LESSON 5

THE MENU
By: Trisha Angelique Sales, LPT
 LESSON LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this lesson, the student should be able to:

1. recognize different functions of the menu;
2. categorize various types of the menu;
3. sequentially arrange the seventeen French classical courses and five basic
courses;
4. discuss factors to consider in selecting dishes and the number of courses to
be included in a menu;
5. recognize the importance of menu knowledge; and
6. create an appropriate menu for a business.
 INTRODUCTION

The menu serves as a promotional sales tool. You can

emphasize a menu item with a high contribution margin or
combine menu items with high costs with menu items with
lower costs. Also, the menu provides expectations and creates
a sort of lasting impression. The menu has to be presented
neatly as it can also portray the image of a restaurant. It could
help and serve as one of the important aspects for the
success of any food service establishment.
 WHAT IS A MENU?
The menu is a product offering of a food
service organization that varies in the range of
dishes offered and size. It is a list, in a specific
order, of the dishes to be served at a given meal
period, such as breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It can
be presented on floor stands, posters, wall
displays, tent cards, or clip-on.
FLOOR STAND
MENU
POSTER MENU
WALL DISPLAY MENU
TENT CARDS MENU
CLIP-ON MENU
 FUNCTIONS OF MENU
1. It provides information about what food is available, how it is cooked and
presented, and at what price.
2. It presents the list of menu items in a logical order, under course headings,
thereby making comprehension of the menu easy.
3. It presents the overall image of the restaurant.
4. It serves as the marketing tool by appropriately describing the dishes to make
them appealing to the guest.
5. It dictates the needs of the operation, such as the required staff, equipment, and
materials needed to efficiently prepare and serve the menu items listed to its
customers.
6. It establishes key elements of financial viability, namely, price and contribution
margin.
 NOTE:
The restaurant manager must assure that
all items listed in the menu are available and
presented as per description to avoid
customer disappointment. The menu must be
accurate, informative, understandable, and
neatly designed to successfully achieve its
function.
TYPES OF MENU
 1. Á LA CARTE MENU
Á la carte is a French word that means
"according to the card" or "customer's order."
It is a complete list of all food served in the
food service outlet. Each dish is priced
separately (shows the price of each dish). This
type of menu can be presented as à la carte or
semi-a la carte.
A. Á La Carte Menu- It is
a menu that offers each
food and beverage item
priced and served
separately.
b. Semi-A La Carte Menu-
It offers a combination of
menu items (for example:
main dish, salad) and
prices them as one.
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
A LA CARTE AND SEMI A LA
CARTE
MENU
DIFFERENT KINDS OF Á LA CARTE
MENU
• Breakfast Menu
• Luncheon Menu
• Dinner Menu
• California Menu
• Ethnic Menu
• Specialty Menu
• Room Service Menu
• Lounge Menu
 BREAKFAST MENU
The breakfast menu in the à la
carte segment can be categorized into
omelets, waffles, pancakes, French
toast, cereals, bakery goods, side
dishes, and beverages. Menu items for
each category are individually priced.
The semi-à la carte segment offers a
wide variety of combinations of food.
For example, the combination of
pancake, omelet, and sausage in a
platter is priced like one.
 LUNCHEON MENU
The luncheon menu under
the à la carte segment is
generally composed of
appetizers, salads, cold and hot
sandwiches, entrées, desserts,
and beverages. Entrées with
vegetables, salad, potato, or
rice are under the semi-à la
carte segment.
 DINNER MENU
A dinner menu presents
both à la carte and semi-a la
carte items. A dinner menu
typically offers more
appetizers and entrées
compared with a luncheon
menu. American, French, or
Russian style service is
followed while offering dinner
 CALIFORNIA MENU

In the California menu,

dishes are always available
any time of the day, whether
it is breakfast, lunch, or
dinner. Each breakfast, lunch,
or dinner meal can be offered
in a separate menu list.
 ETHNIC MENU

An ethnic menu can be

an à la carte or a semi-à la
carte. An ethnic menu offers
food items representing the
particular cuisine from a
specific country or region.
The price range of food can
be from moderate to high.
 SPECIALTY MENU

