Does your food photograph well?

Our senses can influence our overall dining experience too.  Food plating is important, but following close behind is the general atmosphere of the establishment.  The lighting, sound, layout, and décor are all factors that can affect our enjoyment of a meal.  These components will make the first impression of a dining experience and can set the tone for the rest of the meal.  Food presentation though, will seal the deal.

We can take note of the eating habits of children as an example of the importance of food presentation.  Serve a plate of vegetables and often they look at it in disgust.  Arrange the vegetables into a smiley face and all of a sudden they are willing to give them a try.  While we can assume most adults won’t take it to that extreme, what we see on the plate can change our expectation of what we’re about to eat.  Not only that, but presentation can lead to great exposure for a restaurant if done well.  With the saturation of social media today, it’s easier than ever for people to instantly share a dining experience.   It’s all too common for guests to snap a photo or two of a beautifully plated dish and share it with their social network before even taking a bite.

An appealing food presentation is key.

So now that we know presentation is important, what are some guidelines to follow?  Food presentation is still all about timing.  It must look appealing, but also not take too much time—no one wants their food to be colder or hotter than it’s supposed to be.  Make sure to serve hot foods on warm plates and cold foods on cold plates too.  A good balance of different textures, even colors, is something to think about as well.  Add in a garnish if your dish needs a pop to make it more interesting.  Balance in portion size is important too—make sure your plate size fits the amount of food that is being served.  Also think about the theme of your restaurant.  Is it simple? Classic? Funky? Fancy?  Arrange your plates to reflect that vibe.

Ready to go out and present a winning dish?  What type of things catch your eyes?

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Generally speaking, if you drink the exact same coffee, in the exact same place, from the exact same mug every day, and all conditions surrounding it are constant, then the coffee should taste the same to you each time.  But if you change any one of those elements, it may cause your brain to perceive the taste of the coffee differently.   One article entitled “The color of your coffee mug can change the way your coffee tastes” uses color as an example to suggest that “One explanation is that we never see colors by themselves; instead, we see them in reference to other colors.”  A red strawberry appears even redder when served in a white dish than it does in a darker colored dish.  We then continue to make associations with that color.  We might expect that extra red strawberry to be extra sweet, since red fruits often are riper than green fruits, and that can make us perceive it to taste sweeter than maybe it actually is.  Or that color may be tied to certain past experiences, which makes us predict what the new taste experience will be like.

Color can influence our perception of taste.

Numerous studies have been done on the subject and it turns out that it can be valuable information for companies and restaurants to consider when developing or selling products.  A change in shape, texture, color, presentation, packaging, environment, even the crockery and cutlery used can make a difference.  A few years ago, Coca-Cola experienced this the hard way when they changed their classic red Coca-Cola can to white with polar bears for the holidays.  There was an uproar among classic Coke fans, falsely claiming that the company had changed their long standing formula and that it didn’t taste as good, according to a recent Adweek article.  It could have been that the white can reminded consumers of the similarly colored silver Diet Coke can causing them to associate the soda’s taste with the taste of its diet version, though we may never know for sure.

Presentation, arrangement, and plating can all be factors in our enjoyment of food.

What we do know is that the way a product or meal is presented matters in order for customers to have the best experience.  For restaurants, this includes the dishes food is served on as well as how it’s arranged, which also relates to quality.  Neatly plated or artistically plated meals signify that a lot of effort has been spent on preparing the dish.  Many people associate that with good quality, and therefore the expectation of good taste.  It’s not to say that a burger and fries served in a plastic basket instead of on a white plate can’t taste good, but people will subconsciously expect different things under different conditions.  There are countless variables that can affect perception, so while we can generalize, it isn’t always the easiest to pinpoint the exact reason for a change in taste.  However, it is something that can be experimented with and you may be surprised with the turnout.  Have you tried incorporating all of the senses into your food presentations?  What changes have you noticed?

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