Gueridon service in restaurants

What is gueridon service?

Gueridon service refers to a mobile service table or trolley, from which a dish may be dressed, prepared, carved, and flamed in the presence of guests near their table. The dishes served in this service include Crepes Suzette, Caesar Salad, Cherries Jubilee, Banana Flambé, and Steak Tartar.

This type of service is implemented in fine dining restaurants where a la carte menu is offered and the average spending power is higher. Guéridon service is a specialized form of table service normally found in establishments that serve an à la carte menu and offer a higher style of service to its guests.

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Table of Contents

What is the purpose of gueridon service?

The main purpose of gueridon service is entertaining and satisfying to the guest. we have gathered some points let us discuss.

Gives highly personalized service, and a high level of customer satisfaction to the guest.
Impress the guest by demonstrating cooking, flambeing, carving skills.
Turns food and service into entertainment.
Ensures exact serving temperature and stage for any dishes sensitive to this.
Makes the guest curious and orders for the dishes.
Stimulate demands in other guests for that level of attention.

What is the prcedure of gueridon service?

The service procedure of all carved dishes such as meat, poultry, and game are same, though their carving procedures may vary,

Place all the mise en place on the trolley for the dish to be carved.
Collect the dish with accompanying vegetables, potatoes, gravies, and garnish.
Place the accompanying vegetables, potatoes, and garnishes in a chafing dish or food warmer.
The joint plate is kept in the plate warmer, while the curlery is set up at the table.
Carry the plate by holding the rim or edge of the plate.
Carve the dish according to the procedures of the establishment.
Maintain the temperature of the dish. In case it becomes cold, heats it.
Arrange the portion of the carved dish on joint plates and accompanying vegetables which are collected from the plate warmer at the appropriate time by the assistant waiter.
Potatoes should be placed at 12 o’clock, vegetables at 10 o’clock, and the meat at 6 o’clock position on the plate.
Place the accompanying gravy at the 3 o’clock position.
Place the plate from the right-hand side of the guest in such a way that the meat is closer to the guest.

History of gueridon service

Gueridon trolley originated from Russia in the early 18th Century. However, the popularity gained from Monte Carlo (situated between Italy and France and ruled by Monaco Monarchy) in 1894. The first claimed flambéed dish was Crepe Suzette, which was invented by Henry Carpenter when working as a Commi at Café de Paris.

Types of trolley used in gueridon service

There are many types of trolleys used in the restaurant practicing gueridon service. The design, equipment required, and layout of the trolley depends on its function. The design of a flambe trolley is different from a liqueur trolley.

Here we listed 5 different types of trolleys used in gueridon service

1. Hors d’ oeuvre varies trolley

It displays 10 to 12 varieties of appetizers. The containers holding appetizers are placed over ice. The trolley is designed in such a way that it has provision for holding ice and containers. It has adequate cold half plates, necessary service gear to transfer the horse d’ oeuvre selected by the guest on the cold half plate, and the appropriate accompanying sauce.

2. Salad trolley

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It has half plates and bowls, underplate, containers with prepared ingredients, salad dressings, and seasonings that are required to prepare the salads. Salad dressings may either be prepared on the trolley in the presence of guests or in the kitchen, Most restaurants make the dressings in the kitchen, and dressing of salad is carried out on the trolley in the restaurant.

3. Food preparation, carving, and flambe trolley

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These have a gas burner of flare lamp which is fixed on the trolley to the level of the top surface. The carving trolley has a carving board that is placed over the chafing dish during carving to retain the heat of the meat. A trolley may have a single or double burner. A double burner trolley is necessary when the partly finished food is to be held hot during the preparation. One burner is used for keeping the food hot while the other is used for cooking.

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4. Cheese trolley

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It has a variety of cheese, cheese board, and cheese knife for cutting the cheese, and appropriate accompaniments for cheese, the surface of the trolley is normally in marble and has a translucent dome to cover the top. Cheese selected by the guest is portioned and plated on the gueridon trolley. and then served to the guest.

5. Liqueur trolley

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It has assorted glasses, measure, ice bucket, sprit, liqueur bottles, carafes, etc. It may also have a cigar, cigar cutter, and lighter.

The equipment used in gueridon service

The gueridon trolley carries sufficient equipment for service. It is filled with a gas burner on the top and a small gas cylinder at the bottom, also some other necessary equipment. The following are the necessary equipment used in gueridon service

1. Flare lamp

This piece of equipment is operated with methylated spirit and has a reservoir for fuel, a wick with an adjustment knob, a chimney, and a grid. It is 8 to 10 inches high with a grid of diameter 6 to 8 inches.

2. Gas stove

The gas burner is lowered to the level of the trolley to and the gas cylinder or bottle is placed under the gas burner in a chamber and connected to the stove, the gas control knob is near the burner at a convenient position for the waiter to control the flame.

3. Chafing dish

It is a container holding hot water on which a food container is kept to retain the temperature of the food. It is also used to cook custard for certain sweet preparation. A chafing dish with a safety valve or steam outlet is used in carving trolley

4. Suzette pan

It is sauteed pan with a thick bottom and a lip. It is normally made of copper lined with corrosion-resistant, non-reactive metal, such as tin, nickel, and stainless steel. It is used for flambeing and cooking.

5. Carving board

Carving of meat and poultry should be carried out on a carving board and for each category of meat and poultry, a separate carving board should be used.

Advantages and disadvantages of gueridon service

Gueridon service has its own advantage and disadvantage, we will discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of gueridon service.

5 Advantage of gueridon service

Highly personalized service The wait staff prepares or carves the dish and serves the guest personally
High level of customer satisfaction. The dishes are prepared, carved, or flambeed in the guest’s presence
Good merchandising device. Guest will be tempted to order dishes that are served from the trolley.
Wait staff can exhibit their culinary, carving, and service skills, the wait staff has an opportunity to impress the guests by demonstrating its cooking, flaming, carving, and skills to them.
High average spending power. The revenue generated will be more as the dishes served from the trolley are always expensive.

6 Disadvantage of gueridon service

Slow service. The time taken to the extent the service from the trolley is more.
Low seat turnover. The number of times a seat is sold during the operation hours will be low as the service takes more time.
Expensive style of service
Chances of the accident are more
More investment in-service equipment
Cooking in the service area may leave an odour

Dishes prepared in gueridon service

The following are the dishes you can prepare using gueridon service

Salad: Salad is served as an appetizer or horse d’ oeuvre, or as an accompaniment with the main course.
Prawn cocktail: It is a shellfish appetizer or horse d’ oeuvre.
Escalope De Veau a La Creme: It is an entree served as the main course.
Escalope De Veau a La Creme et Champignons: It is an entree served as the main course.
Escalope De Veau au madere: It is an entree served as the main course.
Escalope De Veau pene: It is an entree served as the main course.
Steak Tartare: It is an entree served as the main course. This preparation is served raw.
Entrecote Aux Champignons (Sirloin steak with mushrooms): It is an entree served as the main course.