Loading…
25
Had a convo with a line cook who changed how I think about plating
I was grabbing a drink after service with this young guy from the pass, and he said my plates looked like 'someone dumped a salad out of a bag.' Stung a bit, but he showed me a photo of his own dish with these tiny, intentional herb piles. Now I'm reconsidering every garnish I've ever thrown on a plate. Any of you ever have a junior cook flip your whole approach around?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
fiona_young5mo ago
That line cook had a point even if it stung. Tiny intentional herb piles sound way better than random sprinkles. I started doing smaller garnish piles after a server told me my parsley looked like confetti. Little tweaks like that really clean up a plate.
1
faith6845mo ago
Wait, confetti? Like you were just throwing handfuls of parsley at plates?
2
jordanc325mo ago
Look, I’m gonna be the one who says it - a bigger garnish scatter can actually look more natural and inviting. Those perfect little herb piles you’re making? They look like someone used a tiny cookie cutter and dropped it on the plate. I had a customer last week at my friend’s spot rave about the ‘rustic, garden-fresh’ look of the parsley that was just lightly tossed across the plate. It’s like the difference between a flower arrangement and a wild bouquet. Sometimes that loose, random look makes the food feel less fussy and more homey, you know?
1