Tasting Menu with a Glass of Bubbles Each at Cinnamon Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What does tasting menu per table mean? ›

A tasting menu, or degustation menu, consists of several bite-sized dishes that are served to guests as a single meal. They were inspired by the French term degustation, which is defined as the careful tasting of various foods with a focus on the senses and culinary art.

A typical tasting menu consists of several courses, usually ranging from six to ten or even more. Each course is meticulously planned and executed to create a harmonious progression of flavors and presentation.

It is called a tasting menu if it contains a large number of small dishes, usually seven or more, and it will give you a general overview of what the restaurant has to offer. You choose the meny and the dishes will start to arrive. You cannot choose individual dishes.

Vivek Singh is Executive Chef, Founder and CEO of The Cinnamon Collection, a group of five restaurants in London and Oxford which includes the Cinnamon Club, Cinnamon Kitchen and Cinnamon Bazaar.

Even a four-course menu could be too filling if the portions are too large or every dish is too rich. Tasting menu courses have inherently small portions, but heartier flavors can fill you up faster.

The rule of thumb I've most frequently encountered is to allow 10–15 minutes per course — and to add an extra 3–5 min. in the case of wine pairings. So a 7-course (arguably the default number of courses in a given tasting menu) could take anywhere from just over an hour to close to two hours.

Our taste buds prefer small plates

Ideally, tasting menus would be perfectly suited for the human palate. That's because humans often suffer from “palate fatigue” after three or four bites, says food historian Beth Forrest, a professor at the Culinary Institute of America's New York campus.

For me, a tasting menu should be a progression of flavors and tastes from light to less light, they should be hyper seasonal, aware of the terroir of the restaurant, they should be cool, inventive, and give people a chance to try things they may not have tried or even thought to try.

By having multiple courses of small and delicate dishes, a degustation menu is intended to be a lengthy and extended experience, rather than a single meal to satisfy your appetite. The use of fresh local ingredients showcases what the region has to offer, as well as the skill and creativity of the chef.

Enhancing Gastronomic Experience

Further, each course is diverse in style, taste and texture. If restaurants were to serve multiple courses in regular portions, they may overwhelm diners. Also, diners may become full too quickly and not be able to savour each dish. This is why, small portions.

How many courses are there in a tasting menu? ›

Tasting menus – typically five or more courses, though some restaurants offer upwards of 20 – are a true showcase of a chef's talent.

Tactically, it is a 5–12 course meal spread over about 3 hours and 1,400–2,200 calories in a single sit-down dinner. It is a progressive experience which usually gets better with every course and sometimes more dramatic too. You can expect the Chef's personality and local produce to feature prominently on the menu.

Founder's Note

I am Priyasha Saluja. I was diagnosed with PCOS as a young teenager. At the time, there was limited knowledge and conversation around PCOS and it's symptoms. I grew up facing a lot of challenges and shame around my symptoms and health condition.

There isn't an official dress code but diners typically opt for smart-casual wear.

The enterprising founder and group CEO of Cinnamon Group, Abbi Kanthasamy talks about running a people-centric business and how dining experiences should be just as much about storytelling as it...

“Served for the entire table” means everyone must order that menu, not just one person orders it and the others go à la carte. This is in order to synchronise the serving of the various dishes.

A tasting menu is a set multi-course meal that a restaurant offers for a single price (also called prix fixe). Diners must surrender their choice in what they eat and in how many courses.

They'll make you believe there is bits that's not, unless it's table side preparation at the table. The same for opening a $20 bottle of wine vs a $1000 bottle. I work in upscale dining. Now there are circ*mstances where 20% or more is extremely appropriate, like a 5 course meal or a chefs tasting menu, ect.

Tasting menus – typically five or more courses, though some restaurants offer upwards of 20 – are a true showcase of a chef's talent.