A specialty menu is an
amalgamation of both à
la carte and semi-à la
carte items. It specializes
in a particular dish.
 ROOM SERVICE MENU
The room service menu
implements either an à la carte,
semi-à la carte, or prix fixe menu.
Orders are usually taken through the
guests' room telephone. The room
service menu can have a higher
price than the menu in the hotel
food service outlet. The quality of
food items offered from the room
service menu must be maintained
and served at the right temperature.
 LOUNGE MENU
A lounge menu implements
an à la carte or a semi-à la
carte style. Lounge menus
usually offer selective menu
items that require easy
preparations, which are
common in hotels, inns, and
spas.
 2. TABLE D'HOTE
Table d'hote is a French word that means "table of
the host." Table d'hote (pronounced as tah-buhl-doht)
has a limited and set number of menu items with a
fixed price (fixed number of courses). It is also called a
set menu, set meal, our prix fixe menu. Menu items are
often cooked in advance and bulk quantity. The price is
economical and requires less staff.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF TABLE D'HOTE (HOST'S TABLE) MENU
BANQUET MENU

• Banquet Menu
• Buffet Menu
• Coffee Houses Menu
• Cyclical Menu
 BANQUET MENU

Banquet menu is
offered at a set price where
the selection of set menu
items is presented. On
some special occasions, set
menu items can be served
according to the guest's
preferences.
 BUFFET MENU
The buffet menu
has a limited list of food
items offered at a
predetermined set price
and can be categorized
as table d'hote. Food
items are available for
a particular set of time.
 COFFEE HOUSE MENU
A coffee house menu can be attributed as a table d'hote menu for the
following reasons:
• Foods in a coffee house are usually offered for 12 to 18 hours a day
and presented as a set menu.
• Menu items are individually priced.
• Menu items usually have limited choices (light meals such as pasta,
sandwich, etc.), which require quick and little preparation.
• The coffee house offers a simplified form of services such as plate
service or counter service.
COFFEE HOUSE
MENU
 CYCLICAL MENU

The list of food items

in the cyclical menu is
repeated in the cycle for a
set period (typically every
7, 14, 21, or 28 days).
Menu items are offered in
rotation.
COMPARISON OF A LA CARTE AND TABLE
D’HOTE
A LA CARTE TABLE D’HOTE

Number of dishes/variety More Less/Limited

Price (if added separately) High Low

Number of equipment More Less

Number of staff More Less

Kitchen space More Less

Quantity of food prepared time Small Amount Large Amount

Food wastage More Less

3. OTHER TYPES OF MENU
• Static Menu
• Du Jour Menu
• Wine Menu
• Dessert Menu
 STATIC MENU
Menu items offered in a
static menu are the same
dishes all year long. Most
common food service outlets
are fast-food restaurants and
diners where menu items are
categorized as appetizer,
salads, main dish, dessert, and
the like.
 DU JOUR MENU
The menu is also called a plat du jour (pronounced as
plah-duh-zhoor) or house specialty section. It is also
known as the chalkboard menu since the specialty of the
day is written on chalkboards. This type of menu usually
offers a particular dish in a day and changes daily.
Seasonal items are considered on what food items to be
prepared and offered. It can be an à la carte or a table
d'hote menu.
DU JOUR MENU
 WINE MENU
The wine menu is a list of wine
selection that ranges from low to high
prices. A detailed description of wine
(the name, the year of the vintage,
the country of origin, the bin number,
and the price) is included in the wine
menu. The wine menu also describes
the taste profile, flavor, and food
names that are paired with any
specific wine.
 WINE PAIRING

