Does it look better than it tastes?

[coolJ]

I totally agree, if it doesn't taste good it doesn't matter how it looks.

[Kimmie]

My vote goes to keeping it simple and avoid overhandling!!

Missing the point.

The food that one serves should taste good that's a given; but, how it's presented can effect the taste.

Got it?

Now, as an example, lasagna made in layers IS food presentation; designed to allow one bite to contain several different foods, textures, and tastes to blend into a desired result. When a plate is put in front of the patron it should also screem, "EAT ME!" Foods should also be designed to allow the last bite off the plate to be as desired and satisfying as the first; that is the purpose of "architecture." -- "Food Art" on the otherhand... well, that's something that should be left to the buffet table.

[mofo1]

I think we all understand that,Danbo. I can't imagine a professional chef not caring about the way the food looks and yes the plating should take flavor, textures,etc., into consideration, however, I do not like when I receive a plate that is a mile high or manipulated FOR NO GOOD REASON!! That kind of **** tells me that the cooks have WAAAAAY too much time on their hands. Worse yet, if the restaurant is real busy do you really think that cook is going to wash his paws both before and after screwin with my food? I doubt it. My opinion.

[shroomgirl]

One of our local restaurants is big into stacked food....it isn't one person putting it together but 4 or 5 people working on one plate....it seems that many times the "complementary flavors" compete and frankly I don't like so many fingers going on a final product I'm going to eat.
Does presentation matter, shoot yeah, but not to the exspense of the food. More is not necessarily good

Hey, I'm with y'all!!

"...Too many people" touching the food is indicative of a chef who does in fact NOT understand. "Fusion", "Southwestern", "Neuveau": YUCK!!

[markdchef]

A topic near and dear to me as a personal chef. The food truly has to speak for itself because the client plates the finished product after they reheat it. I try to make things colorful and blend textures, but there is little in the way of artfully presenting the foods I cook. In some cases, if I prepare a fresh dish, I will leave plating instructions (simple) for the client to finish it off. I think it should be a balance in a restaurant: not over done, but plated just right.

[lynne]

...and lets face it -- if it takes 3 people to plate the thing -- the FOH has a horrendous time getting it out and there is no neat way to eat it!

[mofo1]

Danbo,
My reply above sounds a little hostile and for that I apologize. I get a little worked up over "playing" with the food. If it is good product, cooked right, with attention to taste and texture then leave it alone.
p.s I also don't go for very outrageous flavor combinations. Somethings just aren't meant to go together. I'm all for experimenting, but if it's nasty, admit it. Don't pawn it off on the world as "nouveau."

[ May 07, 2001: Message edited by: mofo1 ]

[youla]

totally agree Lynne, I am so sick of stacked food, and you cant eat it easily.....my own experience is that I used to do great garnishes for plates and buffets....and then everyone said how wonderful my work was until I got a new exec.chef who said now you have to explore flavour...get the body and build on it without destroying it!! great advice!!
that year I spent 3 months in italy and france went to lots of buffets..didnt look so great but the flavours were all there, went to only 2 top class restaurants and were totally blown away..flavours are so different in this continent, and then we just followed our nose and ate at a lot of small places and after we had eaten I asked the owner/chef if he would show me how he prepared whatever dish I had selected...for the cost of the meal...all the time they opened a bottle of wine and cooked and they absolutely loved it as I did. one thing I think really is so important in food and presentation is texture..in taste and presentation.

This reminds me of a very negative job interview I had last Fall. A chef-owner handed me a container of smelly spoiled shrimp, and told me to saute them for appetizers. When I mentioned the bad smell, he said no one would notice when they were seasoned, baked and placed on an attractively garnished plate. He told me, FOOD THAT LOOKS GOOD, TASTES GOOD! I decided not to work there.

[Pooh]

Good for you JeniDaChef!

It probably takes a lot of courage, when you need a job, to decline on principle!

Foul shrimp! Bleurk!

At that point, I don't even want to know what else he does with food!



[ May 14, 2001: Message edited by: pooh ]

Oh yes, I did need the job. But where I'm poor in dollars, I'm rich in integrity! Might interest you to know, the health department eventually "got wind" (heehee) of the goings on in that restaurant.

[Marzoli]

When I first started reading about the food industry, I was struck by the importance of presentation. I knew, of course, that sloppy bowls and ugly plates were not good.But I had never really considered the need to be creative beyond having a variety of colors and such in a meal. Once I started noticing plating in the restaurants I went to, I began to believe that the kitchen could make a lovely plate and that would last until somebody slung it onto a serving tray and headed to the table with it. At least, it seemed that way to me. I also noticed that our area tends toward lots and lots of sauce on pasta. It's amazing how much you can take as just the way things are, and how much you can learn about something like food.

[Pooh]

OMG Jeni,

Did the wind come from ... where I think it came from? hee-hee-hee (hear a wicked little laugh here)

What happened? Was he shut-down?

As far as I'm concerned, you're a goldmine of integrity!



[ May 17, 2001: Message edited by: pooh ]