Menus are offered by various food service outlets. They come under the two following categories”:
- Table d’hôte menu: it is a French word which means table of the host; the menu is fixed with limited number of courses for a set price. A limited choice may be offered for each course. The food is prepared beforehand and available at a set time. Nowadays, the restaurants offer three or four course menus; however a number of dishes may increase. This type of menu is offered mainly in banquets, restaurants, guest houses, flight catering and institutional catering. It is also served as a combo meal or thali.
- A la carte menu: it is a French term which means from the card. There is wide choice of dishes under each category an each dish is priced separately. The fare will be according to the customer’s order. Dishes are cooked after receiving the order (as per order). Sometimes dishes are semi prepared. This type of menu is offered in all types of food service business except banquets, flight catering and institutional catering.
Other menus:
- Plat du jour: it is a French word which means “specialty of the day”. Chefs prepare a few dishes which are normally the main course; however, other courses, such as sweets, fish etc, may also be included depending on the location of the restaurant.
- Carte du jour: it is a French word which means the card of the day. It refers to all menus of the day, combining table d’hôte, plat du jour and a la carte.
- Cyclic menu: this type of menu is generally offered in institutional catering like schools, industrial catering and hospitals.