Menu Development and Planning

This report discusses the principles of menu planning and provides two menus formulated using ‘Prix Fixe’ and ‘Table d’hôte’ styles of menu planning for Canadian cuisine. It also covers the factors to consider while planning a menu, such as food availability, equipment, expense level, atmosphere, labour skill proficiency, customer makeup, and type of service.

Running head: MENU DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING
MENU DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

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Executive Summary
A menu must always be formulated considering the principles of menu planning, for the purpose
of ensuring financial, equipment and labor feasibility, along with maintenance of customer
satisfaction most importantly. The following report contains two menus, formulated using ‘Prix
Fixe’ and ‘Table d’hôte’ styles of menu planning. The chosen ethnicity for the created menus is
‘Canadian’ and hence has been formulated considering the food items and sustainable fish
ingredients available in Ontario, Canada. Further, the menus have been formulated considering
the atmosphere of a fine dining restaurant catering to upscale customers and utilizing buffet style
of serving food.

2MENU DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING
Table of Contents
Part A: Menu Planning........................................................................................................3
Three Course Prix Fixe Menu (Selected Ethnic Cuisine: Canadian, As designed by the
Author).........................................................................................................................................3
Four Course Table d’hôte Menu (Selected Ethnic Cuisine: Canadian, as designed by
the author)....................................................................................................................................4
Part B: Principles of Menu Planning...................................................................................5
Style of Menu..................................................................................................................5
Food Availability.............................................................................................................5
Equipment........................................................................................................................6
Expense Level..................................................................................................................6
Atmosphere......................................................................................................................6
Labour Skill Proficiency..................................................................................................7
Customer Makeup............................................................................................................7
Type of Service................................................................................................................7
References............................................................................................................................8

3MENU DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING
Part A: Menu Planning
Three Course Prix Fixe Menu (Selected Ethnic Cuisine: Canadian, As designed by
the Author)
Estimated Fixed Price: $ 100. 00
Appetizers
Creamy Mushroom and Lentil Pastry Pockets (Lentils cooked in
aromatic garlic and creamy mushroom sauce, filled in puff pastry
pockets and baked to golden brown perfection), or,
Apple and Berry Grilled Chicken Salad (Chicken cubes tossed in
caramelized apples and cranberries served with a drizzle of lime and
crunchy lettuce)
Entrees (Protein with Sauce)
Grilled chicken mashed potatoes in tangy plum and orange sauce
(Chicken grilled to tenderness, served with pureed plums and orange
concentrate along with potatoes mashed in butter for an exciting balance
of flavors), or,
Baked salmon in garlic and lemon sauce with sautéed French beans
(Thick salmon fillets baked in lemon juice and garlic cloves, served with
crunchy French beans sautéed in sesame oil)
Vegetables
Roasted aubergine and tomato with soft boiled eggs and yoghurt
topping, (Aubergine and tomato slices roasted till golden served with
refreshing mint and yoghurt dip, along with oozing, soft boiled eggs), or,
Buttery baby carrot sticks (Baby carrots coated in simple seasoning
and butter, lightly stir fried to maintain their crunchiness)
Starch
Herbed coconut and pineapple rice (Stir fried rice cooked in aromatic
thyme, fennel and mint, simmered in creamy coconut milk), or,
Sundried tomato and caramelized onion focaccia (Freshly baked bread with
a mellowed topping of sweet, sticky onions and the freshness of tangy
tomatoes)
Desserts
Spiced blackberry, ginger and mango crumble with caramelized
walnuts, oats and fresh cream topping (Chopped mangoes and
blackberries, baked in honey, warm cinnamon and ginger, topped with
crunchy oats and sugary walnuts along with a serving of fresh cream),
or,
Mini rhubarb and strawberry pies (Strawberries and rhubarb, stewed

