens to be of great interest to me...japanese service and cultural information about waitstaff customs. i cant for the life of me get any definitive information, does anyone know of any sites, links or books that i can go to for this information?

[cakerookie]

Check this it might help http://asiarecipe.com

[Chef Kaiser]

Hi, i am wondering, what do you understand under American service? Sorry for my question, but never learned about service and never worked in the US.

regards

[cakerookie]

I guess under American service every restaurant or cafe has their own standards as far as service goes. You would have to pose that question in the forum to get an idea of what the chefs standards are for service here in the US. I do not guess there is a set definition so to speak. Every restaurant ot hotel sets their service standards high imagine its part of a competing industry.......

[Chef Kaiser]

Well i think also service should have a tradition (history) and its principals like the culinary art, may be look up in the larousse under Dubois, you may find something, or just under fork and spoon and knife.

regards

Originally Posted by cakerookie

I guess under American service every restaurant or cafe has their own standards as far as service goes. You would have to pose that question in the forum to get an idea of what the chefs standards are for service here in the US. I do not guess there is a set definition so to speak. Every restaurant ot hotel sets their service standards high imagine its part of a competing industry.......

[cheftomlin]

ok first...thanks for that link it really did help with part of what i am looking for..

now american service

here are the characteristics:

this is from the text we use at school <Dining Room and Banquet Management by Anthony Strianese and Pamela P Strianese (anthony is the chair of the culinary dept at schenectady county community college culinary program)>

american service is characterized by portioning all the food on the dinner plate in the kitchen. it is also refered to as plate service or german service. it is the fastest of all types and requires the least amount of skill to wait on guests. one service person generally works a station containing between 14-18 seats. the main difference in serving food in American service, as opposed to french and russian service, is that all food is served from the guests left side with the service persons left hand, and all beverages are served from the right with the service persons right hand.

there is alot more text but that sums most of it up..i can type more out if it helps you

oh here are the pros and cons

pros
simple service to teach and learn
skilled staff not neccessary
equipment cost is small
service is fastest of all three
less dining room space is required for each guest
more guests can be served
menu prices can be lower than in other services
quality control can be excellent

con
service not as elaborate as French or Russian

[Chef Kaiser]

In case you like, kindly send me a privat message, i think i have something about this subject, kaiseki, tempura, suhi, teppanyaki and privat room service. This are the common restaurnat section in a Japanese 5 star hotel.

regards

Originally Posted by cheftomlin

ok in school i have two classes that deal with the seven service guidelines and types of service (fench, american,russian). what we dont cover just happens to be of great interest to me...japanese service and cultural information about waitstaff customs. i cant for the life of me get any definitive information, does anyone know of any sites, links or books that i can go to for this information?

[Chef Kaiser]

Originally Posted by cheftomlin

ok first...thanks for that link it really did help with part of what i am looking for..

now american service

here are the characteristics:

this is from the text we use at school <Dining Room and Banquet Management by Anthony Strianese and Pamela P Strianese (anthony is the chair of the culinary dept at schenectady county community college culinary program)>

american service is characterized by portioning all the food on the dinner plate in the kitchen. it is also refered to as plate service or german service. it is the fastest of all types and requires the least amount of skill to wait on guests. one service person generally works a station containing between 14-18 seats. the main difference in serving food in American service, as opposed to french and russian service, is that all food is served from the guests left side with the service persons left hand, and all beverages are served from the right with the service persons right hand.

there is alot more text but that sums most of it up..i can type more out if it helps you

oh here are the pros and cons

pros
simple service to teach and learn
skilled staff not neccessary
equipment cost is small
service is fastest of all three
less dining room space is required for each guest
more guests can be served
menu prices can be lower than in other services
quality control can be excellent

con
service not as elaborate as French or Russian

I obviously do not want to argue about books and books as there are many books saying. What i write here, i do refer to very old books 80 plus years old, and non of them is refering to American or even German service. Well as an European, i do understand that quite well, as it has to do with the historical relationship between the European countries, and remember Escoffier himself was a war prisoner in one of the many German / French wars.

One has to understand the evolution of spoon, knife and fork, as well as the evolution of culinary arts and with that the evolution of service followed too.

Based on the old books, there are three service classifications, which are French, English and Russian.

In the 1820 in French high society (period of the French Classical Cuisine) food was served on the center of the table and guests could reach for what ever they wanted. It was with the trade relationships and the first Russian Ambassadors to Paris (France), when in the 1860 Russian service started to become popular. As food was served with the principal to be served portioned and eaten hot. Therefore in the Russian service food was portioned already and served on platters. Later that service was refined to the so called gueridon (side table) or silver service, where food is portion on silver platters and silver bowls with cover and plated into hot plates on the side table, besides the customer. A service which still was stongly practiced in the 1960 in Europe.

Well the gueridon service could also be an argument, as many may say, it is a deviation form the old traditional English service, where the head of the Family portioned the food into a plate for each member at the table.

well maybe somebody has still an other version.

regards fun to be a waiter