Restaurant Terminology Guide List

Term

Pronunciation

Definition

Context/Example

Bleu

bluh

Very rare (cool red center)

"Steak bleu - just seared outside."

Rare

rair

Red center, warm

"Cook the filet rare, 125°F internal."

Medium rare

mee-dee-uhm rair

Warm red center

"Most steaksare ordered medium rare."

Medium

mee-dee-uhm

Warm pink center

"Burger cooked medium, 140°F."

Medium well

mee-dee-uhm wel

Slightly pink center

"She wants her steak medium well."

Well done

wel duhn

No pink, fully cooked

"Well done steak, 160°F internal."

Pittsburgh

pits-burg

Charred outside, rare inside

"Pittsburgh style - black and blue."

Butterfly

buht-er-fly

Cutting to open and flatten

"Butterfly the chicken breast."

Blacken

blak-en

Cajun spice coating, high heat

"Blackened redfish is our specialty."

Braise

brayz

Slow cook in liquid after searing

"Braise the short ribs for 3 hours."

Broil

broyl

Cook under direct high heat

"Broil the fish for 4 minutes."

Grill

gril

Cook over direct heat/flames

"Grill the vegetables until charred."

Roast

rohst

Dry heat cooking in the oven

"Roast the chicken at 375°F."

Poach

pohch

Gentle cooking in simmering liquid

"Poach the eggs for 3 minutes."

Steam

steem

Cook with moist heat/vapor

"Steam the dumplings until fluffy."

Blanch

blanch

Brief boiling, then ice bath

"Blanch the vegetables to keep color."

Parboil

par-boyl

Partially cook in boiling water

"Parboil the potatoes first."

Simmer

sim-er

Gentle cooking just below boiling

"Simmer the sauce for 20 minutes."

Caramelize

kar-ah-mel-ize

Cook until sugars brown

"Caramelize the onions slowly."

Render

ren-der

Extract fat through slow cooking

"Render the bacon fat first."

Confit

kon-fee

Slow-cooked in fat

"Duck leg confit is tonight's special."

Flambé

flam-bay

Igniting alcohol during cooking

"Flambé the bananas foster tableside."

Char

char

Cook until blackened/marked

"Char the peppers over open flame."

Smoke

smohk

Cook with wood smoke

"Smoke the brisket for 12 hours."

BabaykDry heat cooking inan enclosed oven"Bake the bread at 450°F."

Fry

fry

Cook in hot oil/fat

"Fry the chicken until golden."

Deep fry

deep fry

Submerge completely in hot oil

"Deep fry the onion rings at 350°F."

Pan fry

pan fry

Fry in shallow oil

"Pan fry the fish fillets."

Sausaw-tayQuick cooking in a small amount of fat"Sauté the mushrooms until golden."

Stir fry

ster fry

High heat cooking while stirring

"Stir fry the vegetables quickly."

Brûlée

broo-lay

Caramelize sugar on top with torch

"Torch the crème brûlée tableside."

En papillote

ahn pap-ee-yoht

Baked in parchment paper

"Salmon en papillote with vegetables."

Dehydrate

dee-hy-drayt

Remove moisture with low heat

"Dehydrate the fruit for garnish."

Ceviche

seh-vee-chay

Cook with acid (citrus)

"Ceviche the shrimp in lime juice."

Cure

kyoor

Preserve with salt/sugar/spices

"Cure the salmon for gravlax."

Ferment

fer-ment

Controlled bacterial breakdown

"Ferment the cabbage for sauerkraut."

Pressure cpresh-er kookHigh-pressuree steam cooking"Pressure cook the beans for 20 minutes."

Cold smoke

kohld smohk

Smoke without cooking

"Cold smoke the salmon at 80°F."

Hot smoke

haht smohk

Smoke and cook simultaneously

"Hot smoke the ribs at 225°F."

Plancha

plahn-chah

Cook on flat iron griddle

"Plancha the vegetables for char."

Term

Pronunciation

Definition

Context/Example

Chop

chahp

Rough, irregular cuts

"Chop the onions for the sauce base."

Mince

mins

Very fine cuts

"Mince the garlic cloves."

Dice

dys

Uniform cube cuts

"Dice the celery into quarter-inch pieces."Brunoisebroo-nwahz1/8-inch fine diceBruisee the shallots for thSmall smalll dys1/4-inch cubesbes. Small dice the carrots."Medium dicedice

mee-dee-uhm dys

1/2-inch cubes

"Medium dice the potatoes."

Large dice

larj dys

3/4-inch cubes

"Large dice the eggplant."

Julienne

zhoo-lee-en

1/8 x 1/8 x 2-inch strips

"Julienne the bell peppers."

