Plating and decorating a dish

All operations involved in preparing and serving food are equally important. Plating and decorating a dish seem to get a special focus mainly because the first contact we normally have with food is visual. So food first of all has to look good. Plating and decorating a dish has the porpoise of offering personality and stimulate the consumer’s appetite thorough shape and color. Besides aesthetic principals when plating we must also consider practical, operational and safety related principals.

When plating the same practical principals apply just as for designing a menu: for who? for what (occasion)? With whom? With what?

Who is this plate meant for? A dish served for kids may differ substantially from they way the same dish is served to adults.

For what occasion? Is this a special meal that deserves special attention to the way the dish is plated and served? Can it be arranged and decorated to convey a special message – e.g. flag colors on national day.

With who? This question deserves an honest answer. If a plate comes out impeccable based on a great idea and technique can we repeat the same process with the same results for another 79 plates? Who will be there to help us in succeeding this in due time?

With what? This refers to the material and financial means available. Do we have enough salad leaves? And enough Acceto balsamico? Do we have enough plates that are the same pattern?

Besides the personal talent and freedom the chef one must also take into account a few esthetic principles.

First of all colors. We have to chose edible colors (apparently blue is not very edible), that go well together and can create contrast. One combination that has all these is the common: yellow – brown – green (potatoes, meat, greens). It is also advisable to have ingredients that grow in the same area in the same season - what grows together goes together. This will add a balance in taste.

Second thing to consider is the size of the plate and an architecture for the food we are about to serve. Consider, if available, a big plate. Now international competitions are won with a small dish served on a big plate. On a big plate there is more room to arrange and give space. The white empty space conveys value and power to the food being served. We have to chose a focal point around witch to build. Some cooks consider the center of the plate the focal point and build around it. This is not an absolute rule. If the dish has shape and color and important element is also the height: the edible elements on the plate can also lean on each other.

Third we must keep in mind to mix textures and shapes: little round meat bolls served with little round potatoes with and little round peas is not appealing is funny. If the ingredients are not helpful in their natural shape there is a multitude of instruments that diversify that help give new shape and help beautify the most common ingredients (eg. potato knife). We also have to think about the textures - I was served once fish file with mash potatoes some chopped cauliflower. Not at all appealing!


There are also a series of non esthetic principles to consider for safety or operational reasons. The most common is that hot food goes on hot plates and cold food on cold plates.

As temping as may be to add plastic colorful or practical elements of any sort on the plate there must be only edible elements. For instance a lemon is on the plate if it is pealed or is must be served separately.

Also every component is on its own: we don’t drown the whole thing in gravy. If the clients want they can mix things as they wishes. If they don’t mix and leave the sauce aside maybe we have to work more on the sauce.

The ``frame`` of the plate is free of food because this part is reserved for the waiter to manipulate.

For a better plate one of the things that can be done is work in advance. Document yourself. Or if you see something you like make a note of that or even a sketch – the plate seen from above or a transverse section. Sometimes we can even start from a sketch (eg. Sherbet desert plate above and sider veiw)



Before the plate goes out to the client there must me a last check and corrections made if necessary like wiping drips with a clean napkin. In this last stage it is important not to meddle with food. Sometimes this does more harm that good. It is better to accept little imperfections – it is not all that centered – than sent something that looks tired and messed with. Exercising and documenting leaves little room for error.

Lastly it is also vital that with all this preparation and effort that the person serving the food knows and understands how the plate is meant to be served. That is also true that great nonfigurative painters have discovered their style by mistakenly hanging their paintings upside down.

Some of the most mundane and boring dishes can be spiced up with some work on plating and decorating because we eat with our eyes more than we care to think.