Having borrowed from Mediterranean mezze, Japanese Zensai and Italian cicchetti, the Spanish tapas has metamorphosed from these century-old beginnings and expanded into creative dishes which are all starter-sized small plates. What’s more these have suddenly caught the fancy of the Indian gourmand and chefs alike.
Small plates are not just a tiny cube of protein, a dribble of sauce, a teaspoonful of starch, but instead flavour-charged. No longer mere starters or appetizers, small plates are now the new entrees. From Zucchini and kale croquettes to naga chilli wings and saucy salami pizza to fried bocconcini with basil aioli and Steak tartare, the variety in small plates at restaurants is immense.
For a restaurant, it is the perfect way to showcase a dish and ensure that you are packing the whole punch of flavour into those few bites.
With flavours galore in each plate, small wonder then that small plates are becoming a rage, across India. Most diners do not want to commit to a large plate and prefer to mix and match these small ones to create their perfect meal. With ample opportunity to savour a dozen different flavour sensations at one go, naturally small plates are preferred.
Flavour profile apart, those wanting to eat healthily and sparingly, are able to strike the perfect balance with these and prevent themselves from over-indulging.
The small plates concept, dictates that dishes be shared. With a meal comprising a wide array of small plates, diners are able to order much more and share amongst themselves.
Small plates have become a fashionable and social media driven phenomenon – not only do they make for pretty pictures, but also make for a great communal experience.
Small plates may appeal to the adventurous palate of diners, but equally excite chefs as they get a chance to unleash their creativity and experiment with one or two top-notch ingredients. These, according to chefs, can be a complete surfeit of deliciousness and gives them a chance to generate incredible innovation. A small plate should be high on taste, by pairing ingredients and flavours in an innovative manner and chefs agree unanimously on this.
Small plates may seem minimalistic, yet, are impeccably composed. Small plates should be rustic, over-styling is not needed, as one should be more focused on the ingredients and flavours of the dish.
It may have been Spanish tapas originally, but now most cuisines are tapas-izing it. Indeed, small plates come in all cuisines – French, Italian, Peruvian, Japanese and even Indian.
While the popularity of small plates outweighs its detractors, many diners dislike the clutter these cause on the table as dishes are sent out from the kitchen as they’re ready instead of being coursed out. Also, sometimes pork ribs may precede a gazpacho, in the wrong sequence. Diners also opine that small plates are great for adventurous palates, but large plates must not be done away with.
Small plates are a great way for a restaurant to showcase the diversity of their flavours and food to the guests at the beginning, to hopefully get them excited about the rest that the restaurant has to offer.
With no appetizer-main course barriers, kitsch crockery and innovative creations, restaurants seem to have hit the right spot with small plates.
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