Batonnet

bat-oh-nay

1/4 x 1/4 x 2-inch strips

"Cut the carrots in batonnet."

Chiffonade

shiff-oh-nahd

Thin ribbon cuts of leafy items

"Chiffonade the basil for garnish."

Bias cut

by-uhs kuht

Diagonal slicing

"Bias cut the green onions."

Score

skor

Make shallow cuts in surface

"Score the duck skin in crosshatch."

Supreme

soo-preem

SegmentSupremesoo-preemSegmented citrus without membrane"Supreme the oranges for the salad."Filetfil-ayRemove bones, create a boneless cut"Filet the whole fish." chicken thighs."

Paysanne

pay-zahn

1/2-inch triangular cuts

"Cut the potatoes paysanne style."

Rondelle

ron-del

Round coin-shaped cuts

"Slice carrots in rondelles."

Oblique

oh-blIrregular angled cuts"Oblique cut the carrots for a rustic look."

Lozenge

loh-zenj

Diamond-shaped cuts

"Cut the carrots in lozenge shapes."

Tourne

toor-nay

Football-shaped seven-sided cut

"Tourne the potatoes for presentation."

Concassé

kon-kah-say

Rough chop (usually tomatoes)

"Make a tomato concassé."

Emince

ay-mans

Very thin slicing

"Emince the onions paper-thin."

Shred

shred

Cut into thin strips

"Shred the cabbage for coleslaw."

Crosshatkross-hachScore in a crisscross pattern"Crosshatch the mango for easier eating."

Trim

trim

Remove unwanted parts

"Trim the fat from the tenderloin."

Rough chop

ruhf chahp

Uneven, rustic cutting

"Rough chop the herbs for rustic presentation."

Term

Pronunciation

Definition

Context/Example

Season

see-zuhn

Add salt, pepper, spices

"Season the pasta water generously."

Taste and adjust

tayst and uh-juhst

Check seasoning and modify

"Taste and adjust the soup before service."

Bloom

bloom

Heat spices to release flavor

"Bloom the cumin in oil first."

Infuse

in-fyooz

Steep ingredients to extract flavor

"Infuse tDeglazedee-glayzAdd liquid to dissolve pan drippings"Deglaze with cognac."MountmowntFinishthe sauce with cold butter"Mount the sauce with butter."Finishfin-ishFinal seasoning/garnish"Finish with fresh herbs."Mount the sauce with butter."

Finish

fin-ish

Final seasoning/garnish

"Finish with fresh herbs."

Marinate

mar-ih-nayt

Soak in seasoned liquid

"Marinate the chicken overnight."

Brine

bryn

Salt water solution for flavor/moisture

"Brine the pork chops for 4 hours."

Cure

kyoor

Preserve with salt/sugar/spices

"Cure the salmon for gravlax."

Macerate

mas-er-ayt

Soften fruit with sugar/liquid

"Macerate the berries for dessert."

Pickle

pik-uhl

Preserve inan acidic solution

"Pickle the onions for garnish."

Acid

as-id

Ingredient that adds brightness

"Add acid to balance the richness."

Fat

fat

Element that carries flavor

"The dish needs more fat for mouthfeel."

Salt

sawlt

Enhances and balances flavors

"Salt brings out the tomato flavor."

Sweet

sweet

Balances acid and heat

"Add sweet to counter the spice."

Umami

oo-mah-mee

Savory/meaty fifth taste

"Mushrooms add umami depth."

Depth

depth

Complex layered flavors

"Build depth with aromatics."

Brightness

bryt-nes

Fresh, acidic quality

"Lemon adds brightness to the dish."

Balance

bal-ens

Harmony of flavors

"The dish needs better balance."

Aromaticar-oh-mat-iksFlavor-basede vegetables (onion, celery, carrot)"Start with aromatics for the soup base."

Compound butter

kom-pownd buh-ter

Butter mixed with herbs/seasonings

"Top the steak with compound butter."

Term

Pronunciation

Definition

Context/Example

À la carah lah kartA menuu where each dish is priced separately"We offer both prix fixe and à la carte dining."

À la mode

ah lah mohd

Served with ice cream (typically desserts)

"Apple pie à la mode is our most popular dessert."

Mise en place

meez ahn plahs

"Everything in its place"; pre-service setup and organization

"Before the shift starts, make sure your mise en place is done."

Front of House (FOH)

fruhnt uhv hows

The area of the restaurant open to guests

"FOH staff must be in full uniform before service."

Back of House (BOH)

bak uhv hows

The kitchen and other non-guest-facing areas

"BOH needs to finish prepping before dinner rush."

