Communicating with the Menu- Part 4 The Foreigner Friendly Menu- Maurizio and Sandro Serva

I am going to use Maurizio and Sandro Serva as my example for this post. These guys have what we call PERSONALITY. Very important, as we said earlier, to communicate this somehow, even when your chefs aren't there to do it themselves.

I choose the Servas today because they have a playfulness that comes out in their food and their menu that I appreciate.

Surprises transcend language, and they are very good at giving you the unexpected. They also pay attention to every detail and what it tells you. Just look at pictures of their food to get an idea. Take a look at photos of the restaurant. Perfection.

I want to concentrate on the Foreigner Friendly menu here. In this case, their menu was mainly in English because we were outside of Italy. However, there are tricks to making sure the menu communicates effectively, even in a foreign language.

When you are presenting your menu outside of your country, there are some important choices to make about translation.

1. I can't stress this enough, but please do not translate the menu into a language that is not yours. You are really taking a risk with how you will be perceived by your guest.

2. When choosing a translator, make sure you choose a good writer. This is different than a good translator. Some of the worst menus I have ever seen in English have been translated accurately by rotten writers.

3. Give your dishes the dignity they deserve. Keep them in the original language. Below that you may describe them. Try to add something more than just what the title gives you. Complement the original text rather than duplicate it in the foreign language.

4. Assume your guest is sophisticated. Here is an example taken directly from the Serva menu from the Summit.

L'uovo di carciofo 

the egg artichoke

A brilliant and modern interpretation of the classic Italian Artichoke omelet.

 

 

This is well done. I would not have translated the name of the dish (even if I did. I probably did not want to take any liberties since I did not know Maurizio and Sandro yet). Notice how the description gives all of the information the title translated does, plus something more.

 

This was the winning dish of the Summit, for me, by the way. Outstanding.