A Plating System That Works
Created to help chefs grow their income through better presentation
3 compact lessons • Practical tools • Results you’ll see on the plate and in the numbers
If you need a breath — take one. If you're not sure — scroll down. That’s where the kitchen begins.
The system that works
You're on the line — in the heat, in the flow. A plate isn't a canvas — it's a decision. A good one sells. A bad one gets ignored.
This course isn’t about decoration. It’s about choice. About attention. About what gets seen — and what gets eaten.
You don’t need fancy plates, an art degree, or a ton of time. You need a system.
You're on the line — in the heat, in the flow. A plate isn't a canvas — it's a decision. A good one sells. A bad one gets ignored.
This course isn’t about decoration. It’s about choice. About attention. About what gets seen — and what gets eaten.
You don’t need fancy plates, an art degree, or a ton of time. You need a system.
( I )
Lesson 1 / Module 1
What matters before the first bite
Learn to see your plate the way your guest does
WHAT do you see here?
And now — here?
Same dish.
Same dish.
Before they taste. Before the plate even lands in front of them. That first glance — it’s when they decide: is this interesting or not?
Good plating doesn’t show the flavour. It shows that flavour is there.
This module covers:
Good plating doesn’t show the flavour. It shows that flavour is there.
This module covers:
- how guests actually see your dish
- how attention works on the plate
- why plating isn’t decoration
- the core theory: Main, Support, Accent
- why you need a system
But in the first photo, the main ingredient is clearly visible.
In the second, it’s hidden under microgreens.
This isn’t about taste. It’s about what the guest sees — and how they choose.
If they can’t see what matters, they won’t order it again.
Visibility sells. Distraction doesn’t.
In the second, it’s hidden under microgreens.
This isn’t about taste. It’s about what the guest sees — and how they choose.
If they can’t see what matters, they won’t order it again.
Visibility sells. Distraction doesn’t.
Each module comes with a PDF checklist. Download it. Print it. Keep it close.
There’s no time to hesitate on the line — let the answer be right in front of you.
There’s no time to hesitate on the line — let the answer be right in front of you.
( II )
Lesson 1 / Module 2
Contrast
What do you see here?
You don't need to understand contrast —
your brain already does.
It reacts instantly. To sharp edges. To brightness. To motion.
Because it's built to notice change. Not beauty.
Contrast grabs attention.
It makes the plate visible.
It tells the guest: look here — this is for you.
And the guest makes a decision — even before they take a bite.
No contrast — no clarity.
No clarity — no sales.
Focus on difference — not perfection.
your brain already does.
It reacts instantly. To sharp edges. To brightness. To motion.
Because it's built to notice change. Not beauty.
Contrast grabs attention.
It makes the plate visible.
It tells the guest: look here — this is for you.
And the guest makes a decision — even before they take a bite.
No contrast — no clarity.
No clarity — no sales.
Focus on difference — not perfection.
Download the checklist (PDF)
Stick it up in the kitchen. Use it when plating. Not later, not someday — now.
Stick it up in the kitchen. Use it when plating. Not later, not someday — now.
What you’ll learn in this module:
- Why “everything looks nice” doesn’t work
- Types of visual contrast
- What “enough” actually means
Optional task:
Look through your current menu. Find the dishes with no contrast.
Ask yourself: Is this how you want your food to be remembered?
Look through your current menu. Find the dishes with no contrast.
Ask yourself: Is this how you want your food to be remembered?
- Common mistakes:
- White food on a white plate → disappears
- One texture across the plate → flat, forgettable
- Two identical elements side by side → they clash
( III )
Lesson 1 / Module 3
What’s the Focus
Choose your King wisely.
There’s no democracy on the plate.
Duck broth with toast.
Each element fights for attention:
duck / broth / toast.
You don’t have to show everything.
You do have to show the main thing.
Each element fights for attention:
duck / broth / toast.
You don’t have to show everything.
You do have to show the main thing.
You don’t have to show everything. You do have to show what matters.
You already know how to attract attention.
Now it’s time to decide what to show. Because if you don’t choose the main element, contrast only creates noise.
And noise irritates.
You’re not placing food equally — you’re placing a bet.
The “King” is what the guest should see first.
Not necessarily the tastiest or most important by recipe.
Pick the element that can: Tempt. Grab. Hold.
You don’t owe honesty to the recipe sheet.
You owe it to the guest — and the plate.
The main element isn’t what took the longest to cook.
It’s what sells the dish — because it’s seen first.
It’s not always the meat. Sometimes it’s the sauce.