• Rule 1: White wines are paired with seafood and white meats.
• Rule 2: Red wines go with red meats; thus, there is a right red
for the right meat.
• Rule 3: Sweet wine of course, matches well sweet dessert.
• Rule 4: Champagne goes with everything.
 DESSERT MENU
The dessert menu is a list of
dessert offered by the food service
outlet. The dessert menu can be
presented together with a dessert
tray or dessert cart. This helps
guests to choose the outlet's
signature dessert. Some dessert
menu includes special coffee, tea,
and after drinks on the list, but it
can also be offered separately.
 MENU SEQUENCE
In formal dining, a full course menu may consist of 5, 6, 8,
10, 12, 17, and some with 21 courses. This kind of dining
service requires a complex and carefully planned menu where
each course must complement the other gastronomically.
Courses are served in smaller portions and spread out for the
rest of the long evening. It may take three to five hours to serve
all courses. Most courses except for light courses such as sorbet
are usually paired with alcoholic beverages, such as wine, beer,
liqueur, or other types of distilled spirits.
FRENCH CLASSICAL MENU
SEQUENCE
One of the popularly
known and considered
luxurious full courses is the
French Classic full course
dinner, which consists of 12
or 17 menu items,
presented in the sequence
below.
 12 Courses 17 Courses

Hors d’oeuvres (Appetizer) Horse d’oeuvres (Appetizer)

Potage (Soup) Potage (Soup)
Poisson (Fish) Oeufs (Egg)
Farineaux (Rice and Pasta)
Entrée (First course of the meat item) Poisson (Fish)
Releve (Big meat item) Entrée (First course of the meat item)
Sorbet (Rest course) Releve (Big meat item)
Roti (Roasted meat item) Sorbet (Rest course)
Legumes (Vegetables) Roti (Roasted meat item)
Entremets (Sweet course) Legumes (Vegetables)
Salades (Salad)
Savoureaux (Savory item) Buffet froid (Cold buffet)
Dessert (Fruit item) Savoureaux (Savory items)
Boissons (Beverage) Fromage (Cheese)
Dessert (Fruit item)
Boissons (Beverage)
 1. HORS D'OEUVRES

Hors d'oeuvres
(pronounced as "or-
DERVS") stimulate
appetite and spicy. It is
typically served in various
types at a small amount
in a tray or a rotating
trolley.
 2. POTAGE/SOUP
There are two types of
soup, the clear soup
(consommé) and the thick
soup (creme, velouté,
puree). The clear soup is
mainly placed first on the
menu. It serves as an
appetizer for another
course to come.
 3. OEUF/EGG
Oeufs are dishes made from
eggs. It cannot be included
in the dinner menu. Eggs
can be prepared in various
styles, such as boiled,
poached, en cocotte, or
scrambled.
 4. FARINACEOUS / FARINEAUX / PASTA OR RICE

Farinaceous are rice and pasta. Pasta is composed of m

than 200 varieties. The ingredients, shapes, sizes, and color
determine the type of pasta.
 5. POISSON/FISH

Poisson (pronounced
as "PWAA-son") are dishes
made from fish. Soft-
fibered fish prepares the
palate for the next heavy
courses (meats) to follow.
 6. ENTRÉE
Entrée (pronounced as an-trei) is a dish made from
meat; it is the first meat served in the course. It is primarily
served in small proportions, well garnished, and usually
accompanied with a sauce or gravy. It is freshly served from
the kitchen. If releve (normally larger than entrées and take
the form of butcher's joints which have to be carved) is not
served after the entrée, potatoes and vegetables are served
with the dish; it will not be served with the latter if releve is
served next to the entrée.
ENTRÉE
 7. RELEVE/JOINTS
Releve is the second meat
serve after the entree and is
considered as the main meat
of the course. It is made from
roasted joints and serves
larger than the entrée. It is
accompanied by a sauce or
roast gravy and always goes
with potatoes and vegetables.
 8. SORBET
Sorbet (pronounced as sor-
be) serves as a rest between
courses due to the length of the
French Classical Menu. Sorbet is
served in a glass and made from
water and crushed ice flavored
with champagne. It neutralizes
and revitalizes the appetite for
the next courses to follow.
 9. ROTI/ROAST
Roti is made from roast
game or poultry, such as chicken,
duck, quail, pheasant, or turkey,
that is usually accompanied by its
particular sauce or gravy. It is
served with a green salad on a
crescent-shaped dish. In this
stage, heavy courses will now
start to shift to light courses.
 10. LEGUMES/VEGETABLES
Legumes are vegetable dishes served with their
accompanying sauce. It can be served as an individual
course, or it can be served together with the entrée,
releve, or roast courses.
 11. SALADES/SALAD

