LESSON GOAL Explain what is a menu; the various types/forms a menu may take; and the formatting of the menu’s structure

THE MENU  The menu is a structured listing that shows a graphical listing of food (or beverage items) using a structured format, that captures a particular theme and/or special need;  The purpose of the menu is meeting the expectation of guests using organizational resources efficiently;  NB: IT SHOULD ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED THAT EVERYTHING REVOLVES AROUND THE MENU AND THE MENU IS THE BLUEPRINT OF THE ESTABLISHMENT.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE MENU (1)APPETIZER: A menu item served using small portion sizes designed to stimulate the appetite and encourage spending; (2) SOUP: A menu item that again stimulates the appetite and stimulate spending… normally not exceeding 8 oz; (3) SALAD: A menu item that should be visually stimulating, whets the appetite and encourages spending….normally used as a palette cleanser;

THE STRUCTURE OF THE MENU (4) ENTRÉE: Generally items that a both popular and profitable on the menu and are considered the “STARS” of the menu used in differentiating the menu from other competitive establishments. The Entrée Section of the menu is normally formatted in the following sequence: (a)Vegetable Entrée; (b)Seafood/Fish Entrée; (c)Poultry Entrée; (d)Meat Entrée; and (e)Game Entrée.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE MENU (5) ACCOMPANIMENTS /SIDES: These are items that complement the entrée(s) chosen and be either (a) Vegetable and/or (b) Starch. An accompaniment/side may or may not be inclusive when billing the guest; (6) DESSERT: A menu item that is visually stimulating, whets the appetite AND takes into account current health issues; (7) CHEESE: Has now gained ascendancy in current and trendy menus. Cheese has now become a specialized area of study for the menu planner and is used in complementing the wine menu; and (8) FRUIT: Normally closes the modern menu and again requires special attention where portion size, cost and visual presentation are concerned.

MENU CATEGORIES  A menu can be placed into the following broad categories: (1) PRIX FIXE/PRE-FIXED; (2) TABLE d’ HOTE; and (3) A la CARTE. The manner by which a menu can be categorized would depend upon: (a) the manner of billing the menu; (b) the extent of choice provided to the guest; and (c) the style of service provided.

MENU CATEGORIES (1)The Prix Fixe (or Fixed Price) Menu: (a)The entire menu comes at a fixed price; (b) There is no choice between courses; (c)Courses are generally not altered to meet guest expectations; (d)Menu items are prepped in advance; (e)Courses follow a particular sequence of service without interruption; and (f)Has a natural tendency to be expensive.

MENU CATEGORIES (2) The Table d’ Hote Menu: (a)This menu is still fixed-priced in orientation but the price eventually paid depends upon which item(s) and/or sections of the menu was patronized….hence, depending upon the guests’ choice there can be some element of variable pricing; (b)Choices may/may not be altered to meet guests’ expectations; (c)Service set-up is generally pre-set, with cutlery and crockery adjusted based upon the choice(s) of menu item selection; (d)Thus with a Table d Hote menu there is some degree of choice were item selection and pricing decisions are concerned; and (e)Ironically, this menu type may offer less variety of menu item selection as compared to the Prix Fixe/Fixed Price Menu.

MENU CATEGORIES (3) The a la Carte Menu: (a)There is choice in EACH SECTION of the menu; (b)Each item on the menu is INDIVIDUALLY PRICED; (c)Theoretically, an individual can order from ANY SECTION of the menu in random order; (d)Menu items are prepared only upon order; (e)Menu items can be made to customer specification when the order is placed; (f)Service set-up is dependant upon the menu item(s) ordered; and (g)Choice of menu items allows the guest to make menu item selections based upon disposable income.