Types of Menu: Types, Examples, Advantages and Disadvantages

A menu is a list of dishes served or available to be served at a meal. It can also be referred to as a selling aid.

Types of Menu

1. A’LA CARTE (FROM THE CARD)
   A la carte means cook to order. It is a menu with all dishes individually priced. There are many dishes at different price for the customer to choose and compile their own menu which may be one, two or more courses. A true ala carte dish should be cooked to order and the customer should be prepared to wait.

Examples of Alacrate Menu

SAMPLE 1

STARTER

1. Children stock soup with 2 slices of bread                                 #2650
2. Mix vegetable salad, chopped lettuce, tomatoes, green pepper and cucumber   #3,550
3. Green salad crispy lettuce, and cucumber in vinaigrette dressing       #3,750

MAIN COURSE

1. Roast fish served with chips/fried and seasoned vegetable                                                #900
2. Grilled chicken in chill, served with potatoes or butter rice                                                #900
3. OfeNsala, Edikakong, Eforiro, Egusi or Ogbono prepared with beef, offals and fish
4. All soups are served with a choice of Amala, Eba, Pounded yam, or semovita                     #850
5. Jollof rice/white rice/fried rice served with dodo and a choice of chicken

DESSERTS

1. Fruit salads                   #1450
2. Queens cake               #1200
3. Vanilla Ice cream        #1500
4. Cream caramel           #1450

Sommelier recommended wine
1. Red wine                                                             #7100

2. Renny Martins                                                    #9000

SAMPLE 2

1. Cream soup                                                                                                                        #500
2. Tomato soup                                                                                                                       #500
3. Goat meat pepper soup                                                                                                     #2,500
4. Pepper chicken                                                                                                                   #750
5. Pepper gizzard                                                                                                                    #1000
6. Fresh juice                                                                                                                           #800
7. Juice of the day                                                                                                                   #1000
8. Black currant chapman                                                                                                      #1,500
9. Irish cream on the rock                                                                                                       #2,500
10. Red wine on the rock                                                                                                          #2500
11. Egusi soup and goat meat served with pounded yam                                                        #3000
12. Eforiro and beef/chicken with semovita                                                                             #2,000
13. Plain yoghurt                                                                                                                      #500

TABLE D’HOTE (TABLE OF THE HOST)

It is a set of menu forming a complete meal at a set price. There are however, usually choices within each course.  Sometimes the term ‘menu du jour’ is used instead of the term table d‘hote menu.

EXAMPLE OF TABLE D’HOTE MENU

SAMPLE 1
(N2850 for three course meals)
Cream of vegetable
Starter            

Corn soup, slice of bread
Curried crushed potato and a beignet of smoke haddock

Semovita served with Okro/Egusi and selected meat stew
Jollof rice, Fried plantain and Chicken stew
Main dish      

Beef stroganoff, savoury rice and fried plantain
Tuwoshinkafa, miyankubewa da kaza
Chocolate profiterole

Chocolate Gateay
Sweet Vanilla Ice cream

Fruit salad

The sommelier recommended the wine
Cuvee special (red) – #1,000
Mateus Rose- #1,000

SAMPLE 2

1. Plain soup
2. Beef with snow white rice
3. Irish cream
4. Fish salad
5. Plain yoghurt

Champagne           = #10, 000.00

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A LA CARTE AND TABLE D’HOTE

S/NO	A LA CARTE	TABLE D’HOTE
1.	Guests have variety of fifteen to twenty dishes to choose from.	Guests have limited choice of three to five courses
2.	Table is not preset before customers arrive. It is set as customer is being served.	Table is already set with entire silver/ cutlery
3.	Each meal is cooked according to guest’s order.	Meals are already cooked down
4.	Menu is individually priced so guests can pay for ordered items alone.	Menu items are collectively priced and paid for, whether eaten/finished or not
5.	Foods like rice and potatoes are kept in semi prepared form which takes some time to be ready	Foods are kept fully prepared and ready to be served immediately

 3. CARTE DU JOUR (literally card of the day) or menu of the day’, which can also be a fixed meal with one or more courses for a set price. This menu combines the ala carte, table d’hote and plat du jour menu; each being priced according to type.

A ‘prix fixe’ (fixed price) menu is similar.

