MENU AND MENU

PLANNING
Learning objective:

To familiarize with the menu, the types of menus and the role of
a menu in Restaurant Operations
Menu

◦ French word meaning “small list”

◦ A list of food & beverage items served
by any foodservice operation
◦ From the Latin word “minutus” an
adjective meaning small
Characteristics of a Menu

Sells- It is a great" silent Image – it is the

sales person” and it signature of the
stimulates sales restaurants

Experience- it certainly
Identity –it identity's the
contributes to the
restaurant theme.
dining experience
5. Informative – the menu informs the guest as to what is on offer and how
much is an item is priced at.
6. Guide – the menu guides guest with the progression of courses from
starters to desserts. Dishes are presented in the classical order.
Pricing Items
Types
By Meal times of
Menus
By Specialty

By Schedule
. Pricing items
A la Carte –every item on the menu is individually
priced & prepared to order.
- the menu is arranged so that the guest chooses his
own food from items listed and priced separately in
various categories.

Table d’ Hôte – a complete meal is offered for a single

price. a French phrase which literally means "host's
table
 A’ La Carte Table D’Hote

Food is kept in a semi- Food is kept in fully prepared

prepared form and takes time form and can be served
to serve immediately.

Food items are individually Menu is collectively priced,

served and guests pay for and the customer has to pay
what they order for the full whether he
consumes a certain dish or not.

There is a vast choice. There is limited or no choice

The menu is elaborate The menu is comparatively
small.

Silver is laid according to the Silver for the whole menu is laid
dishes ordered. in advance as the menu is
known in advance
 BY MEALTIMES
The traditional mealtimes of breakfast, brunch,lunch,tea and dinner
have their special types of meals justifying separate meals of each

•Breakfast Menus
•Lunch Menus
•Tea Menus
•Dinner Menus
•Supper Menu
•Brunch Menus
•Snack Menus
SPECIALTY MENU
Caters to market segments that have a needs

California Menu – does not change and is usually

printed on stiff, durable paper or plastic, which can hung
on the wall. Customers can partake of a full meal, a
partial meal, or snack item at any time during service

Market Menus- these are based on the season and the

availability of raw material
Ethnic Menus- these are offered by specialty
restaurants that
concentrate on a particular type of cuisine.
E.g. French, Chinese, Japanese etc.

Other types: children's Menu, Diet Menu, Room Service

Menu, Banquet Menus’
By Schedules
This category focuses on the frequency of menu revision. Some
establishments offer menus that last months while others are
changed daily

Du juor Menu – a French term for “special/meal of the day”

Cycle Menu – set of menus offered over a given period of

time – a week, two weeks or a month. At the end of the
cycle, the series of menus is repeated or replaced with a
new series. These are designed to offer frequent guest a
variety.
Fixed Menu – is one which is used for months or a year like
in the menu in most restaurants.
Menu Pattern
◦ an outline of foods to be served in each meal (Breakfast, Lunch,
Dinner)
 A. Breakfast – Meal
Examples:
a. Continental breakfast-
a light breakfast, typically
consisting of coffee and
rolls with butter and jam.
b. English breakfast- is a
heavy and is a major
meal of the day(normally
can run into 6 or 7
courses )
- a substantial breakfast
including hot cooked food
such as bacon and eggs.

Fruit or Juice - course

Cereal
Meat
Meat Alternative(s)
Breads
Beverages
◦ B. Lunch

Appetizer
Entrées / Salads
Vegetables
Breads
Desserts
Beverages
 C. Dinner

Appetizer
Soup
Entrées
Vegetables
Breads
Salad
Desserts
Beverages
Note:

Menus are laid out courses in which they would normally

serve. They are usually presented in framework of five
courses:
1. Appetizer- are such items as hor’sd’ouevres, pates and
oyster which are designed to stimulate rather than to
satisfy the appetite.
2. Soups - may be thick (potages) or thin (consommés)