4MENU DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING
till tender and baked in a crunchy and buttery short crust pastry)
Four Course Table d’hôte Menu (Selected Ethnic Cuisine: Canadian, as designed by
the author)
Estimated Fixed Price: $ 200. 00
Salad
Sweet and spicy chickpea, broccoli and quinoa salad with chili, honey dressing (Chickpeas
broccoli florets and quinoa, cooked in hot spices like chilies, ginger and peppers tossed in a hot
and sweet dressing of caramelized honey and spicy chili), or,
Chicken and avocado salad with warm sesame and peanut dressing (Chicken cubes sautéed
in garlic butter and served with creamy avocado, topped with the subtle nuttiness of a peanut and
sesame dressing)
Soup/Appetizer
Beetroot and feta soup with cheesy croutons (A healthy and hearty soup consisting of smooth
beetroot puree, topped with crumbles of fresh feta cheese and served with crunchy croutons
coated with Parmesan), or,
Citrus black bean and coconut soup with fruity dinner rolls (A sweet and sour soup consisting of the
nuttiness of black beans cooked in a citrusy vegetable stock, topped with orange zests and served with
soft, freshly prepared dinner rolls stuffed with dried fruit and raisin), or,
Grilled cherry tomato and sweet potato kebabs (Mini skewers filled with cherry tomatoes and sweet
potato cubes, coated with seasoning and mustard sauce, and grilled till crisp), or,
Minced beef and pea stuffed mushrooms (Button mushrooms stuffed with juicy minced beef
and mashed green peas cooked in juicy chicken and tomato stock, and baked till tender)
Protein
Slow cooked lobster with spinach, thyme and asparagus (Lobster tails and chunks cooked in a
flavorful stew of spinach and aromatic asparagus, spiced with fragrant thyme, fennel and parsley,
till tender), or,
Steamed tuna fillets with bean sprouts and pesto sauce (Tuna fillets steamed in seasoning and
served with crunchy, sautéed bean sprouts and herbed pesto sauce)
Vegetable
Barbecued celery and fennel with soya and black olive dressing, (Crunchy celery sticks and
fragrant fennel bulbs coated in a salty and nutty dressing of dark soy and olives, and barbequed
for a robust, mouth-watering smoky flavor), or,
Buttery mashed apple, celeriac and beetroot (Beetroot, apple and celeriac, stewed in honey,
mashed to smoothness and cooked in butter for an interesting combination of flavours
Starch
Rice with tomatoes and red beans, (Hearty rice cooled in a hot curry of red beans and tangy
tomatoes), or,
Crispy apple and cheddar flatbread (Crispy flatbread slices topped with caramelized apple and
mascarpone, freshly prepared and tossed by hand)

5MENU DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING
Dessert
Toffee and caramel bread pudding, (Bite-sized chunks of bread, dipped in a addictive caramel
and toffee sauced and baked just right to rekindle the flavors of everyone’s childhood), or,
Red velvet cheesecake brownies (Dark cocoa with a hint of color and warm cinnamon baked to
fudge brownie consistency, balanced with the addition of a light and tangy layer of cream
cheese)
Part B: Principles of Menu Planning
Style of Menu
For the above types of menus formulated, two styles have been considered, which are
‘Prix Fixe’ and ‘Table d’hôte’ styles of menu planning. The term ‘Prix Fixe’ is derived from
French, which can be translated as ‘fixed price’, and is referred to a type of menu which consists
of a previously decided, fixed set of food items at a specified, fixed price. This menu style is
commonly used in fine dining restaurants or for special events and festivities (Kim et al.).
The second style of menu which has been utilized for menu planning is ‘table d’hôte’,
another French term, which can be translated as ‘table of the host’. This style of menu is similar
to a fixed price menu, where a pre-set list of food items, served in multiple courses are available,
hence, providing a limited food selection choice to the customers, a fixed rates (Meiselman).
Food Availability
One of the key principles of menu planning, include the incorporation of food ingredients
which are readily availability in the locality, along being present in local markets, seasonally.
The above menus have been designed with the ethnocentric principle of Canada, and hence the
recipes and food items used have been selected based on their availability in Ontario, Canada.
Exotic fruits, vegetables and meats have been avoided due to low availability and high costs