86 (eighty-six)

eighty-six

Item is out of stock or unavailable

"We're 86'd on the lasagna, inform the servers."

Cover

kuhv-er

A single guest; used to count customers served

"We did 120 covers last night — great shift!"

Turn tables

turn tay-buhlz

Clearing and resetting a table for the next guest

"Let's turn table 12 — we have a waitlist."

Amuse-bouche

ah-mooz-boosh

Complimentary bite-sized appetizer

"Send out the amuse-bouche to table 6."

Family meal

fam-ih-lee meel

Staff meal before service

"Family meal is at 4 PM sharp."

Chit

chit

Kitchen order ticket

"Make sure the chit matches the order."

Floor plan

floor plan

Table layout diagramChafing dishchay-fing dishServing dish that uses indirect heat to keep food warm"Set up the chafing dishes for the buffet."Hors d'oeuvreor DURVSmall bite-sized appetizersare served before a meal"Pass the hors d'oeuvres to table 8."Prix fixepree FEEKSFixed-price menu with limited choices"Tonight's prix fixe menu features three courses."hoices

"Tonight's prix fixe menu features three courses."

Table d'hôte

tah-bluh DOHT

Complete meal at a fixService chargeser-vis charjAutomatic gratuity added tothe bill"Parties of 6+ have an 18% service charge."Camperkam-perA guestThose who stays atthe table long after finishing"Table 7 are campers - they've been here 3 hours."after finishing

"Table 7 are campers - they've been here 3 hourWalk-inwawk-inGuest without reservation"We have three walk-ins waiting."No show"Table 15 is a no-show;, release it."ive"Table 15 is a no-sho;, release it."DeucedooSet the next party at the deuce by the window."euce by the window."Four-topfor-topTable for four people"The four-top in section 3 needs menus."

"Did table 9 just walk on their check?"

Covers per hour

kuhv-ers per owr

Service speed metric

"We're averaging 15 covers per hour."

Rush

ruhsh

Peak service period

"Get ready for the dinner rush."

Dead

ded

Slow period with few customers

"It's dead tonight, we can cut staff early."

Reservation

rez-er-vay-shun

Advance table booking

"Check the reservation book for party size."

Waitlist

wayt-list

Queue for tables when restaurant is full

"Put them on the waitlist for the next available table."

Term

Pronunciation

Definition

Context/Example

Sous chef

soo shef

Second-in-command in the kitchen

"The sous chef handles the kitchen if the executive chef is out."

Chef de partie

shef duh par-tee

A station chef, responsible for one specific area

"Our chef de partie on the grill is out — can you fill in?"

Brigade

bree-gBrigadebree-gahdThe structured kitchen team underthe classical French hierarchy"We run a classic brigade system in this kitchen."Commiskom-meeJunior chef/apprentice"The commis is learningthe sauce station."Tournanttoor-nahnRelief chef who covers stations"The tournant is covering grill tonight."/stahzh-ing

Working for free to learn

"He's staging in our kitchen for two weeks."

Fire

fye-er

To start cooking an order

"Fire two pastas for table 7."

Line cook

line kook

A cook who works a specific station on the line

"We're short one line cook on sauté tonight."

Expedite (Expo)

ek-spuh-dyte

To manage order flow between kitchen and servers

"Chef is expediting tonight — keep the pass clean."

Pass

pass

The area where food is plated and picked up by servers

Pass

pass

The area where food is plated and picked up by servers

"Don't crowd the pass; wait until your ticket is called."

Heard!

herd

Acknowledgment that instructions were received

"Pick up table 4! – Heard!"

On the fly

ontheh fly

Urgently prepared order, typically due to a mistake ora late addition

"I need a steak on the fly — table 5 got the wrong order!"

All day

awl day

Total number of a particular item needed at that moment

"We've got 4 burgers all day — 2 for table 6 and 2 for table 9."

Expeditor/announcer

"The aboyeur calls out orders to the line."

Bain-marie

ban mah-ree

Water bath for gentle cooking

"Keep the sauce warm in the bain-marie."

Flash

flash

Quickly reheat/crisp an item

"Flash those fries before plating."

Mirepoix

meer-pwah

Aromatic vegetable base (carrot, celery, onion)

"Start the soup with a good mirepoix."

Sous vide

soo veed

Vacuum-sealed cooking method

"The salmon is cooked sous vide."

Lardon

lar-don

Small bacon cube

"Garnish the salad with lardons."

Glacé

glah-say

Glazed or iced

"The carrots are glacé."

À la minute

ah lah mee-noot

Made to order

"This dish is prepared à la minute."

