The art of arranging food, known as plating, has entered a freewheeling new phase. Here are the latest fashions, fads and follies.
Discover seven fresh restaurant table styles that exemplify the current unbridled phase in the art of food presentation, commonly known as plating. Explore the latest trends, fads, and playful innovations in the world of culinary aesthetics.
In Brooklyn’s ILIS restaurant, your smoked tomato and clam dashi is served in a massive clamshell, sealed with beeswax and tied with rope. Meanwhile, at Naks in the East Village, bites of beef tartare on crisped beef fat are presented on a cow horn.
The era of post-plate fine dining is in full swing, with influential chefs worldwide showcasing inventive plating techniques. From a pink silicone tongue to a bird’s nest, a gilded picture frame, and an egg-shaped porcelain pedestal, chefs are pushing the boundaries of visual presentation to define their culinary artistry and strive for Michelin stars.
Traditionally, French cuisine followed the “clock rule,” arranging protein and sauce at 6, vegetables at 2, and starch at 10 on spotless white porcelain. However, the influence of Japanese nouvelle cuisine in the 1980s led to a departure from heavy sauces and a more minimalist approach.
The 1990s embraced stacking components on square or rectangular plates, adorned with colorful dots, squiggles, and swooshes. This became the signature look, famously depicted in the opening credits of the 2000 film “American Psycho.”
The 2000s introduced El Bulli’s glossy molecular gastronomy and Noma’s New Nordic minimalism, featuring carefully arranged tufts of herbs inspired by the Scandinavian landscape. The rise of Instagram further revolutionized plating, allowing chefs to experiment with various styles, from free-form and organic to futuristic or even abandoning plates altogether.
In New York City, a hub for fine-dining trends and extravagant spending, diverse plating strategies are prevalent. However, not all presentations are practical, with some veering into the realm of clout-chasing. A Reddit forum, WeWantPlates, humorously mocks such dishes, including tacos hung from tiny clotheslines, hummus scooped into trowels, and citrus foam oozing from a white plaster cast of the chef’s mouth.
Shingle All the Way
Instagram’s significant impact on contemporary chefs is frequently evident in visually striking presentations: immaculate, pale ingredients artfully arranged like flower petals or overlapping shingles. Estela, established in 2013, gained recognition with dishes featuring overlapping mushroom slices and endive leaves. Eleven Madison Park adopts this style throughout the year (as seen with summer radishes). Le Bernardin takes an artichoke and skillfully transforms it into a silky, pleated skirt.
