MENU

Is a list of food items offered for a meal along with prices
whether set for individual items or for the whole meal.
Menu is a list , in a specific order, of dishes to be served at a
given meal
For commercial establishment it will also include the prices
(either set for individual items or for the whole meal), taxes
and other charges applicable
 Con…
A menu may be à la carte – which presents a list of options
from which customers choose –
or
A menu may be table d'hôte, in which case a pre-established
sequence of courses is offered.
 Con…
Menus may be printed on paper sheets provided to the diners,
put on a large poster or display board inside the establishment,
displayed outside the restaurant, or put on a digital screen.
Since the late 1990s, some restaurants have put their menus
online.
 History of menu 1st

The word menu was originated in the year 1541 when the
Duke Henry of Brunswick, was holding a party where was
constantly referring to a piece of paper
 Con…
An exquisite lady (pretty lady|)was enquiring(asking) with the
Duke about the food items in a nasal tone saying, “may I
know”. This phrase was later converted to the word “Menu”.
In 1718, we get the first recorded description of menu, where
in a party the guest were able to look at the names, recipes and
ingredients of the preparations in the look called “ Ecriteau” in
French which means “Bill of Fare”
 History of menu 2nd
Menus, as lists of prepared foods, have been discovered dating back
to the Song dynasty in China.
In the larger cities of the time, merchants found a way to cater to
busy customers who had little time or energy to prepare an evening
meal.
The variation in Chinese cuisine from different regions led caterers
to create a list or menu for their patrons.
The Song dynasty ([sʊ̂ŋ]; Chinese: 宋朝 ; pinyin: Sòng cháo;
960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that
began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was
founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation
of the throne of the Later Zhou, ending the Five Dynasties
and Ten Kingdoms period.
 Con…
 The word "menu", like much of the terminology
cuisine, is French in origin.
It ultimately derives from Latin "minutus", something made
small; in French, it came to be applied to a detailed list
or résumé of any kind.
 The original menus that offered consumers choices were
prepared on a small chalkboard, in French a carte; so foods
chosen from a bill of fare are described as "à la carte",
"according to the board."
 Con…
During the second half of the 18th century, and especially after
the French Revolution in 1789, they spread to restaurants.
Before then, eating establishments or tables d'hôte served
dishes chosen by the chef or proprietors. Customers ate what
the house was serving that day, as in contemporary banquets
 or buffets, and meals were served from a common table.
 Writing style of menu
The main categories with in a typical menu in the US are
appetizers, "side orders and à la carte", entrées, desserts and
beverages.
Sides and à la carte may include such items as soups, salads,
and dips.
 There may be special age-restricted sections for "seniors" or
for children, presenting smaller portions at lower prices.
 Con….
Any of these sections may be pulled out as a separate menu,
such as desserts and/or beverages, or a wine list.
A children's menu may also be presented as a placemat with
games and puzzles, to help keep children entertained.
 Con…
Menus can provide other useful information to diners.
  Some menus describe the chef's or proprietor's food
philosophy, the chef's résumé (British: CV), or the 
mission statement of the restaurant.
Menus often present a restaurant's policies about ID checks for
alcohol, lost items, or gratuities for larger parties. In the
United States, county health departments frequently require
restaurants to include health warnings about raw or
undercooked meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood
 Con…
Menus vary in length and detail depending on the type of
restaurant.
The simplest hand-held menus are printed on a single sheet of
paper, though menus with multiple pages or "views" are
common.
In some cafeteria-style restaurants and chain restaurants, a
single-page menu may double as a disposable placemat.
 Con…
To protect a menu from spills and wear, it may be protected by
heat-sealed vinyl page protectors, lamination or menu covers.
 Restaurants consider their positioning in the marketplace (e.g.
fine dining, fast food, informal) in deciding which style of
menu to use.
 Visual perception
Visual perception and attention are linked to how customers
read a menu.
 Most menus are presented visually (though many restaurants
verbally list daily specials), and the majority of menu
engineering recommendations focus on how to increase
attention by strategically arranging menu categories within the
pages of the menu, and item placement within a menu
category.
 This strategic placement of categories and items is referred to
as the theory of sweet spots.
A sweet spot refers to an optimal level of some
reading or process. In economics, the sweet spot can
indicate an equilibrium level or point where costs and
benefits equally balance one another. Finding the sweet
spot is often difficult in practice and may only be realized
in hindsight.
The reasoning being sweet spots stem from the classical effect
in psychology known as the serial position effect (also known
as the rules of recency and primacy).
The thought is, customers are most likely to remember the first
and last things they see on a menu—hence, sweet spots on a
menu should be where the customers look first and last.
 To date, there is no empirical evidence on the efficacy of the
sweet spots on menus.
 Use/function of menu

