Time was when presentation meant carving a rose out of a carrot and placing it on the dinner table cluttered with floral-print crockery. But as guests turn into gourmets and India becomes increasingly more experimental with the cuisine available, tableware needs of restaurants are rapidly evolving.
Presentation perfect
Chefs have turned artists, appealing not just to taste buds but creating visually delightful presentation. Plating, not just concerning which crockery should be used, takes into account cuisine, ingredients and consistency in presentation styles.
“Ingredients in presentation are more trimmed. Chives, fresh herbs, pepper curls and parmesan wafers are replacing traditional garnishes, such as vegetable carvings,” says Chef Tanai Shirali at the Out of the Blue Powai.
Uniformity in presentation and plating is also important to brands. At the Trident BKC, Chef Rohit Gambhir, of Masterchef India fame, has put up pictures of how dishes must appear on both sides of the serving table. Before they are taken out to diners, kitchen and serving staff can view the pictures and the latter are empowered to point out any discrepancies to the chef.
Some presentation trends come from demand for individual portions, as the number of single diners goes up due to the increased business travel. “Gone are the days of just preparing bulk food and placing it in large containers for the guest. Portion control and single-serve items are much more popular now,” reports Arun Kumar, F&B manager at Holiday Inn Cochin.
The canvas
Tableware becomes the canvas for art. Today guests are accustomed to eating starters out of shot glasses and tumblers of different shapes and sizes that elevate the food and show off the chef’s expertise.
“The choice of chinaware today is as important as the content of the dish. Expectations are high and restaurateurs have to impress guests with creative presentations without affecting the cooking of the dish,” says Jean Marc Dizerens, director of corporate F&B operations at Shangri-La International.
Suppliers say that subtleties matter. Dr Andreas Buske, owner and chairman of crockery and glassware manufacturer Schott Zwiesel, explains that bowls shaped so that diners can see the last little piece of fruit make a salad look fresher.
Use of colour and different textures of tableware are also becoming more popular, suppliers say. Schott Zwiesel, for instance, says that their range of black dessert plates, which bring out the contrast and texture of white ice-creams, is extremely popular.
“Traditional white porcelain has its place, of course, but we see more marble, rough cut stone, glass and coloured ceramics being used to enhance the look of a dish,” says Kumar.
At the ITC Maratha, guests prepare their own non-veg grills at the table on specially ordered, portion-sized volcanic stones, along with plates that wouldn’t crack when holding the stones.
Serving experiences
Presentation also involves ensuring that the entire experience, from technique to taste, is authentic. Rajdeep Kapoor, executive chef at ITC Maratha, says that while garnishes are an important component of a dish, tableware has sought prominence as a major component because of “eye appeal” factor.
His colleague, F&B manager Sumeet Suri, says, “Tableware acts as a preview for what to expect next. Our restaurant, Dakshin, takes its inspiration from the temples of South India, and the ambience of the restaurant is reflective of this temple influence. In sync with the theme, we serve South Indian cuisine in Urlis [wide serving dishes] and traditional silver plates lined with banana leaves.”
Of course, many trends depend on the availability of products and promotions by suppliers, and it is not unusual for these to introduce a product which creates its own market. “Attractive, imported hot plates have stormed the market. These can be placed on a table directly, allowing guests to cook meats according to whether they want them well-done or rare,” says Nitin Sharma, F&B director at Crowne Plaza New Delhi Rohini.
Dizerens says that Shangri-La too has ordered stone plates to allow guests to cook steaks or seafood at the table.
ITC Maratha has more examples of how tableware and utensils have become central. A ceramic soup container with a lid was developed especially for soups to be served at the Pan Asian. “This helps retain flavours and the right temperature,” says Kapoor, adding that moulds have been designed for baking breads to give them a specific shape. They are used not only for baking but also for serving.
Hotels use small innovations like these to enhance and individualise dining. “We have plenty of made-to-order tableware, such as mezze platters, fondue pots, gourmet sizzler plates and our table wine stands,” says Shirali.
Chef Kapoor points to yet another interesting fashion. “There is the trend of plating a variety of elements onto a single platter, which demands an equally futuristic design in tableware,” he says.
Glasses as taste-holders
Beverage experts are increasingly pointing to a correlation between the quality of glassware and the taste that their beverages offer. Many even go to the extent of saying that the taste of beverages changes from one glass to another.
“We are soon going to hold blind tastings for our wine glasses. I’ve seen people insist that they are drinking a completely different wine when it is served in a different glass,” says Dr Buske.
Patrón Tequila COO John McDonnell shares this sentiment. Recently in India to launch the brand, he brought attention to presentation and even suggested that his Tequila taste better in Riedel Tequila glasses from Austria!
“I don’t like it when I order a fine wine and they bring it to me in a cheap glass. Premium drinks taste so different in different types of glassware that your guest will swear that the drinks are different even if you put the same drink in a cheap or an expensive glass. For hotels that don’t want to bring in substantial glassware inventory just to serve a drink, fine red wine glasses also do the trick,” he says.
Most hoteliers agree, particularly when it comes to wine. “As hoteliers, we acknowledge the importance of glassware selection for wine in particular. The quality and type of glass have a direct impact on the drink’s taste,” says Dizerens.
Manufacturers pay special attention to beverages. For instance, Zwiesel Krystallglass’ Nobilo range has decanters that have a curved base that keeps the decanter at a constant tilt, creating a contrast to the flat surface mirroring the wine when the decanter is filled.
Chef Zubin Dsouza of Svenska Mumbai points out that this isn’t something new for food or liquor, indicating that sometimes it’s best to look into old techniques. “It is a commonly known fact that different types of materials can alter taste and perception of taste. In the Indian context as well, some claim that cutlery spoils the taste of food where banana leaf plates enhance the dining experience. Similarly, copper vessels, earthen pots, stainless steel and charred oak have always been used for storing wines or brandies,” he says.
Basics hold good
Despite these fads and trends in plating and presentation, chefs and F&B managers say that some of the most basic considerations take precedence when it comes to ordering tableware: durability and storability score high
on requirements.
Manufacturers are keeping up with this. “Our glasses are shock-resistant and won’t break very easily,” says Buske, demonstrating his point by knocking a fragile wine glass against the edge of glass tabletop.
Brand colours, cuisine on the menu and the restaurant’s décor are the next bunch of considerations for most hotels.
White remains the most in-demand for reasons that range from the fact that it allows for the best contrasts, to “make the food more appetising since it
reflects light.”
Logos and brand names imprinted on plates are said to be a thing of the past, and are now only found in a few specialty restaurants. “Monograms are normally used by snobbish places that may be operated by narcissist owners who feel the need to see their names splayed everywhere. This is quite passé. It was a norm in the eighties but not any more,” says Chef D’Souza.
With brand specs and everything related to it gathering increased significance, F&B experts also advise that purchase departments check with a manufacturer on whether he plans to continue production of a certain type of tableware,
before ordering.