CYCLICAL MENU

These are menus that are compiled to cover a given period of time one month, three month etc. They consist of a number of set menus for a particular establishment, such as an industrial catering, restaurant, cafeteria, canteen, hospital or college dining.

At the end of each period, the menu can be used again thus overcoming the need to keep compiling new ones. The length of the cycle is determined by management policy or owner of the restaurant and by the different foods available at which season of the year.

This menu must be monitored carefully to take account of changes in customer requirement and any variation in weather conditions that are likely to affect demand for certain dishes.

If cyclical menus are designed to remain in operation for long periods of time, then they must be carefully compiled so that they do not have to be changed too drastically during operation.

ADVANTAGES OF CYCLICAL MENU

1. Cyclical menus save time by removing the daily or weekly task of compiling menus although they may require slight alteration for the next period.
2. When used in association with cook-freeze operation, it is possible to produce the entire number of portions of each item to last the whole cycle, having determined that the standardized recipes are correct.
3. They give greater efficiency in time and labour.
4. They can cut down on the number of commodities held in stock, and can assists in planning storage requirement.

DISADVANTAGES OF CYCLICAL MENU

1. When used in establishment with regular guests, the cycle has to be long enough so that customers do not get bored with the repetition of dishes.
2. The caterer cannot easily take advantage of good buys offered by supplier on a daily or weekly basis, unless such are required for the cyclical menu.

5. A ‘TASTING MENU’

(menu degustation) is a set meal with a range of courses often between 6 and 10. This tasting menu is offered in restaurants where the chef provides a sample of the range of dishes available in the main menu.

This tasting menu can also be offered with a flight (selection) of wine (sometimes) this can be a different wine for each courses.

6. HOSPITAL MENU

This usually takes the form of a menu card given to the patient the day before services so that his or her preference can be ticked. Both National Health Service and private hospital cater for vegetarians and also for religious requirement.

EVALUATION

1. Define the term menu.
2. State three different menus.

7. MENU FOR PEOPLE AT WORK

Such menus vary in size and extend from one employer to another due to company policy on the welfare of their staff and work force.

There may also be a call order ala carte select changed at a higher price.

The food will usually be dishes commonly consumed by the people in that area which could enclose main courses desserts with vegetables.

8. MENUS FOR CHILDREN

In schools, there is an emphasis on healthy eating and a balance diet particularly in boarding schools.

Those areas with children of various cultural and religious backgrounds have appropriate items available on the menu to suit each tribe, culture, religion represented among the school children.

Some schools will offer special children menu that displayed children’s favorite foods and offer suitable sized portions.

 9. PLAT DU JOUR

Also known as specialty menu, it can be set priced menu or individually priced dish specializing in the food of a particular country, religion or a specialized food itself.

The specialty could be ethic. That is, food in the menu will reflex Chinese, Indian, Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Greek, Italy, Africa and some specialty like vegetarian, diabetic, hypertensive etc. It is usually changed daily and cheaper or better.

 9. SPECIAL PARTY OR FUNCTION MENUS: menu for banquets or functions of all kinds.

 10. OTHERSsuch as breakfast, tea, dinner, luncheon.

GENERAL EVALUATION

1. Explain the following termsa. A la carte menu b. Plat du jour Carte du jourd. Special party menu
2. Explain the following termsa. Large equipmentb. Small equipmentc. Mechanical equipment
3. Give two examples of each category of equipment stated above.
4. List and explain dry heat methods of cooking.
5. Differentiate between stocks and soups with examples.

WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT

1. ____ menu combines the ala carte, table d’hote and plat du jour.A. Breakfast menu B. Luncheon C. Plat du jour D. Carte du jour
2. ____ is also known as specialty menu.A. Plat du jour B. Carte du jour C.Ala’carteD. Table d’hote
3. ____ means from the card.A. Table d’hoteB.Ala carte C. Plate du jour D. Carte du jour
4. ____ means menu of the day.A.Ala carte B. Table d’hoteC. Plate du jour D. Carte du jour
5. ____ menu gives menu card to patients for them to tick their preferences before meals are served.A. School menu B. Hospital menu C. Breakfast menu D. Luncheon

THEORY

1. Define menu.
2. List and explain five different types of menu.