Information devise to customers – Menus displays the

complete dishes which are on offering to the customer with its
price and a brief explanation about the dishes.
It is a record of cost and control purposes to regulate portion
size and food cost of each item.
It helps as a tool for the kitchen in order to prepare the mise-
en-place and equipment, staff required for its production.
 PRESENTATION OF MENU
It is usually the style of presentation of menu along with the
prices mentioned.
 There are ways of presentation of menu.
Book form
Card form
Board form
Place mats
 Book form
Book form– this type of presentation of menu is very common
in large establishments where there are more items. The items
are listed along with their respective prices. Most of the
restaurants follow this style.
 Card Form
Card Form– the food items along with their pricing are
written on a card for smaller establishment.
 Board Form–
Board Form– It is mostly found in fast food centres, food
courts or pavilion where a large board is displayed with the
names of the dishes and their pricing.
 Place mats
Place mats– such form of menu presentation is generally
found in food service areas where turnover of the guest is very
high and fast efficient service is required.
 Place mats are printed papers placed on the guest table with
the names and prices displayed. Once the guest is done with
their meal, the mats are immediately removed and new ones
are placed. Usually followed in coffee shop, fast food centres
etc.
 
 OBJECTIVES OF MENU PLANNING

The menu must satisfy guest expectations.

The menu must attain marketing objectives.
The menu must help achieve quality objective.
The menu must be cost effective.
The menu must be accurate.
 The menu must satisfy guest expectations:

Because guest satisfaction is a byword of dinning service

management, your menu must, above everything else, reflect
your guest’s tastes and preferences – neither the chef’s, the
food and beverage director’s nor those of the manager of the
particular dinning outlet
 The menu must attain marketing objectives:

While part of marketing is discovering what guests want,

another important aspect is providing for their needs at
convenient locations and times and at prices that they are
willing and able to pay.
 In some cases, excellent product development, pricing and
promotion will convince guests that you have what they desire
– even if up until now they never knew what it was that they’d
been looking for
 The menu must help achieve quality objective:

Quality concerns are closely related to marketing concerns.

It is important that you clearly understand all aspects of quality
requirements and develop menus that incorporate these
standards into your food menus.
 High quality and good nutrition go hand – in – hand.
A menu that helps achieve quality objectives would also offer
enough choices to the guests so that they can order a
nutritionally well-balanced meal.
Other aspects of food quality include flavor, texture, color,
shape, consistency, palatability, flair and guest appeal. As you
plan the menu, remember to balance it so that textures, colors,
shapes and flavors are not repetitive.
 The menu must be cost effective:

Both commercial and institutional food service operations

should plan menus that recognize financial restraints.
 Generally, commercial properties cannot attain their profit
objectives unless their product costs, which the menu often
dictates, fall within a specific range. In institutional food
service operations, minimizing costs is also the menu
planner’s responsibility. Whether you plan a menu for a
commercial or an institutional operation, you must select menu
items that are within the operation’s budget.
 The menu must be accurate:

You are responsible for telling the truth when you formulate
menus.
You must not mislabel a product, describe it inaccurately, or
deceive the guest by your menu presentation.
The menu is a powerful advertising tool. It can influence
what guests order and their expectations. If your food service
operation does not deliver the type of products that your
menu represents, your guests may feel cheated and never
return.
 
