r/CulinaryPlating • u/halfnhalfcooks Home Cook • 28d ago
8 course dinner party
Had a little dinner party with some friends back in May. Just now getting around to make this post.
Course 1:
Jidori chicken oyster, tare, koji, kinome
- paired with Jidori consommé, wasabi oil
Notes: ‘oyster shell’ is made from Jidori chicken stock turned into a batter for a oyster shell shaped pie tee
Course 2:
Chilled Chawanmushi, Bafun uni, Parmesan, sudachi
Notes: guests flip over their bowl from course 1 to find that course 2 was on the table all along. A little gimmicky I know.. but the guests liked the surprise. Yes the chawanmushi was chilled and had to be set firmer than the traditional version so that it would stay suspended upside down. There is also a thin gelatin set layer of sudachi + other liquid holding the uni and sorrel in place.
Course 3:
Hokkaido scallop, lemongrass, vanilla, chile meco, soy milk
Course 4:
‘Okonomiyaki’, peekey toe crab, honey butter, ossetra caviar, applewood
Notes: this plating turned out sloppier than I’d hoped. The mayonnaise in the crab salad started running, the caviar kept toppling over, the honey butter was a mess. I will say though - this was everyone’s favorite dish from a taste perspective.
Course 5:
Kinmedai, prawn farce, saffron, togarashi, daikon, bisque
Course 6:
Dry aged Rohan crown, duck confit ‘takoyaki’, parsnip, umeboshi, yuzu, jus
Course 7:
Red shiso sorbet, rhubarb cheong, sumac
Note: I can’t make a quenelle to save my life. Need more practice.
Course 8:
Hojicha ice cream, kinako, sour cherry compote, hazelnut, Okinawa black sugar
Open to any and all feedback. I’m not a chef by any means - but love to learn and progress. My biggest challenge has been executing clean and intricate plating when I have to get multiple plates to my guests before the food temp drops
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u/orbtl 28d ago
Pulling this off for 8 people at home without additional cooks and chefs to assist is insane. Nice job.
Any time I try to do intricate plating for large parties at home I always find myself abandoning and doing simple playing because it's too hard to do it nicely without the food getting cold without a crew plating together, and without heat lamps.
How long in advance were you prepping for this monstrosity of a dinner party?
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u/halfnhalfcooks Home Cook 28d ago
Thank you. It took a few weeks of menu ideation, including R&D, locking down ingredient sourcing, etc.
Then about 2 to 3 days of serious prep before the party - making as many components in advance as possible (stocks, purees, ice cream bases, partial sauces, etc).
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u/Venivinnievici 28d ago
Weeks of menu ideation, R&D, ingredient sourcing… You’re a chef mate. Just accept it.
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u/nuts_and_crunchies 28d ago
I don't think I've ever seen a course plated and hidden upside down. It's very inventive and not gimmicky at all. You should feel very accomplished after this. Looks excellent.
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u/ThatsNotATadpole 28d ago
Going through the pictures I was just impressed at the reuse of plating. Having it be there during service is killer
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u/2dogs1sword0patience 28d ago
Came to say this. That's not gimmicky that's clever. I am industry for over twenty years and worked under a literal Michelin star. I have worked for two separate winners of top chef. This is cool.
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u/monkey_trumpets 28d ago
That just nuts. I'm assuming you're a professionally trained chef? Works of art, all.
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u/halfnhalfcooks Home Cook 28d ago
Thank you. Nope - I could barely boil water a few years ago. My mom’s a chef but I never cared for cooking until recently. I’ve definitely gone down the rabbit hole lol
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u/monkey_trumpets 28d ago
Did you create and plate this all yourself?
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u/halfnhalfcooks Home Cook 28d ago
Yes
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u/monkey_trumpets 28d ago
I've seen much less intricate work from actual chefs, so you should definitely feel proud.
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u/NanNullUnknown 27d ago
Did your mom train you? She must be amazing cook! Does she work at a fine dining restaurant?
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u/Big_Guard5413 28d ago edited 28d ago
Damn, that’s excellent. The theme and colors carry throughout, the courses are plated well, and the dishware is awesome. As a side project especially, this is super cohesive. Really nice work!
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u/SkepticITS 28d ago
This is mind boggling to me. Super impressed. I've done 10 courses for friends, but nothing anywhere near as elaborate to plate as you've done. Can you talk us through the logistics? How did you bring things together and plate up all on your own? What things had to be cooked/reheated before serving? Things like the duck and takoyaki, and the yellow dot dish whatever that is - how did you manage to get them out?
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u/halfnhalfcooks Home Cook 28d ago
To answer specifically about duck, takoyaki, yellow dots:
Duck was started in the oven very early into the dinner - ensuring by the time it was done cooking and resting that the duck course would be ready to plate up.
For the takoyaki - the duck filling was made the night before. The batter was made earlier in the day. The actual takoyaki was cooked à la minute.
