On the platter

 Setting a beautiful table requires creativity, imagination and an innate sense of perfection. To the perfectionist, placing a plate between knife and fork, along with stemware, is an art. But, equally crucial is the choice of tableware. The design, quality, layout, are all defined by the purpose of dining. Attractive tableware is instantly noticeable and makes a tremendous impact on the person dining. Small wonder then, that hotels lay so much emphasis on tableware.
It, undoubtedly, enables a guest to form an impression and sets the tone of the dining experience. Furthermore, the quality and standard of the restaurant is largely determined by its tableware. Guests form an opinion about the restaurant, as soon as they sit to dine and glance at the tableware.
Sridhar Thota, F&B director, Fairmont Jaipur, explains, “Subconsciously, people make judgments about food before they try it. And tableware plays a vital role. Restaurants choose it as per their concepts these days. Appropriate tableware talks not only about the concept, but also signifies standards maintained.”
Suppliers are equally aware that tableware is central to a dining experience. Pravin Jaiswal, marketing director, Stallion Hotel Supplies Pvt Ltd reveals, “Tableware is not viewed by us as just a service ware, but as a means to enhance food presentation, which in turn offers a very pleasant dining experience to all guests.”
Reiterating this, Jayaraj Gopinath, sales manager, RAK Porcelain adds, “For different cuisine, attention needs to be paid to the presentation, particularly display of food and design of tableware. It increases the appeal of food displays.”
For chefs, of course, tableware is all about aesthetics and presentation. Saulo Bacchilega, executive chef, Park Hyatt Goa Resort & Spa opines, “Food is created by us and it is vital that right tableware is used. It needs to reflect the style of the dish; to enhance not overpower it. As we say, we eat with our eyes first and first impression impacts rest of the dining experience.”
Echoing his sentiment is Anupam Banerjee, executive chef, Ritz-Carlton Bengaluru. “Chefs are artisans as they handcraft a meal and present it to you. A chef carefully designs every plate before it is sent out to the guest and that passion reflects in the desire to have every guest see and taste the dish as it is meant to be.” He adds, “Each cuisine has its own unique style of presentation. For example, Japanese is minimalistic whereas, a cold Italian salad would be more artistically plated. Keeping this in mind, chef would use different tableware.”
Rahul Maini, director of F&B, Courtyard by Marriott, Ahmedabad, too, concurs. ”A chef’s passion for food does not end with only ensuring that a dish tastes good, but also looks good. The way a food is presented determines its eye appeal. Food presentations also make a style statement. It shows how much in sync a restaurant is with the most recent trends in the industry.”
Tableware, chefs feel, helps to break monotony in a dining experience. Bacchilega elaborates, “With different forms, shapes and height, you can actually play around and “have fun”, because this is what we actually want to do. The same dish served in a different plate, in a bowl, with a side shot glass, can change completely and take the dining experience to another level.”
Hotels prefer to keep abreast of the latest trends. Glass tableware is now being preferred by many hotels. Possibly because it is durable, performs amazingly well and is eco-friendly. Fused glass plates, are fairly commonplace nowadays. Again, traditional stainless steel is considered passé. Powder-coated finish flatware with colours like black, golden and others, is the ‘in’ thing. Yet, tableware not only has to be stylish and decorative, but functional as well. Where longer distances need to be spanned by the service staff, it cannot be too heavy. Design and quality apart, hotels today prefer multifunctional tableware which serves myriad purposes, reduces inventory, costs and storage needs.
Most hotels only settle for the best. Thota relies only on known brands, “We source Villeroy & Boch and Luzerne; they suit the style and design of our palatial restaurants and convention space.” Banerjee adds, “Ours is a premium brand of luxury in hospitality and thus, we have a premium range of tableware designed specific to our restaurants and to match the ambience. Our fine bone china is from Narumi and Wedgewood, glasses from Spiegelau and SchwottZwiesel and flatware from La Tavola.” Maini quips, ”We use Versace, Sambonnet, Guy de Green, WMF, Villeroy & Boch, for our cutlery and crockery, as these are high-end brands known for their style, quality and variety.”
RAK Porcelain, Aksai, Villeroy & Boch, Stallion, Narumi, etc. are some of the brands who offer cutting edge designs and state-of-the-art manufacturing. Naturally, they are highly sought after. But it is their ability to adapt quickly to emerging trends and embrace innovation that makes them popular with hotels.
Traditionally, hotels were known to use pristine white plateware. Many still conform to that, but others have moved on. “Although white china remains the firm favourite with chefs, there is a gradual inclination towards subtle hues and coloured glazes with a more handcrafted, rustic feel,” explains Banerjee. Bacchilega adds, “I personally love to work with Rosenthal, pure shining white, the colours of food just stand out and speak for themselves, but it is not for everyday use.” Jayaraj opines, “Most chefs prefer plain glaze to get the most out of food presentations. A few theme-based restaurants prefer to have customisation.”
Maini is vehement that tableware should ideally compliment the food being presented. “Colour of the plates being used should be mostly sober so that it does not overpower the colour of food but brings it out. At Marriott for instance, we are encouraged to use only white plates as it brings out intricacies of a dish,” he states.
New designs in tableware abound in the market and hotels strive to be upto-date. Thota states, “Our industry looks for freshness with every passing day. A great concept today could be passé tomorrow — every restaurateur has to ensure that food and its presentations are ever-changing and that’s where new tableware comes in.”
Jaiswal feels, “Trends in tableware are influenced by fashionable foods and the way in which we eat. Porcelain is fast replacing bone china even in budget segments of hospitality industry; where hoteliers are willing to experiment with new style, shapes and varieties of crockery, cutlery and glass wares.” He adds, “We are introducing solid coloured porcelain crockery and slate/stone products.”
Whatever be the design, shape, colour and texture, tableware will continue to play an important role in the culinary experience a guest has at a hotel. Bacchilega sums up, “We can have the most flavoursome dish in the world, but presenting it in a wrong way or without the right tools will not leave the same impression. Each restaurant should have its own “life”, a distinctive and different concept from others.” And tableware is undoubtedly the decisive factor.