6MENU DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING
(Ducrot et al.). Further, recipes utilizing fish have been formulated referring to the list of
sustainable fish and seafood available in Ontario, in order to practice environmentally and
economically sound cooking methods (Silver and Hawkins).
Equipment
The cooking techniques utilized in the above menus include mainly baking, stir frying,
sautéing, grilling, roasting, stewing and steaming which are commonly used and require readily
available equipment such as ovens, stoves, skewers, skillets, woks, ladles and more. Recipes
which would require novel food processing methodologies and resultant equipment, have been
avoided since they been documented to increase menu and labour costs further reducing the cost
effectiveness of the menu to fellow customers (Nagura and Takahashi).
Expense Level
The expenses or estimated level of costing underlying the planning of a menu include
consideration of direct costs such as food ingredient availability, recipe popularity, type of
service and menu style; as well as indirect costs such as labour and equipment usage, along with
the required lighting, electricity, linen and administration. The expenses of the above menu have
been decided based on extensive usage of popular meat dishes such as fish, along with provision
of service in fine dining settings, resulting in high costs (Linassi, Alberton and Marinho).
Atmosphere
The above menu has been designed considering that it will be served in an atmosphere of
fine dining. A fine dining restaurant aims to serve high quality foods to clients who are upscale,
resulting in atmosphere which is attractive, formal and fancier than regular eateries (Rozekhi et
al.).

7MENU DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING
Labour Skill Proficiency
Due to the extravagant nature of the clientele visiting fine dining restaurants, the
concerned staff appointed must be well skilled and suited in terms of food preparation as well as
food serving. Hence for serving the above menu in a fine dining setup, the labour force involve
will be sufficiently proficient in preparing and serving unique and innovative dishes as
mentioned above (Tsaur, Luoh and Syue).
Customer Makeup
Customer profiling or assessing the characteristics of the clientele who may visit forms
the cornerstones of menu planning. The above menu has been formulated considering fine dining
settings which will cater to high profile customers and families who will prefer extravagant
dining, hence requiring innovative, unique and interesting recipes (Nitiwanakul).
Type of Service
The type of service which will be utilized for serving the above menus is ‘buffet
service’, considering the limited array of food items which have already been decided for
serving. For a buffet service, the food will be served on tables, where guests can select their
choices after organized movement within a line, followed carrying the food to their respective
tables for sitting and dining. Selected staff possessing considerable knowledge of the recipes,
may stand near the food serving tables to assist the clients during selection and serving.
Considering the fine dining nature of the restaurant, the staff will set the tables with cutlery prior
to service, followed by serving of beverages and carrying the plates to the customer’s tables, if
required (Shahzadi et al.).

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References
Ducrot, Pauline, et al. "Meal planning is associated with food variety, diet quality and body
weight status in a large sample of French adults." International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition
and Physical Activity 14.1 (2017): 12.
Kim, Sung-Bum, Kathleen Jeehyae Kim, and Dae-Young Kim. "Impact of Different Menu-
Labeling Formats on Food Preferences." Tourism and Leisure Studies 30.4 (2018): 323-343.
Linassi, Rossano, Anete Alberton, and Sidnei Vieira Marinho. "Menu engineering and activity-
based costing: an improved method of menu planning." International Journal of Contemporary
Hospitality Management 28.7 (2016): 1417-1440.
Meiselman, Herbert L. "An historical perspective on variety in United States dining based on
menus." Appetite 118 (2017): 174-179.
Nagura, Hideko, and Sumiko Takahashi. "Survey of a Japanese Elementary School Lunch
Program Menu Planning, Quality Control, and Nutrition Management: A Case Study." The
Japanese Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics76.Supplement (2018): S38-S49.
Nitiwanakul, Warangrat. "A Comparative study of customer perceived value as a driver for fine
dining restaurant selection." AU Journal of Management 12.1 (2014): 1-13.
Rozekhi, Nor Azureen, et al. "The influence of food quality on customer satisfaction in fine
dining restaurant: Case in Penang." International Academic Research Journal of Business and
Technology 2.2 (2016): 45-50.

9MENU DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING
Shahzadi, Mariam, et al. "Perceptions of fine dining restaurants in Pakistan: What influences
customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions?." International Journal of Quality & Reliability
Management 35.3 (2018): 635-655.
Silver, Jennifer J., and Roberta Hawkins. "“I’m not trying to save fish, I’m trying to save
dinner”: Media, celebrity and sustainable seafood as a solution to environmental
limits." Geoforum 84 (2017): 218-227.
Tsaur, Sheng-Hshiung, Hsiang-Fei Luoh, and Shao-Syun Syue. "Positive emotions and
behavioral intentions of customers in full-service restaurants: does aesthetic labor
matter?." International Journal of Hospitality Management 51 (2015): 115-126.