Step Up To The Plate

To keep pace with guests’ need for an elevated dining experience, hospitality companies are using tableware to re-imagine how they present their culinary creations

- Pradeep Suvarna

Imagine yourself enjoying a meal in your favourite restaurant. There are some details that you can recall days later and they bring a smile on your face; and in all probability it is not just the food and beverages.

Increasingly, guests are paying closer attention to other elements in a F&B outlet. While the food still remains the star and the start of the experience, other aspects like décor, lighting, music and tableware play a very important role in the overall dining experience.

Like Abhishek Bindal, VP, operations, KA Hospitality explained, dining today is not just about the taste of the food; it is a sensory experience where all the fives senses are involved. Hence, tableware plays a very critical role in keeping pace with guests’ evolving tastes and change preferences when it comes to dining.

“According to us, the colour of the plates should complement the cuisine to add to the visual experience. This colour and shape enhances the food along with the right kind of lighting. The glassware should not be very heavy, should have a thin rim and should not be chipped so the guests can easily hold the glass and while sipping the glass surface should be smooth to the lip,” Bindal added.

The selection of tableware also defines the restaurant’s concept, and hence becomes a crucial part in concept dining. For instance, a typical all-day dining restaurant is liable to have a clutter free set-up, while a specialty restaurant will opt for premium tableware and glassware based on a specific theme.