Preparation of Suitable Food for a Customer in Food Service

Preparation of Suitable Food for a Customer in Food Service

A good restaurant sets a high standard for its food quality and ensures that guests receive the same quality with every meal. The success of a food service is determined by quality assurance by providing whole-some quality food to the customer in a pleasant manner. High-quality ingredients and experienced personnel are important to serving good food consistently. The way of presentation can lift the dish out of the realm of the ordinary and make it a special creation. These can be achieved by color and appearance, texture and variety, food presentation and service and ambience.

a. Colour and Appearance: The appear-ance of the food helps to attract the atten-tion of the customers as the looks help in tasting the food. The appearance can be colour, texture and also presentation. Food can be made appealing and appetiz-ing by the way foods appear on the plate. The colour combination with vegetables, natural food colour and combination of spices makes the dish beautiful and more attractive to the customer. Appearance of food only decides the customer’s choice of food to be consumed. It describes the origin of food and creativity of the pre-senter looks and appetizing. Rice served in white color with curd raitha may look monotonous instead of pulao served with tomato sauce or plain rice with sambar may be eye appealing. Little coriander on soups or any dish or a salad with different vegetables or a fruit salad with all kinds of fruits helps to increase the stimulation.

b. Texture and Variety: Texture is the sense of food. Choose textures that com-plement each others. Contrasting texture adds much to the value of food and can lift the dish. If texture in all soft or all firm does not appeal to the customer, it is interesting to have variety of textures on the plate but how these textures are com-bined is very important.

Another important rule is balanc-ing variety and contrast. Variety can be achieved by various textures and colour. Vegetables combined with different cuts to make vegetable noodles – (Julienne 1/4 inch strips) or vegetable rice (Dice 1/2 × 1/2 inch).

c. Food Presentation and Service: Food presentation is as important as taste and flavor of food. The way food is presented to the customers will make a restaurant successful and unsuccessful. No matter how delicious a dish may be, it really mat-ters how it is presented. Service depends on customer expectation. Convenient, timely service, good presentation, serving food at correct temperature and cordial personnel will attract customers. Eg: For a kids party it can be fun design instead tra-ditional presentation. Vegetable and fruit carvings, designs and toppings will help to increase the attractiveness of the food, depending on the type of food.

Successful handling of food by maintaining its right temperature with right accompaniments (combination) helps to present the food to full advan-tage. Preparation of service in terms of laying the cover, placing the right crock-ery, cutlery according to the dishes that will be served leads to success of any food service. In Indian cuisine banana leaf, katories and Thali are used to serve in a traditional way. While for international cuisines appropriate crockery and cutlery for each course should be placed.

d. Ambience: Atmosphere is determined by the décor, uniforms of staff, dress codes of staff, type of service and cutlery and crockery.

The customer’s first impression of the restaurant will be the final impres-sion. It can be done by a good table setting that complement the menu and the decor. Desirable ambience can be achieved by maintaining hygienic standards, impec-cable hospitality skills, good music, right colour combination and furniture to suit the theme of the restaurant. Comfort with furniture impacts ambience. Creating more space for customers will make them feel at ease. The lighting enhances the visibility of the food and hence helps in increasing the appearance in turn helps to gain attention. Perfect lighting and creating good mood to eat will make up ambience.

This phenomenon of making food tailored for each customer will have many advantages to the food service institution. It helps to increase the customer turnover and customer satisfaction. It also increases the confidence of the food service institu-tion among the customers.