Overheard a line cook call our new plating 'pretentious'

I was walking past the dish pit and heard one of the guys say our new scallop dish looked like a 'tiny garden for rich people'. It made me stop and really look at the plate. Are we sometimes overcomposing just to impress other chefs instead of making food people actually want to eat?

3 comments

3 Comments

olivery2625d ago

Oh man, that hits home. Last place I worked, the chef made us stack everything in these weird towers. We'd spend five minutes building a tiny pile of mashed potatoes, then carefully lean a piece of fish against it. It always fell over before it got to the table. The customers just wanted good food, not a food Jenga game. That line cook is seeing the truth we all ignore sometimes.

ryan_black25d ago

Food Jenga is the worst, and it never helps the food taste better.

hayes.tara16d ago

Remember some truly great meals. A perfect burger stacked tall with crisp lettuce and tomato, or a club sandwich holding its layers. That structure lets you get a bit of everything in each bite. It's not about pointless towers, it's about building flavors together. Done right, the plate looks good and eats even better.