So... after these basic new ideas are in my mind, how to progress and evolve these ideas? There're several different elements to evolve, indiviualize the dishes. How I can make the dishs innovative with strong character and take it to another levels? I would say there're four elements.
1. new presentation
2. new tools
3. new techniques
4. new ideologies
This time I want to talk about 1. new presentation , the pic showing above is "little surprise" from RM upstairs. Everyone dine and order degustaion at RM upstairs will get this "little surprise. Me, chef Adam, chef Gerald and all other RM management team threw the ideas and made this. What is it? You have to dine at RM upstairs to figure it out, RUN!!!!
Generally speaking, there're many ways to plate, but say two different ways. One is the absolute, the other is spontaneous. The first style is I would say very French(laugh), on the round plate all the garnishees have proper positions such as 3, 6, 9 o'clock and 2 inch from left side. The other is much more like spontaneous, free style. I much prefer 2nd way or rather say I think "the absolute way" is boring and make me feel like robot after plating 20 times...
When I stage the restaurant called "Lumiere" in Vancouver, I got inspired. They plate same dishes every time different ways with different plates! I think it's quite unique and never seen before or after ....... until I copied it at RM upstairs! So for example, when two top table get foie gras course, they present the dishes completely 2 different ways. In this case, One plate is square, the other is rectangle. Both plates have complete same amount of 4,5 garnishees, but presentation is completely different and going same table! To me it's real cool and this way make all the cooks and chefs use instant imagination and leave cooks "alive" from routine work!
Anyway.. say the presentation of 3 stars French restaurants..... It is not just taste the foods, fun for eyes and "life experience"..... It starts as walk in the restaurant.... elegant dining room and tables, presentation of juciy roasting meats, sauces on the table, tableside shaving truffles(mmm.....), gorgeous dessert cart, beautiful cheese tray and surprise souvenir in the end.... Now let me think again how I can amuse and "wow" the guests in the dining room?
It could be actually simple artistic colourful plating, can be three-dimentional plating, using plates made of ice or something, decorate the plates with something, tricky unique shapes would be playful, theatrical effect such as viper, sound, smoke, fire.... What else attract people's mind... Teppanyaki, crepe on the street, pecking duck on the front, hot stone korean bibim-bop(......mmm), subway sandwich you pick(.....not really!)... Alinea is expert at these, I got inspired every single weeks! Alinea's silicon mat plating on the table seems the ultimate way(check out the link, if you never seen), what I can do then???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-EQ7_cY998&feature=relatedI"m always thinking this way; if I think cooking in the category of "cooking", it will never get me into the stage I want to get and the ideas come to the end eventually.
To evolve the dishes into a new level / league, I think it is about break "the rule" or say deny what is natural and common in "cooking". I call this is a theory for everything in life. If we don't wonder, it ends there and never take further. 1+1=2. Do I deny? No, it ends there. Using plates and silverwares in the dining room... I deny this, let's fuck it and break that rule! And that's how infinte imaginations open many doors.
Many different shapes and colour of plates, but what about using something else instead of regular plates? That could be the good starting point. Alinea make wax bowls for hot and cold potatoes. Now... I can present the dishes using skin of fruits, bones of meat or made of plants, woods, stones, sugar, salt, dried pasta.... Or can be something from home deco, office supply, art supply, stationary, storges, small basket, small cutting board, vase, photo holder, candle stand... also how I can use mirrors, pics, candles and lighting for table presentation... it is endless!! The adventure to innovate new presentation, it will continue forever....
