Trending in Food Service

Food service industry trends are changing, primary reasons being Globalization...Exposure...Millennials. While the focus always will be towards quality food, restaurants are also looking at selling an experience to their guest. Restaurants operating in metros and mini-metros are uplifting the predictable but expected restaurant business. While great food & beverage, ambience, pricing and courteous staff are essential factors, people always look for something new and diverse that a restaurant can offer.

Thematic restaurants are quite popular with guest and they do attract a lot of customers. People, of course will discuss and speak of food, but what they also would campaign for would the theme or the décor. Listed are few restaurants that are based on themes, while many may look incredible to dine at, there would be some you wish you didn’t know.

Ice Bar in Delhi is made of ice that includes the chairs and tables too. Guests are provided with coats and gloves. The restaurant maintains a temperature of -10. Kaidi kitchen in Kolkatta and Chennai is based on a jail theme and the staffs are dressed as prisoners and jailers. The Bombay Stock Exchange in Mumbai prices their drinks according to the popularity; Café Dalal Street in New Delhi too has the same service rules for beverages.

Some more to the list of interestingly themed restaurants

        1) 70 mm, Hyderabad; for Bollywood enthusiasts

        2) Bhaijaanz, Mumbai; definitely for Salman Khan fans

        3)  Taste of Darkness, Hyderabad; exactly as the name suggests

        4) Gufha, Bengaluru; themed like a natural cave

        5) Ciclo Café, Chennai; is India's first Cycling Café

        6) Natures Toilet Café, Ahmedabad; probably India's first-ever toilet themed cafe 

        7) Tihar Food Court, New Delhi; South Asia’s largest prison complex. Nothing unusual, except   that the employee, like most of his colleagues, would be a convict

Another trend that is catching up is “Food on the Move”. The concept is based on mobile cafes and restaurants. The set up could be on luxury buses, coaches or vans. While the concept has gained a lot of popularity in the West, making it commercially viable in India would lot depend on development of the infrastructure and streamlining of traffic?  Hijackk in Ahmedabad is a mobile bus restaurant. They have a fixed menu which they change frequently and the customers are taken around for a hour and half ride in Ahmedabad.

Latest innovation that’s really interesting is Edible Cutlery; imagine if the cutlery used could be edible. Hyderabad based Bakeys Food Pvt. Ltd has recently launched edible cutlery. They are made from edible flours; flavors can be added according to customers’ preference. They are governed by regulations laid by Food Safety & Standards Act. Whether restaurants will introduce them into their daily operations and would guest love it only time would tell.

To achieve success in any business format, one has to be different with pragmatic business sense. While it’s good to be fervent on innovation, restaurateurs should be cautious to not compromise on the basics like food quality, hygiene and friendly staff.

-Ms. Bindu Menon

 Sr. Faculty, INLEAD 

What’s on your Menu?

What’s on the menu? This is a question that most of us ask, about twice or thrice during a day. Food is a very important part of our lives. In fact, some of us even live to eat rather than the other way around.  For these foodies, a menu is like a sacred book that they want to religiously read over and over again till the time they have decided the perfect dish or dishes to satisfy the hunger in their stomachs.  

A menu can be defined as a presentation of food and beverage offerings. A menu may be à la carte – which guests use to choose from a list of options – or table d'hôte, in which case a pre-established sequence of courses is served.

Classic Menu Sequence

This format is used to lay out menus as well as to indicate the order of the various courses.

Course 0: Amuse-bouche / Amuse-gueule - A little bite before the meal begins: Greetings from the Chef de Cuisine

Course 1: Hors d'oeuvre (appetizer)

This course is used to manipulate the appetite for the dishes that are to follow.

Course 2: Potage (soup)

A potage is usually puréed and is often thick, well-seasoned meat or vegetable soup.

Course 3: Oeufs (eggs)

Oeufs are the dishes made from egg.

Course 4: Farineaux (rice & pasta)

This is Italy's contribution to the courses of the menu. It includes different kinds of rice and pasta.

Course 5: Poisson (fish)

Poisson are the dishes made from fish. Fish, being soft-fibred, prepares the palate for the heavier meats that follow.

Course 6: Entrée (entry of 1st meat course)

It is a complete dish in itself, garnished and sauced the way it is intended to be served.

Course 7: Sorbet (flavored water)

This course is a rest between courses. It counteracts the previous dishes, and rejuvenates the appetite for those that are to follow.

Course 8: Reléve (meat course)

This is the main meat course on the menu, and is commonly known as the “piece de resistance.”

Course 9: Rôti (roast)

This course normally consists of game or poultry.

Course 10: Légumes (vegetables)

These can be served separately as an individual course or may be included along - with the entrée, relevé or roast courses.

Course 11: Salads (salad)

Course 12: Buffet Froid (cold buffet)

In this course chilled meat pieces are served.

Course 13: Entremet de sûcre (sweet)

Entremets on a menu refers to desserts.

Course 14: Savoureaux (savory)

They are served hot on toast or as savory soufflé.

Course 15: Fromage (cheese)

Fromage (Cheese) may be served before or after the sweet course.

