SUBJECT : HOTEL MANAGEMENT

TOPIC : MENU

Introduction

The menu forms the basis of all activities in the production and service
departments. Any kind of food and beverage sales organisation, uses a
menu. The purpose is not only to inform the guests about the dishes and
the prices but also all the operational activities of the business revolves
around it.

In this episodes we are discussing the various aspects of ‘menu’ which are
divided into five parts

1. MENU AND ITS ADVANTAGES

2. TYPES OF MENU TABLE D'HOTE
3. TYPES OF MENU A LA CARTE
4. FRENCH CLASSICAL MENU
5. MENU CARD AND ITS USAGE

I. MENU & ITS ADVANTAGES

A menu is a list of food and beverages for service to the guest at a price. It
gives the guests choice of selecting items to eat and drink and the amount
to pay. Menu is a document that controls and guides the operation of an
outlet and is the prime instrument of the business.

Advantages of the Menu

1. It tells the customer price and the description of the dishes offered –
from which the customer should be able to anticipate the food or
beverage items to be served. The selling price fixed must satisfy the
customer about the quality and quantity of the items in the menu.

2. The management will be provide the requirement in terms of – staff

requirement for preparation in the kitchen and service of the food,
the purchase of equipment and raw materials required to prepare
and be ready for service. It is the indicator of the daily expenditure,

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 from which the anticipated sales can be calculated. At the end of the
day, after the business hours, success of the operation can be
assessed.
3. menu helps the service staff to prepare the restaurant according to it,
take the correct orders and serve the right dishes and present the
correct bill.
4. After the business of the day, it helps in preparing the sales summary
of all the orders from the guests. This is the sales history which
indicates of the performance and helps to improve the business.
5. Trends can be predicted and the future can be planned by adding or
deleting or modifying the items on the menu. The costs of the food
and beverage items can be arrived at, and the profit worked out. All
this is with the aim of keeping the customers satisfied.

The most important factor is that all the following aspects of the kitchen
and restaurant will revolve around the menu:-

• Purchase of equipment for kitchen and restaurant

• Staff recruitment and training for kitchen and restaurant
• Organising the kitchen for the purchase and storage of raw
material and preparation of food
• Organising the service area for efficient functioning
• Planning of the interior of the restaurant to match with the cuisine
and theme of the menu

The menu speaks of the organization, the skill of the chef, the capability of
the service staff and the quality of the food and beverage served.
Presentation of the menu like the font, colour and quality of the card and
the variety of the dishes and its pricing tells about the restaurant.

The menu can be presented in many ways; writing on boards, printing on

paper or acrylic sheets, laminated, presenting in a jacket which can be of
different materials. Sometimes menu is printed on different materials like
silk, thin strips of wood or PVC sheets, etc.

Types of Menu

There are two kinds of menus in use in the food and beverage outlets:-

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 1) Table d’hote
2) A la Carte

II ) TYPES OF MENU TABLE D'HOTE:

Literally translated it means ‘table of the host’. It refers to meals of limited

choice at a fixed price. Generally this menu is made up of 3 to 5 different
courses. This type of menu is also known as a ‘FIXED MENU’. The
abbreviation used to describe this menu is ‘TDH’. This was introduced in
Europe by the caretakers who provided food to the travellers staying
overnight.

The table d'hote or fixed menus are still in vogue and different terms are
used to describe this type of menu used in many modified versions, which
are - buffet menu, conference packages and special occasion menus. In
most places, for menus of Indian cuisines choices of vegetarian and non-
vegetarian dishes are included.

The features of this type of menu are;

• Number of courses are limited

• Total price is fixed for a particular meal consisting of a limited
number of courses
• Generally table d’hote menu is for a particular meal of the day.

This table d’hote menu is for restaurants where banquet is offered or

where buffet lunch or dinner is popular. Places where this type of menu is
implemented are flight catering, institutional catering and guest houses.
The most popular example is the ‘thali’ meal offered in the restaurants. As
the guest cannot choose the dishes. The meal should be well planned,
presentable and without repetition of ingredients.

The advantages of a Table d’hote menu are:-

1) Space requirement in the kitchen can be specific for the menu items
to be prepared
2) Equipment required can be for the preparation and service of the
limited menu items

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 3) Food storage area also can be as per the requirement of the menu
prepared
4) Labour can be specific to the menu items prepared
5) Wastage is less, as the food prepared is predetermined. Particularly
in welfare catering, in which the number of people consuming the
food is also specified.
6) Menu can be planned with dishes yielding higher profit. Quantity of
food to be sold can be anticipated and also food cost can be
maintained.

