There are many reasons why people enjoy going to upscale restaurants. The high-quality, fresh ingredients and impeccable service play a big role, but the visual element of fine dining is a key detail that shouldn’t be underestimated. In fact, evidence suggests that there is a very real connection between the visual elements of our meals (color, texture, size, etc.) and our eating experience.

Plating is an art that the world’s best chefs have mastered. Though fine dining pros have years of experience plating their dishes to create a unique and enticing look, home chefs can learn a thing or two about how to plate food to apply it to their own cooking. 

How to Plate Food Like a Chef

Every professional chef will have their own style and approach when it comes to food plating. However, there are a few distinctive plating techniques and food presentation ideas that could elevate your cooking to a whole new level. 

Play With Levels and Textures

One of the best ways to create visual intrigue with your meals is to build multiple levels when plating. Instead of keeping your food elements flush with the plate, use them to build a structure that shows off each element of the dish and makes the presentation visually exciting. 

Using texture in your plating can also make a huge difference in the visual appeal of your dish. For example, mixing multi-textured foods with smooth foods can make the presentation feel even more layered and interesting than it would just with various levels. 

Use Complementary and Contrasting Colors

Color is used to elevate design in many different industries, from fashion to visual art to advertising and everything in between. Experimenting with the colors on your plate is an easy way to boost the visual value of your meal and make it look just as appetizing as it tastes. 

Different chefs will take varying approaches to color in their dishes. Using colors that complement each other can be one way to entice diners, but contrasting colors often go even further. One simple example is the combination of pale white ice cream with colorful toppings like sprinkles and fresh fruit. 

Keep Your Theme in Mind

The restaurant theme often plays a major role in how chefs design their offerings, from recipe and ingredient choice to the finished plate. If you’re serving meals at home or building a menu of custom creations for an event, you can still design your plating choices around a common theme that ties the experience together. 

Plating themes can be as specific or broad as you want them to be. You could create your menu with a seasonal theme or build your event around a certain piece of media, a story, or a song.

Control Portion and Plate Size

One of the biggest differences between fine dining and family-style or fast casual dining is the portion size. 

When you go out to eat at a fancy restaurant or enjoy a meal at an upscale event, the portion size will likely be smaller than what you might make at home. This allows the chef to better curate the look of the dish and incorporate the plate itself into the overall visual of the food. 

Create Unforgettable Meal Experiences With One Haus Hospitality

The meal is usually the most memorable part of any event, and our team at One Haus can help to connect you with the right professionals for the job. Contact us to learn more about our unique approach to talent acquisition in the hospitality industry.