In the past decade, a tasting menu has become a staple of every renowned restaurant, Stubborn Seed included. And you’ve surely noticed it if you are prone to visiting exciting new restaurants. As tasting menus started gaining popularity, people began debating. They started discussing and even arguing about the point of the Chef’s tasting menu; some adore them and can’t imagine going out to a restaurant without ordering one, while others don’t see the significance.
While everyone is entitled to their beliefs and opinions differ, which is normal, in most cases, people advocating the nonsense of such a menu don’t understand the essence of Chef’s tasting menu.
Because of it, we decided to break the prejudice surrounding the concept of a tasting menu and teach you everything you need to know about it.
Once you know the essence and the purpose of a meal like that, you’ll be able to understand it better and appreciate it. And you’ll also be able to enjoy food more, explore various cuisines, and expand your palate.
Be sure to keep reading this article if you want to learn the secrets behind a fine dining tasting menu, and why people are willing to fly across the country to try a famous degustation menu.
You may have encountered several different phrases, like Chef’s tasting menu, degustation menu, or simply tasting menu. And you may now think, “what is a tasting menu”? All of them are names for the same thing.
Usually, when you visit a restaurant, you get a menu featuring all the food you can choose depending on your preferences. It’s called à la carte, inspired by the French phrase that means “in accordance with the menu.” You can choose as many or as few dishes as you would like from a menu like this. You can order only appetizers, side dishes, or only the main ones, or you can order everything, including the dessert.
Opposite to a menu like that, you have a degustation menu or Chef’s tasting menu. This kind of menu comprises multiple small meals delivered to visitors simultaneously or one after the other. They were influenced by the French concept of degustation, which is the deliberate tasting of various dishes emphasizing the senses and culinary skill. A tasting menu’s main advantage over a standard menu is that you’re paying for an experience rather than just a meal.
Tasting menus can have eight, ten, or even twenty dishes spaced out over a longer time, whereas a conventional course meal can have up to four. Finishing a tasting menu can sometimes take more than three hours.
Except for the noticeable difference between a degustation menu and a standard form of dining, a significant difference is a price. The fine dining tasting menu tends to be pricier, and the portions are smaller. So, many unfamiliar with this form of dining will argue that it’s a waste of money and that a tasting menu is often overpriced.
However, they don’t consider everything that goes into preparing a single Chef’s tasting menu and the experience it brings.
To understand it correctly, you need to experience it. Let’s see why you should try ordering a tasting menu at least once.
A tasting menu showcases the restaurant’s finest offerings. Before leaving, you might only select one meal from the menu during a typical dining-out experience. But with the tasting menu, you can sample various dishes from various menu sections and see the full potential of the restaurant you visit.
You also get a chance to eat something that’s not generally on the menu and something you’ve never had a chance to try before. A fine dining tasting menu is unique because the Chef spends hours and days preparing and fine-tuning it. It’s an opportunity for the Chef to use their full potential and creativity to create something extraordinary, engaging, and after all, mouthwatering.
There’s also a reason the portion sizes are smaller: Chefs can be more inventive and showcase their artistic abilities. And you can be a part of that and participate in that remarkable journey.
The food needs to be memorable and outstanding, and there’s no compromise. The flavors need to be well-balanced, and you should leave the restaurant thinking about what you just ate. And if anyone tells you that fine dining is overrated and the food is not tasty, there’s a possibility they’ve never eaten in a fine dining establishment. The taste of the food is essential and the main point of a degustation menu. Besides the well-balanced flavors of single dishes, they all have to be intertwined, not overpowering one another.
Yet, that’s not all a degustation menu has to offer.
The presentation is everything when it comes to the fine dining tasting menu. It’s a chance for the Chef to showcase their vision and an opportunity to let the imagination run wild.
You will often get meals served on smaller plates. The plates may look simple; however, they’re like that for a reason. You should focus on the food and its arrangement on the plate.
Often you will get dishes containing palate cleansers. It’s usual to serve a palate cleanser before each dish so you can thoroughly enjoy the next one.
The point of a palate cleanser is to eliminate any aftertastes that could still be present in the mouth so that you can enjoy each course without tasting the previous one. A tasting menu requires palate cleansers because each item can differ significantly from the one that came before it.
Depending on the preferences of the Chef, but also the type of food you are eating, you can get a variety of cleansers. Some of the most popular choices include sparkling water, Champagne, and mild tea.
Hopefully, we managed to explain the concept of fine dining and why à la carte isn’t always the best option for when you go out. We know that atypical menus are not something you will eat every day, and you shouldn’t. They are meant to be savored for special occasions and moments with your loved ones. And if you have an upcoming event you think deserves a special celebration that you’ll retell to everyone afterward, we know just the place to visit.
Combining unwavering devotion with a stubborn attitude led to the creation of Stubborn Seed. This restaurant is a true example of a fine dining establishment with all the boxes checked when it comes to quality without feeling pretentious. It is welcoming and inviting. It seeks to arouse every guest’s palate while giving them something they didn’t expect. Chef Jeremy Ford, the winner of Bravo’s Top Chef Season 13, is in charge of this fine establishment and fuels every bit of his passion into this restaurant. And proof of that is the latest achievement the Stubborn crew got – a Michelin star.
If you want to experience something exceptional, call us today and book your table! We are looking forward to hosting you.