The limitations of Table d’hote menu are:-

1) Customers have to pay for the full menu, though certain dishes may
not be appealing.
2) Menus may not cater to the choices of children or those with diet
restrictions, as the food is prepared in bulk and much before the meal
time.

III. TYPES OF MENU A LA CARTE

A la Carte menu is a multiple choice menu in which each dish mentioned is

priced individually. This menu card with all the dishes along with its
individual prices mentioned, is presented to the customer to choose from.
The customer chooses the items and the bill amount will be as per the
dishes ordered.

The points to be considered in an ‘a la carte’ menu are:-

1) Elaborate choice of dishes

2) Every dish is priced individually
3) Partially cooked dishes are given finishing touches in the kitchen,
after receiving the order from the customer.

The production area that is the kitchen, will be organised as per the
following criteria:-

• Selection of equipment is considered the most important factor as

the food is pre-cooked and stored, and is finished after receiving
the order from the guests.

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 • The kitchen layout is planned such that the efficiency in executing
the order is maximised
• Skilled staff with considerable experience are employed.
• Storage facilities for partially cooked food is one of the important
facilities to be provided for in the kitchen, in addition to the
storage facilities for the raw materials.

The advantages of A la Carte menu

All the advantages are from the perspective of the customer.

• Very extensive choices of dishes under each course is available to

the customer, to suit different palates.
• The portion sizes of the dishes are large.
• The customer has the liberty to ask for variations in the dishes
chosen, e.g., more sauce or less spicy etc.
• As the dishes are individually priced the customers can plan the
choice of dishes as per the budget available.

The disadvantages of the A la Carte menu are:-

• Special equipment are required to make the dishes, and keep in

the pre prepared stage and to preserve those dishes till the order
is taken and finished.
• More kitchen space is required for pre - preparation and storage
of food.
• The requirement of specialised kitchen staff is high and the work
distribution tends to be not balanced
• Food wastage cannot be controlled.

Planning the Menu

Trends in the eating habits keep changing. The demand for variety in
cuisines and fads in eating habits – e.g., health foods and organic foods -
have given rise to different styles of establishments coming up to satisfy
the needs of the customers.

• The décor, furniture and service of food and beverage can be

planned according to the menu.
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 • Planning of the menu depends on information gathered about the
clientele which would determine the pricing of the items.
• The menu should be compiled taking into consideration the
season of the year so that dishes planned can be according to the
availability of the vegetables and fruits.
• Staff in the kitchen and service section should be accordingly
recruited and trained to perform their tasks to the satisfaction of
the guests.
• Equipment should be provided in the kitchen, for efficient
execution of orders. Also in the service outlet, for presentation
and service so that the customers enjoy time spent in the outlet.
• Pricing of the menu should be such that all aspects of costing are
considered and at the same time the customers feel satisfied.
• The menu items should follow standards laid down by the chef,
such that every time a particular dish is prepared it does not differ
in taste and appearance and quantity.
• Particular emphasis must be given to the religious and social
traditions so that the sentiment of the customer is not hurt.

Apart from the mentioned Table d’hote and A la Carte menus, the other
types of menus are:-

1) Californian Menu: This menu is applicable to restaurants in which

the dishes mentioned are available from the time the restaurant
opens for service till the time it closes.
2) Cyclic Menu: This is a collection of menus, which are rotated on a
day to day basis. Usually, this type of menu is prevalent among the
‘institutional catering’ segment of the food industry, e.g., educational
institutions, hospitals, airlines, etc. The emphasis is on the nutritional
aspect of the food provided.
3) Club Menu: These are popular dishes preferred by the members of
the club, which is generally served in the club and can also be take –
away. The pricing is subsidised by the management, making it lesser
than the competing businesses.

IV. FRENCH CLASSICAL MENU

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 Traditionally, it comprises of thirteen different courses. Nowadays the
popularity of elaborate menus have dwindled, and a meal consists of
three to five courses.

The different courses in the French menu consists of the following:-

1) Appetizer – Hors d’oeuvre

This is the very first course of the meal, introduced to stimulate the palate
for the flow of the digestive juices, to appreciate the courses to follow.

