Types of Menu

Menus are generally compiled to meet the requirements for all sorts of meals as described above. Modern food service involve many types of menus, but they are usually variants of two main kinds: a la carte and table d’hote.

A la Carte An a la carte may be defined by the following points:-

1. It gives the full list of all the dishes that may be prepared by the establishment.
2. Each dish is priced individually.
3. A certain waiting time (preparation time) has to be allowed for each dish.
4. It is cooked to order

This type of menu may be offered on its own or along with a carte du jour (menu of the day). The dishes on an a la carte menu may change according to the season e.g availability of items such as shellfish, fruits, etc, but each item will remain individually priced which may be changed daily or remain for a certain period of time. The dishes are usually main courses.

Table d’hote ( TDH ) TDH menu can be defined by the following points

• The menu has fixed number of courses.
• There is a choice within each course.
• The selling price of the menu is fixed.
• The dishes provided will be ready at a set time.
• The guest is charged for the full menu whether he consumes all the items on the menu or not.
• An establishment may offer either TDH menu by itself or along with an a la carte menu. A TDH menu normally gives less wastage of food. Example of a TDH menu

Salade de Tomates

Ou

Consomme Celestine

Ou

Potage St. Germaine

—-

Spaghetti Napolitaine

Ou

Poisson a l’anglaise

—

Creme Caramel

Ou

Souffle au Chocolate

Specialties and plats du jour Certain catering establishments each day carry on the a la carte menu an item called ‘plat du jour’ (dish of the day). This is frequently a main dish of the table d’hote meal. Potatoes and vegetables as a garnish are often included in the price.

Cyclical menu:- A cyclical menu is a type of changing menu that rotates selections over a period of time. Such menus are primarily used in institutional operations, which repeat every three, six, or eight weeks, but the more popular items may be repeated several times within the cycle.