MENU

The word menu as it relates to food is first found in print in 1718 in French. The
Oxford English dictionary (2nd edition) confirms the English word menu was borrowed
from the French. However” menu can be traced to the Latin word minutus which
means a detailed list.

A little bit of history about menu. . .

 Before the emergence of the restaurant, a menu had always been a list of all
those foods to be served during a particular meal such as a banquet. The food
served on a table had no menu and all the food arrived together all the same
time. In the early 1770’s the use of a printed menu in restaurants allowed each
customer to choose his or her own dish marked another innovation in food
service.

The restaurant’s role as a place for the service of food and drink however
necessitated a new sense of the menu; the creation of a list available items from
which each customer made personal choices in sequence at the most convenient
moment.

Today’s menu is an important communication method from the caterer to the

customer. It is a legal requirement for restaurants to display menus that clearly
inform customers about the price and other inclusions, such as the addition
of services tax  and any service charges that are applied.
TYPES OF MENUS

Menus are not only available in a restaurant, but in other places that serve food such
as, hotels, hospitals, schools and other food service outlets.

A la carte 
 meaning “from the menu”.
 Menu items are individually priced and cooked to order so that the customer
can select a series of particular dishes to compile their own menu of choice.
 Traditionally the A la carte menu gives the full list of every dish available from
the restaurant kitchen with individual prices on them.
 The A la carte menu may be classical or modern style and should include a
full range of entrees, soups, main course, vegetables and deserts.

Table d’hote
 meaning ‘table of the host” It is commonly known as the set menu or daily
menu with a set price.
 The table de’hote menu implies a limited number of choices offered for an
inclusive price.
 A set number of course usual includes (entrée main course and dessert) for a
fixed price.
 Usually there are two, three or four different courses to this type of menu.

Cycle menu
 a series of menus that are rotated to set dates or times .
 The menus vary daily to avoid repetition and to ensure that the customers are
receiving healthy balanced diet.
 These menus are often used in large facilities such as hospitals, nursing
homes and jails, where the same customers are being catered for over an
extended period of time.
Cocktail menu
 (or finger foods) there is no written menu that the customers see, the host or
organizer chooses the selection of food in advance at a set price or per item
until the occasion is finished.
 

Buffet menu 
 A buffet restaurant offers customers a large selection of foods from a self-
service bar at an all inclusive price per person.
 Sometimes it also offers customer very detailed and attractive menus of
extras, like side dishes and beverages, such as "All the Prawns You Can Eat",
"Ice cream and Dessert Bar"

Cafe Menu
 The European style cafe or brasserie an increasling popular menu as
cutomers responds to the covenience of all day dining, flexible menus.
 Menu items are well described with pleanty of information about the
ingredients such as "Fresh Tasmanian Ocean Trout" and the method of cooking
like "Wood-Fired Oven Pizzas"
 It is a modern and artistic presentation.
 The basic menu is usually supported by blackboard and daily specials.
 
OTHER TYPES OF MENUS

Menus are not only available in a restaurant, but in other places that serve food such
as, hotels, hospitals, schools and contract food service outlets.

Hospital Menus

 Hospital menus usually consist of a, limited choice written on a card that is

filled in by the patient indicating their choice on the day prior to receiving the
ordered dishes.

 Usually the menu choice consists of two or three different courses with dietary
options available.

 Hospitals will usually cater for special dietary requirements on the grounds of
religion, vegetarianism and allergies.

School Menus

 School Menus gives emphasis on healthy eating and it has been firmly place
onto the school menu agenda.

 All menus written have to be nutritionally balanced and offer suitably sized
portions to give each student a healthy and nutritious lunch everyday.

 Choices are offered and catering for vegetarianism and religious diets are
commonplace.

 Investing in good quality food and balanced diet is a primary function for
school caterers so that school children will benefit from the social experience
of eating with others, developing a taste for different foods and gaining
confidence to make the right choice.
Fast Food Menu

 Fast food restaurants account for a large part of the total food service market
for the very good reason that they are often cheaper and more convenient for
consumers than buying food and preparing it at home.

 Fast food menus are clear simple easy to read and the range from the most
expensive to the cheapest item.

 Photograph either on illuminated signs or on bright table top menus play a big
part in selling the product.

 The best examples are Big Mac from McDonald's and the Whopper from
Burger king, you will also find that encouragement given to customers to order
inclusive meals for example hamburger, fries and soft drink, ether by special
offer prices.

 New product promotions are frequent to prevent customer boredom with a

static menu.