The Secret To Picture-Perfect Food Plating Is Mastering One Technique

If you believe in the old saying that "you eat with your eyes first," you know that the best moment of any meal in a fancy restaurant is the big reveal when the food shows up to the table. The goal of any chef is to artfully arrange each component on the plate so that when guests lay eyes on the food for the first time, they can't wait to dig in. Chef Richard Sandoval, the man who created Richard Sandoval Hospitality and a collection of more than 60 restaurants on four continents, told Food Republic in a recent exclusive interview that the secret to that picture-perfect food plating is using the "clock face" technique to arrange all of the food in a pleasing display. "This arrangement creates a sense of symmetry and flow, making the plate visually balanced while guiding the diner's eye across the dish," he said.

This method of plating, he explained, works just like a clock (hence the name). "Place the protein between 3 and 9 o'clock, the starch between 9 and 11, and the vegetables between 11 and 3," he shared, adding that it's a great method for beginners because it provides structure.

Once you get the hang of the clock face technique, you don't have to feel constrained with just three components (protein, starch, and veg). This arrangement works for simple meals, but also can be used as the base for more complicated dishes. With the main elements in place, then you can play with adding extra dimension with garnishes. Richard Sandoval notes that there are lots of ways to make the plate even more visually appealing. "Vary heights, textures, and colors within each section," he said in our exclusive chat.

If a plate needs more height, try twirling pasta noodles into a mound, fluffing up some salad greens, stacking ingredients using a mold, or embellishing with something crispy like our oven roasted za'atar vegetable chips. If it needs more color, try experimenting with different sauces for a contrasting hue, like the beetroot sauce in our recipe for crispy squid.

If you're still stuck, we have other plating tips to explore. But whatever you add to your plate, just make sure not to go overboard with too many extras, Sandoval cautioned. You want to avoid crowding your plate. "Negative space is just as important as the elements on the plate," he revealed.