Types Of Menus

Overview

Every meal a caterer sells begins as a menu. It is the first thing a guest reads, the promise the kitchen must keep, and the plan on which the cost, the staffing and the whole service depend. Get the menu right and the meal almost runs itself. Get it wrong and no amount of good cooking can rescue the day.

In this lesson you will meet the three menus every caterer must know: the table d'hote, the set meal at one price; the a la carte, the full list from which a guest picks and pays dish by dish; and the special-occasion or function menu agreed in advance for a wedding, a banquet or a conference. You will learn the features, the advantages and the limits of each, and you will compose one of every kind for a Nigerian setting, from a hotel lunch in Ibadan to an owambe in Lagos.

Objectives

  1. Identify the main types of menu
  2. Distinguish between the table d'hote and the a la carte menu
  3. Describe the features of a special-occasion menu
  4. State the advantages and limitations of each menu type
  5. Compose an appropriate menu of each type

Lesson Note

A young caterer in Ibadan is asked to feed two very different crowds in one week. On Monday it is the lunch service at a small hotel, where guests want a good meal quickly and cheaply before going back to work. On Saturday it is a society wedding for four hundred guests, all to be served the same food at the same moment. If she offers the wedding crowd a long printed list to order from, the kitchen collapses. If she offers the hotel guests only a fixed banquet plate, they walk out. The same dishes, cooked by the same hands, must be organised into completely different menus. Knowing which menu suits which occasion is the heart of this topic, and it is examined in every Catering paper.

Lesson Evaluation

Congratulations on completing the lesson on Types Of Menus. Now that youve explored the key concepts and ideas, its time to put your knowledge to the test. This section offers a variety of practice questions designed to reinforce your understanding and help you gauge your grasp of the material.

You will encounter a mix of question types, including multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and essay questions. Each question is thoughtfully crafted to assess different aspects of your knowledge and critical thinking skills.

Use this evaluation section as an opportunity to reinforce your understanding of the topic and to identify any areas where you may need additional study. Don't be discouraged by any challenges you encounter; instead, view them as opportunities for growth and improvement.

  1. A menu that offers a set meal of a fixed number of courses at one price is called: A. An a la carte menu B. A table d'hote menu C. A cyclic menu D. A carte du jour Answer: B
  2. On which type of menu is each dish priced and ordered separately? A. Table d'hote B. Function menu C. A la carte D. Banquet menu Answer: C
  3. Which of the following is an advantage of the table d'hote menu? A. It offers the widest possible choice of dishes B. It is quick to serve and easy to cost C. Every dish is cooked freshly to order D. The guest pays only for the dishes chosen Answer: B
  4. A caterer is asked to feed 500 wedding guests the same meal, agreed with the host beforehand at a price per head. This is a: A. A la carte menu B. Table d'hote lunch C. Special-occasion (function) menu D. Breakfast menu Answer: C
  5. On an a la carte menu, the guest's cover is: A. Laid in full before the guest arrives B. Laid minimally, then built up after the order is taken C. Not laid at all D. Laid only for the dessert course Answer: B

Recommended Books

The Theory of Hospitality and Catering
The Theory of Hospitality and Catering
Subtitle: Fourteenth edition
Publisher: Hodder Education
Year: 2021
ISBN: 978-1-3983-3295-9
Description: The standard theory text for catering students, covering the industry, food commodities, cooking, kitchen operations, hygiene and safety, menu planning and food and beverage service.
Food and Beverage Service
Food and Beverage Service
Subtitle: Tenth edition
Publisher: Hodder Education
Year: 2020
ISBN: 978-1-3983-0015-6
Description: The established reference on restaurant and banquet service, service staff and their duties, styles of service, table laying, and the service of food, wines and other beverages.
Practical Cookery
Practical Cookery
Subtitle: Eleventh edition
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Year: 2004
ISBN: 978-0-340-81147-4
Description: A long-established practical text taking students through methods of cooking, the preparation of food commodities and the production of dishes across the full range of the kitchen.

Past Questions

Wondering what past questions for this topic looks like? Here are a number of questions about Types Of Menus from previous years

WAEC SSCE - Catering Craft Practice - 2021

Question 1 Report

TEST OF PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE QUESTION


(a) The table below is a four-day three-course menu plan. Use the listed dishes to complete the table. Egg custard, Cream caramel, Escalope of beef with fried rice, Cream of onion soup, Grilled chicken with jollof rice, Beef sauce with vegetable stew and pounded yam, Pineapple turnover, Consomme royale, Tomato salad, Chicken soup, Fruit salad, Fish stew with boiled rice and plantain. 

    1st Course         2nd Course       3rd Course
Day 1      
Day 2      
Day 3      
Day 4      

 (b) State the other names for first course and third course.
  First Course:...............
  Third Course:..............

View Answer