Course 16: Desserts (fresh fruits & nuts)

This course comes at the end of a meal. The French word desservir means "to clear the table."

Course 17: Cafe (coffee)

The classic menu sequence outlined above was and is based on logical process of taste sensations.  This classic sequence provides the guide for the compilation of menus, as it is evident in most examples of modern European menus.  

- Ms. Bindu Menon

  Senior Faculty, INLEAD 

Images Courtesy: Google Images 

Sous Vide - a new cooking technique in Hotels

The smooth functioning of a five star hotel is typically dependent on seven major departments namely, Housekeeping, Food and Beverage, Engineering, Accounting, Front office, Security and Human Resources etc. Among these, the Food and Beverage department is considered as one of the most important aspects of the Uniqueness of a hotel.

In order to maintain their uniqueness, every hotel tries to offer their customers with the best of options. They keep on innovating and trying out new techniques in order to keep alive the customers interest. One such new technique which has taken the hotel Industry by storm in the recent times is the Sous Vide cooking method.

It was couple of months back that I came across Sous Vide - a new approach to cooking methodology. Intrigued by the concept cooking technique, I decided to learn about this new entrant in the kitchens and here’s what I found out.

The term Sous Vide (pronounced as Soo – Veed) is actually a French term which means under vacuum. It’s a culinary technique in which vacuum – sealed food is immersed in a water bath and cooked at precise and consistent temperature. Here, the food is cooked for a longer period of time at a lower temperature. The precision in temperature is what gives the food its perfection and also eliminates the concerns of overcooking or the food being underdone. This cooking methodology also ensures that the juices and aroma is sealed which otherwise can get lost in normal cooking process.

How it began?

The technique was first developed by Chef George Pralus at the internationally renowned Michelin three star restaurant in Troisgros in Roanne, France in the mid 1970’s. It was originally practiced to minimize the shrinkage and optimally cooking delicate foie gras.

Sous Vide cooking method has been successful in creating a culinary wave of innovation and creativity in the last two decades. It has become a top secret of chefs at major restaurants around the world. Sous Vide Supreme is the appliance that is making this cooking technique now easily affordable and accessible to home cooks.

Why use it?

1.  Its new and the unique cooking methodology yields different and better results.
2. The texture and flavor cannot be replicated by any other cooking methodology.
3. It’s easy and fool proof.
4. Delivers gourmet taste.
5. Imparts added nutritional flavor to food

What are the steps involved?

1. Season and  seal
2.   Simmer: drop pouches in controlled water bath
3. Serve: most can be served directly, but some can be seared on grill or with a kitchen torch for beautiful color and caramelized flavor

The Science involved. 

This technique relies on ability of water to transfer heat to food. The water transfers heat through vacuum sealed food 10 times more efficiently than air does.

So, the next time you visit a five star hotel; don’t forget to get a taste of the Sous Vide cooking technique and do share your experience on the same.

 - Ms. Bindu Menon

   Senior Faculty, INLEAD 

Images Courtesy: Google Images

The changing Food and Beverage Scenario

Gone are the days when one would walk into a hotel and be welcomed with a royal spread of multiple Food and Beverage options. The guests had a lot to choose from …ranging from authentic Indian to exotic cuisines like Italian, Chinese, continental etc. Instead, what one  finds at majority of hotels today is  just limited to two-three options like an All Day dining, a Bar, one Specialty restaurant and of course, an optional in-room dining.

Guest preferences and financial factors are primarily the reasons to be blamed for the big change. A guest today might find it more comforting to work sitting in a coffee shop while having an internet access.

Recession has also tightened the budgets of corporate and business travelers, which has ultimately led to a rise of mid-segment, economy and budget hotels. With economy or budget hotels taking the center stage, lodging projects that are under construction or planning stage are venturing into what is understood today as “Select- Service” with limited amount Food & Beverage option.

From hotels perspective, Food & Beverage departments are viewed as an intensive operation that takes a lot of time to manage but have extremely low profit margins. This doesn’t eliminate the hotel that boasts about Michelin star restaurants, new menu trends like gastro pubs and tapas style offerings. It’s limited to hotels offering world class service; standalone fine dines restaurants or high end pubs. The target clientele for these segments are the “High paying Guests”. 

Another trend that is slowly and gradually catching up in the hotel industry is partnering with well-known Food & Beverage brands. For example, Marriott, partners with Starbucks for many of their coffee shops at their hotels. Johnny Rockets opened a unit inside Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino.  Beyond partnership, many hotels have also created grab-and-go meals. Aloft’s Re: fuel and Hampton Inns offers On-The-Run breakfast. They are easy meal option for guests on the move. The Grand Hyatt in New York recently launched Market- a 24 hour self-service grab and go area. It’s open to public and offers hot meals, salads, pastries that are packaged for take-out.

These are few of the trends that are driving sales in the hospitality industry by meeting guest’s needs for convenience, value, flexibility along with quality.

“The Guest isn’t always right”. But, if you don’t listen to them, your product won’t either. 

-Bindu A. Menon

 Senior Faculty, INLEAD 

Courtesy- Google Images