3. Entrees – in the classic French menu the entrée was a

course serve between the fish and main meat course

In the modern menu entrée is used to cover such items as

small helpings of pasta dishes, seafood crepe, miniature
sausages.
In the USA, entrée means the main course itself

4. Main course - primary dish in a meal consisting of

several courses

main course is usually the heaviest, heartiest, and most

complex or substantive dish on a menu main ingredient is
usually meat or fish
5. Desserts – in modern menu it is used to mean the sweet
course at the end of the meal

Occasionally reserved(particularly Britain) for the fruits and

nuts
French Example
English

1. Horsd'oeuvre Appetizer Melon with port, rémoulade,

oysters, smoked salmon,
shrimp cocktail
2. Potage Soup Consomme brunoise, crème of
tomato soup
3. Oeufs Egg Omlette espagnole, omelette
aux tomates
4. Farineaux Rice and Spaghetti napolitaine, ravioli,
pasta cannelloni
5 Poisson Fish Sole de bonne femme
6 Entrée First meat Fillet of sole Joinville
dish
7 Relevé Main meat Saddle of Iamb
dish
8. Sorbet Flavoured ice Champagne sorbet
water
9 Roti Roast with salad Guinea hen stuffed with goose liver,
salad
10. Legumes Vegetables farcis
Tomato
11. Entremets Sweet russe
Charlotte
12 Savoureux Savory Welsh rarebit, Ivanhoe

13 Desservir Dessert Jellied fruit

14. Café Coffee Café au Lait, Turkish coffee,
Demitasse
Menu
Planning
◦ An activity that is aimed at
pre-determining what foods
will be served in a food
establishment
Importance of Menu Planning

1. Menu dictates
2. The food to be purchased
3. What & how food is to be prepared
4. Recipes needed
5. Type of equipment needed
6. Personnel needed
7. Content of production schedule
8. Type of service
Factors to Consider in Menu Planning

1. Knowledge of Customers
2. External influences-
❑ like season and climate

3. Food Characteristics
❑ Color
❑ Texture and shape
❑ Consistency
❑ Flavor
❑ Method of food preparation
❑ Serving temperature
❑ Presentation
Steps in Menu Planning
1. Distribute the dinner and lunch entrées varying the category and
preparation method.

2. Select a starchy food, if required, to accompany each entrée

3. Select a vegetable accompaniment planning contrasts in color,

texture and shape

4. Select lunch and dinner salads

5. Select lunch and dinner desserts.

Steps in Menu Planning
6. Select soups, if any.

7. Select lunch and dinner breads.

8. Select beverages.

9. Select breakfast entrées.

10. Select breakfast cereals and breads.

11. Select fruit or juice

12. Select lunch and dinner appetizers

Rules of Menu Writing
◦ Begin with capital letters for each word except articles and
prepositions
◦ Items that compose meals should be grouped by courses
beginning with the first item
❑ Cream of Asparagus Soup
❑ Fried Spring Chicken
❑ French Fries
❑ Tossed Lettuce Salad
❑ Caramel Cake
❑ Lemon Iced Tea
◦ When an item on the menu has a special accompaniment, place the
main item to the left and the accompanying item to the right or main item
at the center and accompanying item underneath
◦ e.g.
❑Grilled Burger Steak with Macaroni & Cheese
or
❑Grilled Burger Steak
with Macaroni & Cheese
◦ The beverage appears as the last
item of the course with which it is
served

◦ Items such as butter, cream,

sugar or salad dressing are not
written on menus unless they are
particularly interesting or different
◦ Plan spacing and arrangement of
items on the menu so that the
written menu is symmetrical.
Allow extra spacing between
courses

◦ It should be attractive and neatly

printed, handy in size and with a
print that is simple, interesting and
clearly understood
Types of menu based on their
sizes/specification

1. paper
2. online menu
3. outdoor
4. digital displays
5. menu boards
Digital Display
ONLINE MENU
Menu boards