According to famous chefs Daniel England, Joyce Tang, Tanner Agar, Jim Solomon, Michael Welch, and Brian Poe, food decoration requires extremely skillful techniques. Each technique focuses on 5 elements of presenting the main dish: color, arrangement, balance, texture, and ease of enjoyment.
1. Create height on the plate
Create height for the dish
Don’t try to arrange the dish too high on the plate, but create height for the dish using professional techniques such as:
– Use colorful leaves as a bed under the salad dish. Try combining different sizes and colors of salad leaves to create thin, light layers that look natural and connected.
– Instead of placing ice cream and fruits side by side for the dessert, thinly slice the fruits and place them underneath, then put the ice cream on top to create a stacked feeling.
2. Cut the meat horizontally
Cutting the meat horizontally makes it more visually appealing
Cut the meat horizontally, along the grain, to make it look more visually appealing. This technique can also be applied to fish and vegetables. Specifically:
– For tuna, cut it into thin slices along the grain to reveal the beautiful meat fibers.
– Place asparagus on the plate and cut different types of vegetables into small, horizontal pieces.
3. Add artistic patterns
Artistic patterns will make the dish more appealing
Add artistic patterns to the dish using effects such as:
– Dot the sauce on the meat like falling water droplets.
– Sprinkle cheese on top of the meat with sprouts for both garnishing and decoration.
4. Use contrasting colors
Create contrasting colors for the dish
Using contrasting colors for the dish is extremely important. Prioritize natural colors and avoid artificial colors. Instead, use matcha, brown sugar, etc., to create natural and eye-catching colors. Especially, use vibrant colors to make the dish visually appealing. Carrots, potatoes, cabbage, celery, and cauliflower are preferred due to their beautiful colors.
5. Choose a suitable plate for the dish
A suitable plate will make the dish more appetizing
Choosing the right size, color, and shape of the plate for the dish is also very important. Typically, chefs avoid using blue plates because there is no natural food with that color and it does not make the dish appetizing. Use white plates to make the dish stand out and more appetizing.
6. Serve smaller portions
Smaller portions are suitable for a multi-course menu
Smaller portions are usually easier to arrange beautifully. Avoid having more than 6 components on each dish to avoid overwhelming them. If serving smaller portions, have a multi-course menu with 8-12 dishes to make it look diverse and harmonious on the table.
7. Use edible decorations
Edible decorations are a great tool to decorate your dish, but there are some principles to follow such as: using herbs, spices, or edible flowers for decoration; everything on the plate should have the purpose of enhancing the taste of the dish first, then considering the appearance.
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