There has been a really positive transition in the food industry over the last few years, moving away from rigid three-course dining and instead celebrating a share-style approach.
STEVE I love how things are now when you go out to dinner. When I look through a menu I get so engrossed in it, I want to try each dish and experience everything a chef has to offer. With small serves and degustation menus becoming more and more popular, fortunately, that is becoming a reality. As a result, people are becoming more adventurous with what they order. Choosing the pig’s tail at $16 and knowing that it’s only going to be small is much less daunting than investing $38 in one large dish and being stuck with it if it’s not that great.
WILL This new approach is also great for the community and the social side of things. We are such a closed-off society at times but now we share communal tables in most restaurants. This style of dining is much slower paced and people are really taking their time, talking about what’s on offer, and that’s creating a real buzz around food right now.
Long gone are the days of making the impossible decision between two dishes that you love and want; now you can order pretty much everything on a menu and share it at the table. The dishes we are showcasing in this section fit perfectly with that new mentality of food sharing – small plates, shared plates, canapés and finger food.