Chapter 11
Buffet Presentation
Chapter Overview
Buffets are one of the garde manger’s most exciting professional challenges. They demand a unique blend of culinary and management skills. The practical aspects of a buffet make them advantageous to virtually any type of operation. The creative challenges and opportunities they open up to the garde manger make them a meaningful way to advance and develop a career. The work of the garde manger as banquet chef falls into four distinct phases. In the first phase, the concept or theme is identified so that planning can begin. In the second phase, the menu and theme are worked out together, culminating in a production plan that makes good culinary and business sense from the menu to the plans for food presentation and service. In the third stage, the chef prepares plans for the layout and setup of the buffet lines, tables, and platters intended to make the buffet attractive and welcoming for the guest as well as efficient and practical for the service staff to replenish. The final stage, the actual production and display of the food, flows directly from the planning and preparation in the preceding stages.
Chapter Objectives
After reading and studying this chapter, you should be able to:
Ø Understand the phases of buffet events
Ø Recognize the importance of concepts and themes
Ø Explain how to plan a buffet menu, including a breakfast buffet
Ø Identify how price ranges are central to planning a buffet
Ø Discuss how to meet and exceed guest expectations
Ø Explain the role of action stations in a buffet, including raw bars, pasta stations, and omelet stations
Ø Explain mise en place and production for buffets
Ø Design a buffet to be both effective and attractive
Ø Understand how to enhance food presentation
Ø Describe the importance of centerpieces and displays, including ice carvings
Study Outline
Key Terms and Concepts
Concepts and Themes
Concept Menu Theme
The Menu
Clientele Competition Market segments
Pricing Trends
Price Range
Action station Cost per piece Food cost
Labor cost Organization Preplating
Purchasing strategies
Meeting and Exceeding Expectations
Action station Amount of food offered Authenticity
Development list Raw bar Variety of choices
Oysters
Atlantic oyster European flat oyster Flavor profile
Freshness Kumamoto oyster Pacific oyster
Shucking
Clams
Cherrystones Freshness Hard-shell clams
Littlenecks Shucking Topnecks
Steamed Mussels
Cultivated mussel Freshness Steaming
Wild mussel
Shrimp
Freshness IQF Jumbo
Large PND PUD
Poaching Small Steaming
Crabs
Claws Legs
Raw Bar Safety
Cultivation Depuration Impurities
Mise en Place and Production for Buffets
Buffet production order Consumption Cutting skills
Portioning Precision Production
Arranging Foods
Gross pièce Sequencing Slicing
Buffet Design
Action stations Chafing dishes Consumption control
Functional garnish Garnishes Linens
Lines Nonfunctional garnish Preplating
Satellite stations Serpentine line Steam tables
Straight line Table configuration Utensils
Waste receptacles
Enhancing Food Presentation
Aroma Asymmetry Balance
Color Contrast Cooking technique
Design Flavor Focal point
Function Regularity Shape and height
Strong lines Symmetry Texture
Centerpieces and Displays
Centerpiece Display Feathered ice
Focal point Ice block Ice carving
Chapter Exercises
True/False
____ 1. All facets of the foodservice industry have found effective uses for buffets.
____ 2. When a buffet is part of a special event or celebration, the food should be over the top so that it stands out.
____ 3. Breakfast and lunch buffets are designed to have wide appeal and work to improve the restaurant’s bottom line.
____ 4. Menu items in a buffet should be fresh and new and not drawn from previous events.
____ 5. Raw bars present too much of a health and safety hazard and should be avoided at all costs.
____ 6. A serpentine line is made by combining a series of horseshoe tables is a more fluid and contemporary look and can hold more food than a straight line.
____ 7. Pre-plating foods at a buffet event gives the chef better control over portioning, which means less waste.
____ 8. All senses should be stimulated in a buffet display, most importantly sight.
Multiple Choice
1. Which of the following is integral in holding together the theme at an event with a buffet?
a. The season.
b. The weather.
c. The guests’ comfort and expectations.
d. All of these.
2. The focal point for a guest at a buffet is typically:
a. The event.
b. The food.
c. The beverages.
d. The service.
3. Warm water oysters have a flavor profile of:
a. Mild, buttery flavor and creamy texture.
b. Briny, metallic flavor, and crisp texture.
c. Strong, salty flavor, and firm texture.
d. Mild, metallic flavor and creamy texture.
4. Raw bar products can be held on ice prior to service for:
a. 6 hours.
b. 12 hours.
c. 1 day.
d. 2–3 days.
5. On a meat platter, a large piece of the sliced item you are displaying is called:
a. A centerpiece.
b. A focal point.
c. A grosse pièce.
d. An identifier.
6. Who is responsible for the use of tablecloths?
a. The Greeks.
b. The Romans.
c. The Egyptians.
d. The British.
7. To prevent feathering in a block of ice that will be carved, you must:
a. Keep the water circulating while it is being frozen.
b. Freeze it rapidly.
c. Obtain the ice from a frozen lake.
d. Freeze it under bright lights.
Fill in the Blank
1. An event’s ______ is typically the starting point for developing a plan for the buffet itself.
2. It is the banquet chef’s responsibility to consider all aspects of the banquet including ______, ______, and ______.
3. ______include a carving station, a raw bar, and an omelet station.
4. Littlenecks, Topnecks, and Cherrystones are types of ______.
5. Smaller stations in a buffet setting that are used to break up the traditional “line” are known as ______ or ______stations.
6. ______and ______ are used in a buffet line to keep foods hot.
7. Garnishes that do not compliment flavors on a plate are called ______ and should not be used.
8. ______ are the most common electric tool used in ice carving today.
Short/Written Answer
1. Explain some general guidelines of how to arrange items on a line in a buffet situation.
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