So, my buddy Leo decided to open a small dim sum spot. Great food, terrible organization, you know the type. He comes to me, saying, “You gotta help me with the menu. You’re… neat.” I guess compared to his kitchen chaos, my bookshelf looks like a military drill. So, I said okay, thinking it’d be easy. Wrong.
First thing we did was just sit down and list everything he wanted to make. We spread out on his living room floor, scraps of paper everywhere. Har Gow, Siu Mai, Char Siu Bao… the list went on and on. Then came the tasting. Best part, obviously. Had to “finalize” the recipes, he said. Yeah right, more like an excuse to eat. We spent a whole weekend just eating dim sum. Tough job, I know.
Then came the actual menu design. Looked at a bunch of menus from other places. Some were like fancy books, others just faded printouts. Lots were confusing. Too many weird categories, tiny text. We wanted something simple. People just want to know what it is and how much, right?
Getting it Organized
We decided to group things logically. Made sense to me, anyway.
- Steamed Stuff (like Har Gow, Siu Mai)
- Fried Things (Spring Rolls, Taro Dumplings)
- Baked Goods (those Pineapple Buns!)
- Sweet Stuff (Egg Tarts, Sesame Balls)
- Chef’s Specials (whatever Leo felt like pushing that week)
Pretty basic. Tried writing fancy descriptions, but honestly, who reads those? We kept it super short. “Shrimp Dumpling.” “Pork Bun.” Done. We talked about adding pictures, but that seemed like a hassle, getting good photos, printing costs. Nah. Simple text.
The layout was next. Leo wanted something durable because, well, sticky fingers and tea spills are part of the dim sum experience. We landed on a two-sided laminated sheet. Easy to wipe down. We typed it all up on my old laptop, printed a draft. Found about five typos and realized we forgot the turnip cakes! Classic Leo. Fixed it, printed again.
The Final Result
Finally, we had it. A straightforward, easy-to-read menu. Nothing fancy, but it worked. When the place opened, people seemed to get it. They could find what they wanted quickly, point, and order. No confusion. It felt good seeing folks use this simple thing we’d put together amidst all that initial chaos.
It reminded me of trying to sort out my dad’s massive, messy stamp collection years ago. Started trying complex cataloging systems, gave up, and eventually just grouped them by country in simple boxes. Sometimes the simplest way really is the best way. Especially when food’s involved – just get me to the good stuff fast.