Boucher

boo-shay

Butcher

"The boucher is breaking down the beef today."

Al dente

al den-tay

Pasta cooked to be firm but not overdone

"Make sure the pasta is al dente."

Baste

bayst

Moistening food while cooking with liquid/fat

"Baste the turkey every 30 minutes."

Concassé

kon-kah-say

Roughly chopped (usually tomatoes)

"Make a tomato concassé for the base."

Coulis

koo-lee

Thick sauce made from puréed fruits or vegetables

"Drizzle raspberry coulis on the plate."

Demi-glace

dem-ee glahs

Rich brown sauce (mother sauce derivative)

"Finish the steak with demi-glace."

Emulsify

ee-muhl-sih-fy

Combining liquids that don't naturally mix

"Emulsify the vinaigrette slowly."

Fold

fold

Gently combining ingredients without deflating

"Fold the egg whites into the batter."

Liaison

lee-ay-zon

Binding agent for sauces

"Use egg yolk as a liaison for the soup."

Mandoline

man-doh-leen

Slicing tool for uniform cuts

"Use the mandoline for paper-thin onions."

Mother sauce

muh-ther saws

Five basic sauces in French cuisine

"Béchamel is a mother sauce."

Nappe

nap

Consistency that coats the back of a spoon

"Cook until it reaches nappe consistency."

Pâté

pah-tay

Seasoned ground meat mixture

"Serve the pâté with cornichons."

Purée

pyoo-ray

Food processed to Pâtépah-taySeasoned ground meat mixture"Serve the pâté with cornichons."Puréepyoo-rayFood processed toa smooth consistency"Purée the soup until smooth."t mixture for thickening

"Start the sauce with a blonde roux."

Sear

seer

High-heat cooking to caramelize the surface

"Sear the scallops for 2 minutes per side."

Sweat

swet

Cooking vegetables gently without browning

"Sweat the onions until translucent."

Temper

tem-per

Gradually adjusting temperature

"TemperSweatswetCooking vegetables gently without browning"Sweat the onions until translucent."Tempertem-perGradually adjustingthe temperature"Temper the eggs before addin"Temper the eggs before adding tothe hot mixture."for even cooking"Truss the chicken before roasting."st to brighten the dish."

Salamander

sal-ah-man-der

Overhead broiler

"Flash the gratin under the salamander."

China cap

chy-nah kap

Conical strainer

"Strain the sauce through a china cap."

Spider

spy-der

Wire skimming ladle

"Use the spider to lift the pasta."

Tongs

tawngz

Gripping tool for turning food

"Use tongs to flip the chicken."

Squeeze bottle

skweez bot-uhl

Plastic bottle for sauce application

"Put the aioli in a squeeze bottle."

Lowboy

loh-boy

Under-counter refrigerator

"Grab more tomatoes from the lowboy."

Speed rack

speed rak

Rolling storage rack

"Put the sheet pans on the speed rack."

Cambro

kam-broh

Large food storage container

"Store the soup in a cambro."

Sixth pan

siksth pan

1/6 size hotel pan

"Put the garnish in sixth pans."

Hotel pan

hoh-tel pan

Standard rectanguCambrokam-brohLarge food storage container"Store the soup in aCambroo."Sixth pansiksth pan1/6 size hotel pan"Put the garnish inthe sixth pans."Hotel panhoh-tel panStandard rectangular food pan"Full hotel pan of rice for service."before service

"Finish your prep list before the rush."

Pickup

pik-uhp

Ready food waiting for server

"Hot pickup on the pass!"

Dying

dy-ing

Food sitting too long under heat lamps

"Table 12's order is dying in the window."

Plate up

playt uhp

Final assembly and garnishing

"Plate up the desserts for table 8."

Station

stay-shun

Assigned cooking area

"Work the grill station tonight."

Breakdown

brayk-down

End-of-shift cleaning

"Start breakdown on your station."

Ratios

ray-shee-ohs

Standard ingredient proportions

"Learn the mother sauce ratios."

Term

Pronunciation

Definition

Context/Example

Neat

neet

A spirit served plain, no ice or mixer

"Customer wants a whiskey neat."

On the rocks

awn thuh roks

Served over ice

"Vodka on the rocks, please."

Up

uhp

Shaken or stirred with ice, then strained into a glass

"Martini up — no ice in the glass."

Well drink

wel drink

A basic mixed drink using house liquors

"She ordered a gin and tonic — it's a well drink."

Top shelf

top shelf

Premium alcohol brands

"He's asking for a top-shelf tequila."

Last call

last call

Final opportunity to order alcohol before closing

"It's 1:30 AM — give a last call at the bar."