Sometimes it’s greens.
Sometimes it’s the plate — and that’s a mistake.
Because you’re selling food.
You already know how to attract attention.
Now it’s time to decide what to show. Because if you don’t choose the main element, contrast only creates noise.
And noise irritates.
You’re not placing food equally — you’re placing a bet.
The “King” is what the guest should see first.
Not necessarily the tastiest or most important by recipe.
Pick the element that can: Tempt. Grab. Hold.
You don’t owe honesty to the recipe sheet.
You owe it to the guest — and the plate.
The main element isn’t what took the longest to cook.
It’s what sells the dish — because it’s seen first.
It’s not always the meat. Sometimes it’s the sauce.
Sometimes it’s greens.
Sometimes it’s the plate — and that’s a mistake.
Because you’re selling food.
Each module comes with a printable PDF checklist.
One glance at the plate — and you should know who the King is. If you can’t tell — don’t serve.
One glance at the plate — and you should know who the King is. If you can’t tell — don’t serve.
In this module:
- How to choose your main element
- Why “favorite” doesn’t mean “main”
- How to avoid visual clutter
How to choose the main element?
Three guiding questions:
🔹 Contrast. What stands out?
Color, light, texture, shape, size — what has the best chance to be noticed?
🔹 Size. What’s easiest to show?
Two cabbage leaves look better than the meat underneath, even if the meat costs more. A tiny pepper might be too small to catch the eye.
🔹 Intrigue. What sparks curiosity?
Guests aren’t chefs. They need something to latch onto.
Sometimes it’s better to show what looks impressive — not what’s technically important.
What matters is that they want to taste it.
Three guiding questions:
🔹 Contrast. What stands out?
Color, light, texture, shape, size — what has the best chance to be noticed?
🔹 Size. What’s easiest to show?
Two cabbage leaves look better than the meat underneath, even if the meat costs more. A tiny pepper might be too small to catch the eye.
🔹 Intrigue. What sparks curiosity?
Guests aren’t chefs. They need something to latch onto.
Sometimes it’s better to show what looks impressive — not what’s technically important.
What matters is that they want to taste it.
“King” is chosen not by love, nor by flavor, nor by recipe —but by what sells the idea fastest.
The King is the hook. It leads everything else.
If it’s not visible — the dish fails.
You choose what’s visible.
That’s plating.
That’s the system.
The King is the hook. It leads everything else.
If it’s not visible — the dish fails.
You choose what’s visible.
That’s plating.
That’s the system.
( IV )
Lesson 2 / Module 4
Support and Accent
No one works alone — not even the King.
You’ve chosen your main. Now let’s see what it needs.
Beef tartare with crisps and breadsticks
MSA breaks down as:
tartare / crisps / herbs
breadsticks / tartare / pattern on the sticks
You control the composition based on what you have — and what your goal is.
MSA breaks down as:
tartare / crisps / herbs
breadsticks / tartare / pattern on the sticks
You control the composition based on what you have — and what your goal is.
Support — a larger detail that helps highlight the main. Like the king’s retinue.
It might be texture, color, or shape that contrasts with the main and sets it apart from the background.
Accent — a small, irritating detail.
A crown that draws attention not with size, but with placement.
It might be unexpected, or even the absence of what’s expected — anything that makes you look at the main.
Main / Support / Accent — it’s what makes the plate whole.
The Main (the King) is what sells.
The Support (Retinue) makes it stand out — without stealing attention.
The Accent (Crown) is the focus point — tiny, bright, commanding:
“Look at him! Right here!”
Lose one — lose the composition.
It might be texture, color, or shape that contrasts with the main and sets it apart from the background.
Accent — a small, irritating detail.
A crown that draws attention not with size, but with placement.
It might be unexpected, or even the absence of what’s expected — anything that makes you look at the main.
Main / Support / Accent — it’s what makes the plate whole.
The Main (the King) is what sells.
The Support (Retinue) makes it stand out — without stealing attention.
The Accent (Crown) is the focus point — tiny, bright, commanding:
“Look at him! Right here!”
Lose one — lose the composition.
Checklist for each module — available as a PDF.
Check: does every element support the main one?
If not — remove it, replace it, or change your main focus.
Check: does every element support the main one?
If not — remove it, replace it, or change your main focus.
In this module:
- Who plays the support and the accent roles
- Why it’s not a choice — it’s a system of three
- What happens if one is missing
Good to know:
- No queen without a crown, no court without a king, no throne without a lead.
- There can’t be two kings, a double court, or a crown without a head.