 MENU PLANNING CONSIDERATION

Color repetition
Balance of Heaviness
Repetition of Ingredients
Kitchen Skills
Seasonal Favorites
Local Favorites
Availability of equipment’s 
Colour repetition– repetition of colour in the dishes of a
menu will be monotonous for a guest which would harm the
appetite of the guest.
Balance of Heaviness– while fixing a menu the balance of
heaviness should always be kept in mind i.e., from light to
heavy and ultimately to light
Repetition of Ingredients– As with repetition of colour,
repetition of ingredients or taste will also harm the appetite of
a guest and will be monotonous and irritating for the guest
Kitchen Skills– the efficiency of kitchen department and its
output capacity is an essential factor in determining the type of
menu.
Seasonal Favorites– availability and usage of seasonal fresh
fruits and vegetables are other factors to be considered while
planning a menu. A good menu should always include
seasonal favorites in its courses for example mango in
summers, carrot in winters etc.
Local Favorites– The favorites of the local people, their
eating habits and food culture needs to be taken into
consideration while planning a menu
Availability of equipment’s – while planning the menu,
availability of the equipments required to prepare as well as
serve the food needs to be considered.
 CONSTRAINT OF MENU PLANNING
Age– The preference of food items varies with age group. The
children and aged people prefer less spicy food while the younger
likes rich and spicy dishes.  Ideal menu should take care of people
in each and every age group.
Profession– People in different profession have different food
preferences, athletes, sport person will go for high carbohydrate
while people in entertainment business will prefer low fat/
cholesterol diet.
Nationality– people of different nation have different food
preferences. An European will like mild continental food, while
Indian, Thai and Mexican will prefer spicy food
Group size– when group size is large it is difficult to serve
elaborate menu
 7 Steps for Quick and Easy Menu
Planning
Post an ongoing grocery list where it's easy to
see. ...
Ask for meal ideas and share the work. ...
List your favorite seasonal meals ideas. ...
Find out what's on hand and what's on special to
plan your meals. ...
Start planning! ...
Eat healthy meals and snacks! ...
Save time on meal planning(time minimize)
What are the 6 principles of menu
planning?
To improve food quality, household meals should be
planned based on six principles;
 Namely adequacy,
 Balance,
Calorie (energy) control,
Nutrient density,
Moderation and variety.
 How menu planning is done?

Menu planning is the process of deciding what you will

eat for each meal, including main dishes, side dishes,
and desserts.
 It also entails knowing how many meals to plan for and
when to serve them.
Daily activities and scheduling variations may complicate
the menu planning process.
 Planning

 Type of Establishment: There will be considerable variation,

for example, in menu of five star hotels and restaurants, school
meals, heavy manual worker’s canteen or hospitals.
 Type of Customer and Age Group: especially for private
parties for a birthday, senior citizens conference, football player
after a match, visiting overseas students on a mayor’s banquet;
all need personal consideration.
Location: Study the area in which your establishment is
situated and the potential target market of customers.
 Religious rules if applicable (kosher catering or a Muslim
occasion) – Lack of knowledge or understanding can easily lead
to innocently giving offence.
 Con….

Meat or Non-Meat preferences: The number of non-meat

eaters is steadily increasing, so this becomes more important.
 Time of the Year: a) the prevailing temperature should be
considered as certain dishes suitable for cold weather may not be
acceptable in mid-summer.     b) Foods in season are usually in
good supply and more reasonable in price.    c) Special dishes on
certain days.
 Time of Day: Breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea, high-tea, dinner,
supper, snack or special function.
 Con….
 Price Range: Unless fair prices are charged (so that customers are
satisfied) repeat business may not occur and the caterer may go out of
business.
Competition: It is wiser to produce a menu quite different to those of
nearby establishment both in terms of price and quality.
 Space and Equipment: The menu writer must be aware of any
shortcomings or deficiencies in equipment and may be wary of offering
dishes that are difficult to produce.
The availability and capacity of both the Production and Service
staff labor must be considered.
 Availability of Supplies and schedule from the suppliers.
 Number of Courses: Varies according to all prior consideration.
Correct Sequence of courses: Important if the menu is to achieve a good
balance.
Appropriate Language: Always use a language that customers can
understand.
Sensible Nutritional Balance: If a selection of dishes with varying
nutritional contents is offered then customers can make their own
choices.
No repetition of Commodities: Never repeat basic ingredients
such as mushrooms, tomatoes, peas, bacon on the menu.
No repetition of Flavour: If using strong seasonings like onion,
garlic or herbs such as thyme, sage or bay leaf, do not repeat in
more than one course. Example:
 do not serve a tomato flavoured sauce on the main course if the
soup was cream of tomato.
 do not or avoid, serving let’s say garlic-flavoured noodles with
prawn in garlic sauce.
 try to different taste in the meat itself by providing a choice
between beef. Pork, lamb,
 Con…

No repetition of Colours: The colour of food is important to

give appetite appeal, but avoid repetition of color.
 The texture of Course: Ensure variation is given (food should
not be all soft or all crisp, but balanced).
Sauces: If different sauces are served on one menu, the
foundation ingredient of each sauce should vary.
con……
Nutritional adequacy:
This point is particularly important
when we are planning meals for a family. In a family, as you
know, there might be
different individuals - a child, an adolescent, an adult, a
pregnant. woman or an
elderly person. Each of these individuals has his/hers own
specitrc nutrient
Suggested nutrients by age young
and children
Plenty fruit and vegetables
At least five a day. Plenty of bread, rice, potatoes,
pasta and other starchy foods - choose wholegrain
varieties whenever you can.
Some milk and dairy foods - choose lower fat
varieties.
 Special Nutrient Needs of Older Adults

Calcium and Vitamin D. Adults older than 70 need more

calcium and vitamin D to help maintain bone health than
they did in their younger years. ...
Dietary Fiber. ...
Potassium. ...
Know Your Fats.

