25 Vocabulary Words

1. Starter - a small dish that is served before the main course of a meal.

- Ex.: “The server served us an appetizing starter to excite our taste buds.”

2. Cozy - small, comfortable, and warm ambiance of a restaurant.

- Ex.: “The couple went to a cozy cafe to celebrate Valentine’s Day.”

3. Diner - refers to a small, inexpensive restaurant that offers a limited selection of dishes
often located near industrial areas

- Ex.: “Did you buy the tacos at the diner down the road?”

4. Upscale - restaurants that offer a full table service; fine-dining.

- Ex.: “My friend goes to different upscale restaurants in BGC.”

5. Condiments - supplemental food, such as sauces and powder that is added to the food to
impact a particular flavor

- Ex.: “Aside from ketchup, what other condiments do you have?”

6. Quaint - attractively unusual, especially in an old fashioned style.

- Ex.: “The dining table set-up was quite quaint.”

7. Zesty - used to describe a food with a highly citrusy flavor.

- Ex.: “My grandmother’s lemon pie is distinct for its zesty flavor.”

8. Rustic - an approach to food in an elegantly simple way and excludes unnecessary

elements in a food, letting the natural flavors shine through.

- Ex.: “I like my food to be as it is; simple and rustic!”

9. Buffet - a type of meal for which different kinds of food are placed on a table so that
people can have the freedom to serve themselves.

- Ex.: “At the birthday party, we decided to set up a buffet instead.”

10. Crudites - pieces of raw vegetables like celery and carrots that are served as starters
which often come with a dip.

- Ex.: “My sister loves carrot and cucumber crudites.”

11. Cutlery - knives, forks, and spoons used for eating; silverware.

- Ex.: “Betty complained that her meal didn’t come with a set of cutlery.”

12. Sustainable - refers when food businesses minimize their impact on the planet.

- Ex.: “A lot of restaurants nowadays choose to be sustainable to help the

environment.

13. Exotic - a term for food that includes ingredients/ cooking techniques that come from
distant countries.

- Ex.: “Most intriguing foods come from distant countries and are even common

in those countries, but exotic for us.”

14. Family-Friendly - restaurants that provide service to families with young children.

- Ex.: “Jollibee is a famous family-friendly fast food restaurant in our

country.”

15. Cosmopolitan - used to refer to the openness and willingness to engage with cultural
differences. It is also the practices of consumption and production that are linked to the
development/manifestation of cosmopolitan attitudes.

- Ex.: “The food fair truly showcased culinary cosmopolitanism because

of the diverse varieties of cuisines presented in numerous food

 booths provided.”

16. Mouthwatering - a term for food that smells, looks, and tastes delicious.

- Ex.: “I heard from a friend that the steak they serve here is

mouthwatering.”

17. Al fresco - refers to eating in the open air or outdoors.

- Ex.: ”Every Sunday, our family goes to restaurants that offer al fresco

dinners.”

18. Tranquil - an ambiance or vibe of a restaurant that is calm and free from disturbance.

- Ex.: “I like to eat alone, in a tranquil and peaceful restaurant.”

19. Farm-to-table - consisting of food or ingredients that are fresh and locally grown
produce.

- Ex.: “Mom ensures to always buy farm-to-table goodies.”

20. Bisque - a rich and creamy soup typically made with shellfish, especially lobsters or
crayfish.

- Ex.: “My favorite type of soup is the bisque with lots of lobster meat.”

21. Hors d’ oeuvre - another term, particularly French, for starters and appetizers.

- Ex.: “There are a lot of hors d’ oeuvres to choose from, but I like the

prosciutto bites the most.”

22. Mise-en-place - French term for “everything in place”, it means that ingredients are
prepped, tools are gathered, and everything is organized before cooking.

- Ex.: “Professional chefs practice the “mise-en-place rule” in order to

avoid confusion in cooking.”

23. Saute - frying quickly in a little hot fat or oil; a dish consisting of ingredients that have
been sauteed.

- Ex.: “I like to saute my onions and garlic before adding other ingredients to

make my adobo fragrant.”

24. Fricassee - a dish of stewed or fried pieces of meat served in a thick white sauce.

- Ex.: “Last night’s dinner was chicken fricassee.”

25. Consomme - a clear soup made with concentrated stock.

- Ex.: ”The beef consomme was really good!”