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c/chefsray173ray17317d ago

A customer told me my plating looked 'sad' and it actually helped

I was doing a tasting menu in Portland last fall and a regular said my seared scallop dish looked lonely on the big white plate (her exact words were 'it looks a bit sad, Ray'). I used to focus just on the food, but now I always add at least three elements for visual height and color, like a herb oil swipe and some microgreens. Anyone else have a piece of criticism that actually improved your final plate?
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4 Comments
young.michael
That "lonely on the big white plate" thing is so real. I had a chef tell me my burger and fries looked "depressed" on the oval platter, just a brown lump next to a pile of beige. Now I always throw a bright green pickle spear across the top of the burger and put the fries in a little metal cup. Makes the whole plate pop and people love it.
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daniel_cooper34
Used to think it was all silly until I saw a photo of that lonely burger @young.michael described. Now I get that a little color makes the food feel more cared for, like someone actually tried. It just tastes better when it doesn't look sad.
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the_robert
the_robert17d ago
Honestly, is a lonely scallop really a big deal? People are there to eat, not look at art. @eric_adams11, a beige plate still tastes fine, right? Maybe we're overthinking this.
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eric_adams11
Ever see a chef add color after a "beige plate" comment?
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