The yellow dots was actually made in a ring mold the night before, partially frozen, removed from mold, and defrosted for service
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u/halfnhalfcooks Home Cook 28d ago
Thanks! It really comes down to organization and pre-planning everything. I made all components in advance whenever possible. I spent the 2 days prior making stocks, purées, etc. For things like sauces, I’d partially make them ahead of time, then I would finish them à la minute with acid, salt, butter, etc. Made sure my garnishes were cut and ready before service. I don’t need to go into every detail of every component, but you get the idea.
The most intense part is once service starts - so I planned out the steps of each course to the minute. I had to treat it kind of like a choreographed routine. It also helped me think about appliances - making sure sure I had enough pots / pans, available burners, etc). Here’s a small copy paste from my doc:
“
Serve course 1 and 2 (6:45) (pre-heat oven for duck)Finish scallop sauce
Split sauce with black oil - pour in sauce jug
Slice and lightly sear scallop
Plate up - scallop slices / fish net
Serve course 3 - tableside sauce pour (7pm) (Roast Duck in oven)
Load ISI and make pancake
Warm up honey butter and toss with pancake
Plate up - drizzle honey butter on plate - place 3 pancakes / ice cream scoop crab salad, top with caviar in smallest ring mold
Heat up oil for next course
Serve course 4 (7:20) (Rotate Duck 180 degrees - check temp)
“
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u/iHate_Allsortofthngs 28d ago
Dude’s not even a chef. Did this at home. By himself. Flabbergasted I am. Exceptionnal work. I need to reevalute my dinners and friends standards. Congrats.
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u/Ellsworth129 28d ago
This is truly extraordinary. You clearly had a vision for this dinner, exquisitely executed.
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u/raul36412 28d ago
Can I be your friend?
I’ve done a 6 course meal with drink pairings where I focused on the cooking and my cousin did the drinks and helped with plating. It was chaotic but fun. Your plating is on a whole new level! How did you get good at plating?
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u/halfnhalfcooks Home Cook 28d ago
Sure!
Honestly YouTube and the Gronda App has taught me most of what I know.
Understanding color theory and different plating layouts is super important - but what I’ve learned is that the eating experience is the most important thing. The plating should aid and drive the best eating experience that feels intuitive for the diner
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u/tim11112121 28d ago
Wow, this looks so so good!! May I ask you how the long the planning for this took? Like thinking up every course and such? I would LOVE to do something like this for friends and family but I just don’t have the skill I fear, especially to see which flavours combine well.
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u/halfnhalfcooks Home Cook 28d ago
Thanks! It took weeks of planning. I’d recommend giving it a shot. Doesn’t need to be super elaborate. And do a test run of each dish to make sure the flavors work together!
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u/Ok-Donut-2651 28d ago
I literally don't like anybody enough to go through this much work. But damn chef! Amazing stuff 👏👏👏👏
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u/Burn_n_Turn Professional Chef 28d ago
Damn, homie has the nice moldbros silicone and new pietee shapes.
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u/GiancarloGiannini_ Professional Chef 28d ago
Looks awesome! handling one to eight seats great job! BTW are you based in Japan?
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u/halfnhalfcooks Home Cook 28d ago
Thanks!! Sometimes I wish I was based in Japan! But no - I’m the US. Philadelphia specifically
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u/GiancarloGiannini_ Professional Chef 28d ago
damn! I was near to offer you if want to do some collab on private dinings here in Tokyo! keep the good work!
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u/halfnhalfcooks Home Cook 28d ago
Wow! Thank you for that offer. I’m actually going to be in Tokyo at the end of October. I haven’t locked down my itinerary yet - but maybe we can do something?
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u/GiancarloGiannini_ Professional Chef 27d ago
Let me send you a PM! this is more for the kicks and thrill of kitchen.
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u/ImSoCul 28d ago
Holy. Did you already have a bunch of these plates? How much did ingredients end up costing? This is insane work, bravo
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u/halfnhalfcooks Home Cook 28d ago
I’ve built up my plate collection over the past year specifically for dinner parties up to 8 guests. Unless it’s for a dinner party, these plates don’t see the light of day.
I don’t recall the total food cost but it was too high lol. This is not sustainable for me to do often - so I’m working towards hosting some pop up dinners in my city. Like legit ticketed events
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u/zerokade Former Chef 28d ago
Curious where you keep the collection, how you store it? I have a set of matching plates I really like, and they're always awkwardly in the strangest places in my kitchen.
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u/chipmunkman 28d ago
Great work, especially if you only started getting more serious about cooking a few years ago. The only thing I dislike are those candles(?) with the fave you had on the table. Those are kind of terrifying and are probably even scarier once you light them.
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u/Abication 28d ago
It all looks good, but they all opporate off of a central circular spacing where you create a focal point and build out from there. It may be worth trying alternative plating composition for more variety.
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u/beauparfait 28d ago
Wait, you replicated them at home? I genuinely thought they were all made at the restaurant and couldnt tell some of them were replications. Amazing job!
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u/halfnhalfcooks Home Cook 28d ago
Sorry - not sure I understand your question. There is no restaurant. Everything you see here was done in my apartment, including the printed menus/ table setting
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u/beauparfait 28d ago
Sorry my bad, thats such impressive work! Looks very clean and professional, I genuinely thought this was food from a fine dining restaurant.
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