Call drink

call drink

Specific brand request

"Make that a call drink with Grey Goose."

Back

back

Chaser drink

"Whiskey with a beer back."

Build

build

Drink made directly in glass

"Build the highball in a rocks glass."

Dry

dry

Less vermouth in martini

"Make it extra dry."

Finger

fing-ger

Rough pour measurement

"Pour two fingers of bourbon."

Speed rail

speed rail

Well liquor storage

"Drink made in a glass directlysse the rush."

Dirty

der-tee

Martini with olive brine

"Vodka martini, dirty, with olives."

Muddle

muhd-uhl

Crushing ingredients in glass

"Muddle the mint for the mojito."

Float

floht

Layering one ingredient on top

"Float the cream on the Irish coffee."

Rim

rim

Coating glass edge with salt/sugar

"Rim the glass with salt for the margarita."

Twist

Crushing ingredients ina glass

"Muddle the mint for the mojito."

n

ver-jin

Non-alcoholic version of cocktail

"Make that a virgin bloody mary."

Jigger

jig-rimCoatingthe glass edge with salt/sugar"Rim the glass with salt for the margarita."trated flavoring agent

"Add two dashes of Angostura bitters."

Aperitif

ah-per-uh-teef

Pre-dinner drink to stimulate appetite

"Make that a virgin bloodyMaryy."

Digestif

dee-zhes-teef

After-dinner drink to aid digestion

"Offer a digestif with dessert."

Proof

proof

Alcohol content measurement

"This whiskey is 90 proof."

Highball

hy-bawl

Tall drink with mixer

"Gin and tonic is a classic highball."

Lowball

loh-bawl

Short glass for spirits

"Serve the whiskey in a lowball glass."

Dash

dash

Very small amount (about 1/8 teaspoon)

"Add a dash of grenadine."

Splash

splash

Small pour of mixer

"Add a splash of soda water."

Free pour

free por

Pouring without measuring

"He can free pour a perfect ounce."

Bleeding

bleed-ing

Pour count method

"Count '1-2-3-4' when bleeding spirits."

Shaken

shay-ken

Cocktail mixed with ice in shaker

"Daiquiri should be shaken, not stirred."

Stirred

sterd

Cocktail mixed by stirring with ice

"Manhattan is stirred to maintainBleedingbleed-ingPour count method"Count '1-2-3-4' when bleeding spirits."Shakenshay-kenA cocktaill mixed with ice ina shaker"Daiquiri should be shaken, not stirred."StirredsterdCocktail mixed by stirring with ice"Manhattan is stirred to maintain clarity." over the old fashioned."

Chill

chil

Pre-cool glassware

"Chill the martini glasses in the freezer."

Express

ek-spres

Release citrus oils oMuddledmuhd-uhldIngredients crushed to release oils"Mojito needs muddled mint leaves."FlamedflaymdCitrus oils ignited overthe drink"Flame the orange peel over the old-fashioned."cktail with distinct color layers

"Pour slowly to keep the layers separate."

Garnish

gar-nish

Decorative cocktail addition

"Garnish with a cherry and orange slice."

Term

Pronunciation

Definition

Context/Example

Sommelier

sum-mel-YAY

Wine expert/service professional

"Our sommelier will help you choose wine."

Tannins

tan-ins

Compounds that add structure/astringency

"This Cabernet has bold tannins."

Terroir

ter-WAHR

Environmental factors affecting wine

"You can taste the terroir in this Burgundy."

Vintage

vin-tij

Year the grapes were harvested

"The 2018 vintage was exceptional."

Varietal

vah-RY-eh-tal

Wine made primarily from one grape

"CharTerroirter-WAHREnvironmental factors affecting wine"You can taste the terroir in this Burgundy."Vintagevin-tijThe yearTThe grapes were harvested2018 vintage was exceptional."Varietalvah-RY-eh-talWine made primarily from one grape"Chardonnay is a popular varietal."Bodybod-eeWeight/fullness of wine"This wine has a full body."Finishfin-ishAftertaste duration"Notice the long, smooth finish."

"The nose is floral with citrus notes."

Palate

pal-it

Taste experience

"The palate is rich with berry flavors."

Cork fee

kork fee

Charge for opening personal bottle

"Our cork fee is $25 per bottle."

Flight

flyht

Small pours for comparison

"Try our Pinot Noir flight."

By the glass

by thuh glas

Individual wine servings

"We offer 12 wines by the glass."

Wine pairing

wyn pair-ing

Matching wine with food

"The sommelier suggests wine pairings."

Blind tasting

blynd tay-sting

Tasting without knowing wine

"Let's do a blind tasting."