Dietary fiber, also known as roughage, is the

indigestible part of plant foods. Fiber has a host of
health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart
disease and type 2 diabetes. Fiber is mostly in vegetables,
fruits, whole grains, and legumes.
 BALANCED DITE
energy-giving,
body-building
protectively regulatory food group.
items from each of these three food groups in each meal
can ensure balanced diets.
 TYPES OF MENU

Menu may be divided into two classes, traditionally

called a'la carte and table d'hôte.
The difference being the former has a list of all dishes
priced separately and the latter has a fixed price for the
whole meal.
 table d’hote
A table d’hote menu is a menu that offers a choice of
appetizer, main course, and dessert all at a fixed total
price.
It’s the set menu that provides the most freedom.
A common table d’hote setup has a diner choosing
one appetizer from two options,
one main course from two or three options,
one dessert from two options.
 Con…..
It is a fixed menu generally of a starter, a main course, a
dessert and a beverage at last, and is served at a stated
price which is for the entire meal.
Cater to a large number of people in a short period of time
like institution, industries, transport catering etc.
 A la carte

 A la carte is a French phrase that translates literally as “by the

card” and roughly as “according to the menu.”
 An a la carte menu lists the prices for each item separately.
 While the prices tend to be higher, a la carte menus have more
flexibility.
 Customers can choose individual items and combine them any
way they want.
 OTHER MENU
Is one of beverage menu the menu is a bar or restaurant
menu that sells alcoholic or non- alcoholic drinks.
A good cocktail menu has a mix of base liquor , glassware
,and flavors.
 DIFFERENT

   TABLE D’HOTE                                                                                     A LA CARTE

Traditional                                                         1.modern
Compositely priced                                        2. Individually priced
 
Limited Choices 3.Wider choices

Portion size smaller 4.portion size bigger

Suitable for clubs, welfare 5. Suitable for commercial establishments like

institutions etc. restaurants

Caters to a large no. of people in a

6. Cater to a limited no. of   people
limited  time

Requires less space, equipment’s

7. Requires more space, equipment’s and skilled people
and skilled people

Life cycle is less as it is cyclic in

8. Life cycle is more, is changed after 6 months
nature
 5 basic menu for serving
There are 5 fundamental types of menus that are
used in restaurants, and they are the most
commonly used.
a la carte,
static,
du jour,
cycle,
fixed menus.
 A la carte

In French, à la carte literally means "by the menu“

It is the selection from the menu card where each
item is priced separately.
In this the menu is presented in form of a card. All
the food items are listed along with their individual
respective pricing. It is most popularly used menu.
Have a wide choice.

 Characteristics of a la carte menu

Extensive choice of dishes within each course/category

Each dish is priced separately.
Dishes are cooked as per order (after receiving the order)
Each dish has a waiting time.
Customers are billed according to the order placed.
A short description is mentioned under each dish for customers to
know what they are ordering.
Dishes are usually semi-prepared beforehand and finished off
after receiving the order.
A la carte dishes take some time for cooking, portioning, and
garnishing.
 Advantage

Customers have an extensive choice of dishes to

choose from.
Customers pay for the dishes they order for.
It effectively addresses the needs of requirements of
guests of varying age groups and plates.
Guests get freshly cooked dishes.
 Dis advantage

Needs more kitchen area and kitchen equipment.

Requires more kitchen staff.
Calls for a variety of service equipment.
Needs high volume of mise en place work to be carried
out.
More food wastage in this style of operation.
 Static menu

A static menu is a larger menu, typically divided into

categories, that doesn’t change very often.
It’s the most widely used menu today, and it’s what
you likely think of when you think of menus.
That’s because the majority of restaurants and bars
out there utilize a static menu
Focus for transit
It is usually separated into groups such as appetizers
soup, and salad ,entrees, desserts etc.
 Advantage
It also saves you time and frees up your employees to
focus on more important things, such as the food and
the customers.
many restaurants using a static menu offer daily
specials or features, which give some flexibility to
offer menu items that are seasonal, or trendy, or use
product that needs to be sold and not wasted.
 Dis advantage