- The compliment is the spark.
- The support is the stage.
- The king is what you’re selling.
( V)
Lesson 2 / Module 4
SMALL STEPS
You’ve got everything now.
All that’s left — is to put it together right.
All that’s left — is to put it together right.
A great plate doesn’t appear by chance.
It comes together. Step by step.
You begin by asking:
Now — how to assemble it so it holds.
Steps that make the presentation a system:
Concept
Think through who’s the king and why.
Don’t plate until you’ve decided.
Sketch
Draw a layout. Not a design — blocks. Squares.
Where’s the King? The Support? The Compliment?
Mock-up
Test with real ingredients and real plates.
Remove everything in the way. Check: is the king still visible?
Execution
Only what’s tested goes on the menu.
Not “kinda pretty,” but repeatable. In real kitchen speed.
It comes together. Step by step.
You begin by asking:
- what do you want to show
- who’s the main element
- how the GDC (define each role clearly!) will look
Now — how to assemble it so it holds.
Steps that make the presentation a system:
Concept
Think through who’s the king and why.
Don’t plate until you’ve decided.
Sketch
Draw a layout. Not a design — blocks. Squares.
Where’s the King? The Support? The Compliment?
Mock-up
Test with real ingredients and real plates.
Remove everything in the way. Check: is the king still visible?
Execution
Only what’s tested goes on the menu.
Not “kinda pretty,” but repeatable. In real kitchen speed.
In this module — the execution plan:
- Why sketches matter
- What a mock-up is and how it saves your nerves
- Why testing isn’t bureaucracy — it’s insurance
Checklist for this module — in PDF.
Build your plate step by step. Skip one — lose the whole thing.
Build your plate step by step. Skip one — lose the whole thing.
( VI )
Facts
5
rules of composition
and common sense
and common sense
> 120
minutes of focus
3
lessons
you can’t just skip through
you can’t just skip through
1
broken plate
(possibly yours)
(possibly yours)
~24 572
words — not one of them
accidental
accidental
Why PayPal? Why Germany?
This PayPal account belongs to my German business partner.
It’s a temporary solution while we work around international restrictions.
The world may be complicated —
but it should never stand in the way of beauty, learning, or a well-plated dish.
This PayPal account belongs to my German business partner.
It’s a temporary solution while we work around international restrictions.
The world may be complicated —
but it should never stand in the way of beauty, learning, or a well-plated dish.
You’re on the shortlist. The price is 49 €.
Payment link will be sent to your email.
Once your payment is confirmed, you’ll receive access to the Instruction within 3 days.
These materials are part of the full course The Economics of Plating.
What you’re getting is just the beginning.
This is a one-time payment.
No subscription. No fluff. Just results.
After payment, send your email address to:
olga.kulikova@gmail.com
—or reply to the confirmation email.
Payment link will be sent to your email.
Once your payment is confirmed, you’ll receive access to the Instruction within 3 days.
These materials are part of the full course The Economics of Plating.
What you’re getting is just the beginning.
This is a one-time payment.
No subscription. No fluff. Just results.
After payment, send your email address to:
olga.kulikova@gmail.com
—or reply to the confirmation email.
( VII )
Check-up
- What’s the main element here?
- Will everyone notice it immediately?
- Who’s wearing the crown?
- What supports the main element?
- Will you repeat this tomorrow?
Questions to test yourself:
What’s next?
- Why can’t a compliment become a second king?
- What happens if the entourage shouts louder than the king?
- What type of contrast do you use most often — and why?
- What’s the difference between an idea and an improvisation?
- Who the hell is Alice?
CHECK YOURSELF
+ Bonus questions for the stubborn ones:
You already know how this works.
Now test how it works in your kitchen.
You don’t need to read more. You need to act.
You know how to cook — now show the flavour so that others want to try it.
Start today — with a new layout or with the one that never sells.
Use this system to bring your dishes back to the menu — or create new ones.
You’ve got the system now.
Now test how it works in your kitchen.
You don’t need to read more. You need to act.
You know how to cook — now show the flavour so that others want to try it.
Start today — with a new layout or with the one that never sells.
Use this system to bring your dishes back to the menu — or create new ones.
You’ve got the system now.
Want to learn how to photograph your plating?
This course doesn’t cover that — yet.
But I’m thinking about it.
If you’re interested, send me an email or join the shortlist.
Let’s stay in touch.
This course doesn’t cover that — yet.
But I’m thinking about it.
If you’re interested, send me an email or join the shortlist.
Let’s stay in touch.