Different kinds of
salads are served
during this course.
 12. BUFFET FROID /
COLD BUFFET

Cold buffet is made

from small chilled
meats.
 13. ENTREMETS/SWEETS
Entremets are desserts. It can be served as hot or
cold sweets, gateaux, souffle, or ice cream.
 14. SAVOUREUX/SAVORY
Savoureux
(pronounced as sa-vou-
roe) is anchovies on toast
or pickled fruit. It is usually
dished with a pungent
taste. It can be served on
hot toast or as a savory
 15. FROMAGE/CHEESE
Fromage (pronounced as fro-
maj) is a combination of cheeses
(soft, hard, semi-hard, blue, and
fresh cheese) served on a cheese
board together with crackers,
butter, and celery. It may be
served before and after the
sweet course and can be an
alternative for the outdated
savory course.
 16. DESSERT / CUT
FRUITS AND NUTS

Dessert is usually
pastries, cakes, cookies,
candies, or fruits. All forms
of fruits and nuts may be
served in this course. This
course usually comes at
the end of a meal.
 17. BOISSONS/BEVERAGE

Boissons (pronounced
as bwa-son) can be
served hot or cold.
Always remember that
beverages are not
counted as courses in a
menu.
 SELECTING DISHES AND COURSES

It is important to have the right balance in

your menu. The number of courses and
selecting dishes to be offered depend on the
following:
 1. DEMOGRAPHIC CHOICES

It is important to know the

demographics of your guests, such as
age, income, nationality, and so on,
in planning a menu. Each segment
has different needs to be considered.
 2. AVAILABILITY OF SEASONAL

Items It is also important to

consider the available and seasoned
items or ingredients that would be
used in your menu items. It can also
help in lessening your cost.
 3. NATURE OF THE OCCASION

The menu offers depend on the

nature of the occasion. A children's
party will have a different menu
from that of a wedding.
 4. RESOURCES OF THE KITCHEN STAFF AND
EQUIPMENT

Plan your menu items according to the

capability of your kitchen staff and equipment. Do
not offer menu items that cannot be cooked by
your kitchen staff, or do not include menu items
such as tandoori bread if you do not have a
tandoor in the kitchen.
 5. COST AND PRICING POLICY

Consider a combination of high-

cost and low-cost menu items. Less
profit will come if you only offer all
the expensive menu items.
 6. FOR GASTRONOMIC REASON

Consider the balance of flavor, texture, and

consistency in your menu. An ingredient to one
dish should not be repeated to other dishes. For
example, if broccoli serves as sides for the
entrée, broccoli should not be part of the
vegetable course that will be served in the latter.
 NOTE:

The same color of meats should not follow

each other. If white meat is served, red meat
should follow. If the menu course is long, courses
should be light and served in a small portion. If
the menu is short, courses should be substantial
and sufficient to fulfill the needs of the guests.
 MENU KNOWLEDGE
F&B service personnel should clearly know the following points of information
regarding the menu:
1. Dishes' names 6. Preparation time
2. What they look like 7. Require time, cutlery, garnish
and condiments
3. What they taste like 8. How to serve
4. What are the ingredients of the dish 9. Abbreviation
5. Cooking method 10. Price

Remember: As service personnel, the more knowledge you have on different menu
items, the better you can suggest to your guest.
 PRESENTING THE MENU
Presenting a menu comes in various ways, so it is
important to know the policy of your outlet. There are food
service outlets where menus are already kept on each table;
but in most cases, menus are presented by the waiter upon
the guest's arrival.
Menus are typically presented on the left side of the
guest. It can be presented open or unopened by saying,
"Here's the menu, sir/madam." Never put the menu on the
table and let the customers pick it up. In a group, the menu