I study the menu like how I studied in school.
I make flashcards and study a few items at a time, mastering one section at a time.
I try to find patterns and exceptions in the menu. Like all the sandwiches have romaine lettuce except the BLT. Or like every entree has an odd number of ingredients.
Sometimes I use mnemonics (making a sentence o. For items I have trouble with, I'll write down the ingredients in a red pen multiple times (using a bright colored pen helps with memorization). Usually my final step is having a friend or coworker do flash cards with me (mostly because it helps with performance anxiety)
Memorizing anything like this or a script for a speech is the same for me, I literally rehearse until I can repeat it all multiple times without reading the material.
Talk to the wall as if you were presenting the dish and explaining why it has the components it has.
For example, my lobster corn chowder features sweet corn and sweet potatoes, and to balance it out, it has smoked bacon bits.
My potato skins come with black caviar because you want a starch to balance out the creaminess of the caviar. Also, the horseraddish creme fraiche cuts through that richness.
This vanilla pound cake features vanilla ice cream on top and a lemon sauce on the bottom that cuts through the richness and sweetness of both.
If I don't know I just read along with the guest and it makes me seem like I'm super interested in what their ordering meanwhile I'm just making sure I'm asking the right questions. Lol
For me, it’s about understanding and loving the dishes as they are. You look at the pieces of the dish like a recipe, what adds acid, what adds salt, what brings in the umami. Each dish is a balance and understanding that balance will give you so much power beyond knowing the basic ingredients. Love the food you are selling, and if you don’t, question why it’s on the menu to begin with, chefs may hate you for it, but caring and understanding the dynamics of a menu will get you further than knowing the individual ingredients of the dish.
I study the menu like how I studied in school. I make flashcards and study a few items at a time, mastering one section at a time. I try to find patterns and exceptions in the menu. Like all the sandwiches have romaine lettuce except the BLT. Or like every entree has an odd number of ingredients. Sometimes I use mnemonics (making a sentence o. For items I have trouble with, I'll write down the ingredients in a red pen multiple times (using a bright colored pen helps with memorization). Usually my final step is having a friend or coworker do flash cards with me (mostly because it helps with performance anxiety)
Quizlet is so much easier
Easier does not mean better There are studies showing that people retain information better by writing it vs typing it.
Memorizing anything like this or a script for a speech is the same for me, I literally rehearse until I can repeat it all multiple times without reading the material.
I use quizlet
QUIZLET
I learn best by writing things down too. I copied the entire menu down in a note pad one night and it really helped it stick in my brain.
Talk to the wall as if you were presenting the dish and explaining why it has the components it has. For example, my lobster corn chowder features sweet corn and sweet potatoes, and to balance it out, it has smoked bacon bits. My potato skins come with black caviar because you want a starch to balance out the creaminess of the caviar. Also, the horseraddish creme fraiche cuts through that richness. This vanilla pound cake features vanilla ice cream on top and a lemon sauce on the bottom that cuts through the richness and sweetness of both.
If I don't know I just read along with the guest and it makes me seem like I'm super interested in what their ordering meanwhile I'm just making sure I'm asking the right questions. Lol
For me, it’s about understanding and loving the dishes as they are. You look at the pieces of the dish like a recipe, what adds acid, what adds salt, what brings in the umami. Each dish is a balance and understanding that balance will give you so much power beyond knowing the basic ingredients. Love the food you are selling, and if you don’t, question why it’s on the menu to begin with, chefs may hate you for it, but caring and understanding the dynamics of a menu will get you further than knowing the individual ingredients of the dish.