2) Soup – Potage

Soups are made of vegetables and or meats and seafood. Broadly, two types
of soups made are clear soups and thick soups. Clear soups are known as
‘consomme’.

3) Egg – Oeuf

Most of the egg preparations are included in this course. Omelette is the
most popular item, but other egg dishes are poached or scrambled.

4) Pasta or Farinaceous – Farineux Farineux

This is a course in which pasta is served. Pasta is an Italian dish. Examples

of the different pastas are – spaghetti, lasagne, ravioli and gnocchi.

Pasta is made in different shapes, e.g., macaroni, ravioli, gnocchi, etc.

Sometimes these pastas are coloured and flavoured also.

5) Fish – Poisson

This is the fish course. This includes seafood, such as shellfish and fresh
water fish and sea fish, cooked by boiling, poaching or frying.

6) The first meat course – Entrée

Literally, it means the entry of the meat course. This are dishes made up of
small portions of meats served with rich sauce.

7) Joint or Remove – Releve

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This course consists of larger portions of meat than entrée. Sauces and
vegetables are served as accompaniments. This is the bigger and heavier of
all the courses. This course is referred to as the ‘main course’.

8) Sorbet

This course is to give rest between courses, in a lengthy menu, mostly in

menus consisting of more than five courses. This course is made up of
water ice, flavoured with fruit juices, champagne or liqueur. Sorbet is
served chilled in a sorbet glass – a tall glass.

9) Roast – Roti

Traditionally hunted animals or birds were served. Nowadays the meat is

usually roasted. The accompaniment is sauce and salad.

10) Vegetables – Legumes

Vegetables are served with sauces. Some of the vegetables can be

asparagus, artichoke, and the accompanying sauce is mayonnaise sauce or
hollandaise. From this course, the meal tends to become lighter and smaller
in portion.

11) Sweet – Entremet

This is the sweet course and can be hot or cold.

12) Savoury or Cheese – Savoureux ou Fromage

This course is served to change the taste after the sweet course. Generally,
cheeses are served with its accompaniments. Examples of table cheeses
that can be served in the savoury course are soft, semi-hard, hard are
included.

13) Fruits and Nuts – Dessert

Only fresh fruits are served along with nuts. Fresh fruits that can be easily
managed by the guests at the table is preferred for service. E.g., bananas,
oranges, grapes, apples, dates, figs, etc.

Coffee – Café

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Coffee is preferred at the end of the meal of French classical menu. Though,
coffee is not considered as one of the courses, but it is an item to be
included at the end. The different types of coffees served are:- Filter-South
Indian, cona, cappuccino, decaffeinated.

V. MENU CARD

The menu card is the most important document of a food and beverage
outlet. Once the outlet opens to the public, the menu becomes the selling
tool. Menu gives the customer, an image of the restaurant. Therefore, the
menu compilation, presentation and format should be planned carefully.
The menu card should be attractive – with explanations about the dishes in
clear and concise language, such that the customer will be able to visualise
the food being presented and appreciate.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF MEALS FOR WHICH MENUS ARE COMPILED

1) Breakfast:
This is introduced for the morning meal. Usually, the menu is limited
with different types of hot beverages included.

2) Brunch:
This is a meal of which the timings are of late breakfast and early
lunch. This menu includes heavy breakfast items combined with light
lunch items.

3) Lunch:
Denotes a meal in the afternoon. Customers prefer to spend less time
for lunch than dinner in the evening. Generally, taking into account
the changing trends, customers tend to prefer lighter food items,
these items can be prepared and served faster. Institutional catering
pays attention to the nutritional value of the food items.

4) Afternoon tea:
Generally, biscuits, cakes and light snacks are preferred with the tea
or coffee served at about 4p.m., which has come to be referred to as
‘tea – time’.

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 5) Dinner:
Evening meal which customers prefer to enjoy with family and
friends. The choice of outlets are those which assure a relaxed
atmosphere with emphasis on privacy and food to suit different
palate.

6) Supper:
It is a late night meal, which consists of light food items and is
informal.
CONCLUSION

The menu is the basis for the operation of the food and beverage outlet. It
also conveys to the guest about the dishes available with a brief description
and the prices to be paid for each dish. It becomes an effective sales tool,
which is presented in an attractive manner to the customer. The menu is
the document which conveys about the whole organisation to the
customers.

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