What are the most ridiculous food combinations or descriptions you’ve seen at restaurants?

Culture, Media, General
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One of my many jobs is translating menus for restaurants, catering companies & hospitality groups, so I’ve probably seen more than I care to admit, but a few stand out to this day.

Here are things that should never share a plate together — IMNHO, of course :wink:

From a client: Wilma’s bread with house-made truffle mayonnaise, zesty pastrami, and fresh pineapple. Topped with cheddar, baked in the oven & topped with flower petals. Tastes heavenly, we promise!

I’ll take your word for it :open_mouth:

From a local place whose motto def is ‘more is more:’ Steak and spinach. Tender 6oz. oak barrel aged (!) steak rests on a bed of creamy spinach and mushroom medley risotto with a shrimp garnish.

I did not know you could age steak in oak barrels. Is that how it’s usually done? :thinking:

Same place: Beer braised chicken. We take half a chicken and sous vide it while braising it in beer.

Wut? I’m no SV pro but this sounds…. strange.

And one more from the same place: Arancini martini surprise. We’ve crafted variations of the traditional parmesan-crusted rice ball and placed them in a Romano-rimmed martini glass with tomato gravy.

Yeah, no.

What culinary atrocities have you witnessed, my fellow HOs?

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Unless I’m missing something, that last one actually sounds like it may be good. Arancini smothered in a tomato sauce? I’d try that. It sounds like the only thing that makes it a ‘martini’ is the serving vessel. The others are a hard no, though.

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Yeah, that one could be tasty (tho having seen pics of their food I’m not inclined to try it), it’s just the idiotic serving vessel.

I also don’t need the entire recipe listed on the menu, usually, which is another thing they do.

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:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

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Is that just a reaction to my examples, or are you holding back on some you want to share?

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Reaction to your examples. I will share if I can recall any that I’ve seen.

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for multi-lingual people, seeing ‘translations’ on menus is a rather standard bit of ‘say whot?’ humor…

if your examples originate in English, to be translated to xxxxx, that’s really depressing - it indicates the original English origin place has nadda klue . . . .

if your examples are ‘tentative/suggested’ translates from xxxxx to English - stellar examples of the non-viable state of the art “AI” nonsense.

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The only actual translation of a German menu item is my first example. There is nothing wrong with the translation, btw, but everything wrong with the food combo.

By the by, what inspired me to take on this task almost two decades ago was this horrifyingly bad English translation of a hotel menu I was conferencing at:

“Steaming dough pockets with legumes and fungus.” Aka steamed dumplings with vegetables and mushrooms. And another career was born :smile:

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Normal pastrami sandwich can be made at home, so at least for us, eating in a restaurant is about unusual flavor combinations/techniques not easily replicated at home. That one actually doesn’t sound that bad - obviously pineapple on it, will be as controversial as pineapple on pizza (which is fine for us)

I have seen a few “wood aged” steaks on restaurant menus - not sure if that goes in the same direction

That just means that you cook the chicken with flavoring liquid in the sous vide bag. That’s why sous vide is also the best and easiest method to make duck confit

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Obviously some people will eat or try almost anything. I find the combination of pastrami, truffle mayonnaise, pineapple and cheddar vomit-inducing — like the product of someone’s bad acid trip… but perhaps I’m just not a very adventurous eater. More for you :wink:

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maybe this is off topic, but i first thought of extraneous and/or pretentious modifiers to describe a dish. they make my eyes bleed. “how zesty is your pastrami?” said, no one ever.

using words such as natural, artisanal, foraged, and nestled, are essentially meaningless. it’s great to support hyper local growers, and i often see lists of farms that the restaurant works with at the end of the menu (for those that are interested). therefore we don’t need to see the provenance of the greens in every salad description. i’m growing to prefer menus that are stripped down. no descriptors whatsoever, just a list of the food on the plate. if i need more information on how the dish is composed i can ask the server.

e.g., pork shoulder, romesco, romano beans, fig, hazelnuts

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Yesss! The overly detailed descriptions and (often meaningless) adjectives drive me nuts, too.

“Fresh” salad? What else would it be? Old? Cooked? Frozen.

I just can’t sometimes :laughing:

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Not sure what is so unusual at this combination. If you look for example at Nr. 19 from Langers, arguably one of the most famous pastrami sandwiches in the US - it has russian dressing (which obviously contains already mayonnaise and truffles and pastrami are an obvious combination), swiss cheese (here replaced by cheddar, nothing terrible unusual) and the pineapple is just the “fruity” component to cut the richness of the meat, like one does with compotes for foie gras or venison etc). It’s more or less just a riff on something like Nr. 19

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A local ‘Indian’ restaurant menu includes these descriptions:

VADA PAU

Endearingly exquisite - a spiced potato ball enrobed in a toasted brioche bun & a racy chutney. Inspired by Chowpatty…taken to another level at DESI! (in our opinion).

PANEER & PINEAPPLE TIKKA

An amazing playful fayre of Paneer & Pineapple, marinated overnight in a lightly herbed creamy sauce, grilled in the tandoor.

As eaten in the Cafes of Old India, our curries are home style – individually cooked – in its own juices and spices, to recreate flavours one would associate with home cooked food.
CAN BE MADE SPICIER

KONKANI CHICKEN

Delightfully capturing the essence of the scenic coast of Konkan. Impeccably packed with fragrant ground spices, tantalise your tastebuds (slight heat).

GOSHT DHANSAK

Hustle & bustle of slow-cooked meat in a hot, sweet & sour lentil gravy (slight heat).

RAILWAY LAMB

You’ll need to try this gem of the rail side. Lovely & hot with an abundant of dry roasted spices, needless to say it’s full of flavour (slight heat).

KERALA FISH

In the twisting & enchanting backwaters of Kerala, local fishermen adored this succulently spiced fish dish. A mild melody of coconut milk, tamarind & curry leaves (slight heat).

CHINGRI TAWA

Blissfulness of Bangladesh epitomised - tossed & turned in a caramelised onion gravy, stir-fried tiger prawns in a medley of spices & merrily mingled with lime leaf (slight heat).

Old India and Biryani go hand in hand. Ever so moreish and perhaps what you’re not accustomed to… literally loved by all!

THE HUMBLE BIRYANI

An engaging marriage of flavourful vegetables layered with basmati rice & dum-cooked to scrumptiousness. Served with house dhaal.

DEGCHI CHICKEN BIRYANI

Tender chicken delicately cooked within its own juices & spices and layered with rice. Pakistani influenced. Served with tzatziki raita.

HYDRABADI LAMB BIRYANI

Amalgamation of slow cooked lamb in its own stock & flavours, layered with fluffy rice. Inspired by the famous biryani’s of Hydrabad. Served with tzatziki raita.

I just find these menu descriptions irritating and OTT. What is ‘Old India’? What is the blissfulness of Bangladesh? WTF is tzatziki raita? Why can’t they spell Hyderabad properly?

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Wait till you see my newest thread :wink:

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that practically reads as parody. reminds me of this:

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image1582×2048 310 KB

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me thinks it is necessary to separate culinary opinion from accurate / literal translation.

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Reminds me of the Red Robin menus.

Diners should demand a dollar markdown for every exclamation point on a menu.

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I’m not sure I understand your point. The translation of the dish is literal. The dish itself is revolting, in my culinary opinion (but quite obviously not others, QED).

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The hipster Brooklyn Bar Menu generator. Refresh for exciting new artisan, hand foraged combinations.

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