Most seasoned cooks know that eating is more than just the taste. Professional chef and food blogger Alina Eisenhauer seconds this by saying, “Food presentation is very important, as the old saying goes, "people eat with their eyes first." When someone sees an amazing-looking plate go through the dining room or on a social media post, they are more likely to ask what it is and want to try it.”

It has already been proven that people, in fact, do eat with their eyes. 

A team at Oxford University tested this by observing the reactions of diners to food presented in different ways. A chef and one of the authors of the study designed a salad resembling the abstract artwork "Painting Number 201" by Wassily Kandinsky to find out how plating dishes affects the dining experience.

30 men and women were served one of three salads with identical ingredients, resembling the painting, a regular tossed salad, and a geometrical formation. Before the participants tasted the dish, the Kandinsky-inspired plate was rated higher for artistic presentation and general liking.

They were even ready to pay twice as much for the meal as for the other options. After finishing their portion, participants also rated the artwork salad higher for taste.

However, a unique presentation can quickly turn into something that detracts from the eating experience. Chef Alina shares some signs that the creative dish display has gone too far. “Food that I call "Instagram food,” food that is over the top piled high with too many components just made to look outrageous for social media. 

Usually, these dishes are impractical to eat, and all of the extra components add nothing to the actual finesse of the dish. The crazy milkshakes and bloody marys are a good example of this…Who needs an entire meal piled on top of their bloody mary?”

Asking himself a similar question, the creator of the “We Want Plates" project, Ross McGinnes, even started requesting a simple plate when he was given a meal that came straight from National Geographic. After sharing this with his followers, they followed suit, posting photos of before and after photos of their meals and dishware. And just like that, a simple internet joke turned into a real-life protest.

In order to avoid requests for chinaware, Chef Alina recommends making use of fresh ingredients that contribute to the dish with an artistic yet clean presentation. “Use the naturally occurring colors, shapes, and textures of the ingredients to create a beautiful plate. 

We should always be thinking about taste and flavor first, the functionality of being able to enjoy the dish with all components working together as we take a bite, not some big crazy art project that needs to be dismantled before we can enjoy it.”

One of the top chefs, Jim Solomon, further advises, “Choose a dish vessel that makes it easy for your guest to eat.” In addition, he recommends matching the way a restaurant presents food to its theme. 

Small ethnic restaurants with grandma-style cooking shouldn’t serve plates with architectural compositions. In this type of institution, guests would expect a simple and welcoming presentation served with an unfussy and rustic edge. Meanwhile, in more expensive and hip restaurants, diners would already anticipate a higher degree of artistry.

When it comes to garnishes or decorations, anything that is used needs to be edible. Everything on the plate should be placed with the intention of elevating taste first and the way it looks second. The waiter warning guests that rocks or uncooked potatoes on the platter can’t be eaten is not at all adding to an enjoyable experience.

Chef Michael Welch recommends, when in doubt - keeping it simple. “Overcrowding the plate with unnecessary oils or spices or microgreens just takes away from the food you worked so hard to make,” he says. “Subtraction is your best ingredient. A properly seared steak with some fresh watercress and perfectly roasted baby potatoes will look better than the fanciest of plates with subpar cookery,” Welch explains.