A lack of flexibility and limited menu information is

another disadvantage that may have surprising
implications.
 Du jour

Du jour means "of the day", and the term isn't limited
to soups or cocktails.
used to describe something that is enjoying great but
probably short-lived popularity or publicity.
Du jour is a French phrase that means “of the day.”
Du jour menus change daily, depending on what’s
available or what the chef prepared.
 So, “chicken du jour” means the chicken that’s available
today.
 Likewise, “soup du jour” is the soup that’s available today.
 Advantage of ….
Du Jour menus change daily, or at the least every few days, due
to centering around dishes created with seasonal, fresh
ingredients.
By using ingredients that are only available at certain times of
the year, such as seasonal vegetables, freshly caught fish and
seafood, a Du Jour menu offers it’s customers something
special every day.
 dishes which are created with freshness and flavour in mind.
 The main advantage of ordering from a Du Jour menu is that
you are guaranteed that every item on the menu is special and
features great, fresh ingredients, offering flavor-packed dishes
that customers will love.
 Dis advantage ….
Du Jour menu is that, due to the rapidly changing menu, what is
available as on the menu one day, is often not available the next.
This is fine for diners who like variety, but for those who would
like a second helping of a certain dish which is no longer in
season, not finding this on the Du Jour menu could be a
disappointment.
 A rapid turnover of dishes can be expected on a Du Jour menu,
as the seasons progress and as availability of certain produce
fluctuates, so it’s not a menu for those who tend to stick to the
same few dishes when dining out.
 The Du Jour menu offers something special, but each dish has
just a few days to shine.
 Why we use this menu
A du jour item is a special menu item that is offered on a
specific day of the week.
 This special menu item is often featured at a
reduced price
 making it more appealing to hotel guests
According to our stock availability
 Cyclic menu
A cycle menu is a menu or part of a menu
that has repeated options over a specific period of time
Think of a sandwich shop that offers a certain sandwich
on Monday.
Then another sandwich on Tuesday. And so on for the rest
of the week.
If they stick to those sandwiches on those days and repeat
that week after week, it’s a cycle menu.
 Cycle menus are often used for two reasons

One is that the cooking operation is relatively small and

doesn’t have the resources to cook-to-order items off a
larger menu.
 The second is for daily specials, like a happy hour
menu.
Focus on the same like university
 advantage

Cycle menus make it easier to buy regularly used

items in bulk.
Cycle menus can also help you take advantage of
seasonal foods.
Reduce Storage Costs.
Cycle menus reduce storage costs.
Cycle menus save time and allow menu planners to
offer a variety of menu selections.
 Dis advantage

Repeated cycle menus may become monot- onous to

the patient and the cafeteria customers.
 A short cycle or one which presents the same items
on the same day each week may cause monotony.
 At the University Hospital, the average patient stay
is eight days.
 fixed menu
A fixed menu is a menu with few options and a fixed
total price.
It can be confused with static menus because the words,
outside of the context of menu names, are similar.
 But the fixed menu definition is far different from that of
the static menu.
A fixed menu is also commonly called a set menu, and
there are two common types.
The table d’hote menu and the prix fixe menu.
 Con….
Prix Fixe is a French term that means "fixed price" and refers
to a type of menu featuring a pre-selected list of dishes at a set
price.
Prix fixe menus are most often found in upscale fine dining
restaurants and presented on special occasions like Mother's Day
or Valentine's Day.
A prix fixe menu offers a multi-course meal at a fixed total price.
The number of courses can vary from 2 to over 10. Sometimes
you may have options to choose from within each course.
Though, commonly, the menu does not provide choices within
courses. 
 Advantage

A major advantage of using a prix fixe menu is that you

know the food cost per diner at each table.
Instead of having to stock a wide range of ingredients that
may or may not be used on a daily basis, you can order
for a select number of dishes – save money on inventory!
 Dis advantage

The seller may realize the risk that he is taking by fixing a

price and so will charge more than he would for a fluid
price, or a price that he could negotiate with the seller on
a regular basis to account for the greater risk the seller is
taking.
 Cources

appetizer
Main course
Dessert
 Appetizer

An appetizer is a small dish of an overall meal. It

can also be a drink or multiple drinks containing
alcohol. Common examples include: shrimp
cocktail, calamari, salad, potato skins, mussels,
bruschetta or cheese and crackers.
100 gm
 Main course

The main dish is usually the heaviest, heartiest, and

most complex or substantial dish in a meal. The
main ingredient is usually meat, fish or another
protein source. It is most often preceded by an
appetizer, soup or salad, and followed by a dessert.
For those reasons the main course is sometimes
referred to as the "meat course
250 gm. serving
 Dessert

Dessert, the last course of a meal. In the United

States dessert is likely to consist of pastry, cake, ice
cream, pudding, or fresh or cooked fruit.
120 gm