Essential Kitchen Buffet English

Section 1: The Breakfast Buffet



1.1 The Breakfast Buffet Items



Juices and Drinks

Apple, Tomato, Carrot, Orange, Grapefruit, Pineapple, Mango, Beetroot, Cold Chocolate, Milk, Iced Water



Fresh Fruit

Ju‑jup, Water Melon, Sapadillo, Pineapple, Papaya, Orange, Grapes, Cantaloupe, Sapota, Peaches, Banana, Kiwi, Mangostine, Rhambutan, Strawberries, Fruit Salad, Prunes, Pears.



Yoghurts

Plain, Strawberry, Apple, Pineapple, Mixed Fruit, Lychee, Homemade, Passion Fruit



From the Bakery

Marble Bread, Walnut Bread, Rye Bread, French Bread, Banana Bread, White Bread, Chocolate Bread, Pumpkin Bread, Potato Bread. (Sliced and unsliced.)

Croissants, Soft Rolls, Sweet Rolls, Danish Pastries, Raisin Roll, Fruit Cake, Ginger Cake, Apple Strudle, Waffles, Pancakes



Jams

Pineapple, Apricot, Cherry, Strawberry Jam, Raspberry Jam, Apricot Jam, Honey, Syrup, Orange Marmelade



Cereals

Shredded Wheat, Corn Flakes, Honey Stars, Honey O's, Weetabix, Muesli, Swiss-syle (Bircher) Muesli, All Bran, Sugar Pops



Additions

Raisins, Sultanas, Walnut Chips, Peanuts, Cashew Nuts, Brown Sugar



Fresh Eggs

Boiled, Poached, Fried, Scrambled

- Served with Ham, Onion, Tomato, Green Pepper or Mushrooms


Omelettes

Plain, Cheese, Onion, Ham, Tomato, Green Pepper or Mushroom

- Served with Soya Sauce, Tomato Sauce, Lee & Perrins Sauce (Worcester Sauce), Tabasco or Ground Black Pepper


Hot Dishes

Bacon, Sausage [pork / chicken (with herbs) / veal], Saute Lamb or Beef, Fried Tomatoes, Fried Potato gratinated with Cheese, Baked Beans with Bacon, Hash Potato



Thai & Other Food

Boiled Rice Soup, Mee Sapam; Smoked Salmon, Smoked Mackerel, Roll Mops



Cheese

Blue Cheese, Camembert, Edam, Emmental, Cheddar, Mozarella



1.2 Offering service at the breakfast buffet

* Would you like some (fruit juice)?

* Which fruit juice may I serve you?



* Which (fruit juice) / (fresh fruit) would you like?

* We have ...

* This is ...



* What would you like from our bakery?

* We have ...

* This is ...



* Would you like to try the (name of dish)?

a (name of food item)?

some (Camembert cheese)?





1.3 Saying that there is / isn't any more

Guest Questions / Statements

* The (pineapple)'s all gone.

* The (sausages) have run out.

* There's no more (orange juice) left

* Could you bring some more, please?

* Is there any more?

* Have you (got) any more?

* Do you have any (more) ...?



Situation 1: There is more

* Certainly. I will bring some right away.



When you bring the food

* I am sorry to keep you waiting.



Situation 2: There is no more

· I am sorry, (sir). There is no more (hash).


1.4 Questions and Replies about the Breakfast Buffet



* Is the (orange) juice fresh?

* Yes, it is.

* No, it isn't. It's canned.

* No, it's canned.



* Do you have any (cashew nuts)?

* Yes, we do. They are over here.

* Yes, we do. I will bring some right away.

* I am sorry. We don't.



* Do you have any (Milo)?

* Yes, we do. I will bring some right away.

* I am sorry. We don't. We have Ovaltine. Would you like some instead?



* Do you have any more (beetroot juice)?

* Yes, we do. I will bring some right away.

* I am sorry, we don't. (It's finished.)



* Have you got any (Camembert cheese)?

1. * Yes, we have some here.

2. * Yes, we do / we have. I will bring some right away.

3. * I am sorry, we don't. We only have (these cheeses).



* What's this?

* It's ... / That's ...

* I am sorry. I don't know it's name in English. I will find out right away.



* Have you got any set honey?

* No, we don't. We only have runny / this kind of honey.



* Could I have some porridge?

* Certainly. I will call the captain to take your order.



* I'd like some (milk), please.

* Certainly. I will bring some right away.



* What's in the sausages?

* Pork / Beef / Chicken / Veal.



* Is the cheese processed fresh?

* Yes, it is.

* No, it isn't.

* This cheese is, but these are not.



* Is the cheese processed fresh?

* Yes, it is.

* No, it isn't.

* This cheese is, but these are not.



* Is the milk fresh?

* Yes, it is.

* No, it's UHT milk.



* Where does the (fruit) come from?

* From (Vietnam).

* It's imported from (France).

* I am sorry, I don't know. I will find out right away.

1.5 Serving at the Egg Stand



1. Greet the Guest

* Good morning, (sir/madam/name). How are you this morning? ...

Did you sleep well?

I'm glad (sorry) to hear that.

* How would you like your eggs done?



Fried: * How would you like your eggs fried? Sunny side up or over easy? ... Certainly.
Boiled: * How many minutes (would you like them boiled)? ... (3) minutes. Certainly.

Omelette: * What kind of omelette would you like? (We have ham, mushrooms, tomatoes, cheese, green pepper or you could have it plain. ... Certainly. One omelette with ham and bacon.)

* Which sauce would you like? (We have soya sauce, tomato sauce, and ground pepper. ... Certainly.



2. Invite the Guest to Return to His/Her Own Table

* May we serve you at your table?

Yes: * Where is your table? ... Enjoy your breakfast.



3. Guest Wants to Wait

* What are your plans for today?

* (Guest says s/he is going somewhere you know and like:) It is very nice there. / I like it there.

Or: * I hope you have a good time.



* What do you think about (Phan Thiet)?

* Where have you been in (Phan Thiet / Vietnam / etc.)?

* Where do you like most in (Phan Thiet / Vietnam / etc.)?

* I recommend you go to (…). It is very nice there.



* Which country are you from?

* What's the weather like in your country now?

* What's the weather like in your country?

* What's the cost of living like in your country?



* What do you think of the weather here?

* What do you think of the scenery here?

* What do you think of the cost of living here?





1.6 Guest Questions About the Evening Buffet



1. Greeting a Guest

* Good evening, (sir/madam).



2. Basic Conversation

* How are you this evening? ... I'm glad. (Fine thanks.)

* Are you enjoying your stay? ... I'm glad.

* Lovely evening, isn't it?

3. Answering Guest Questions

1. Guest: * Is the (lamb) fresh?

Yes: * Yes, it's, (sir).

No: * No, it's imported / frozen.



2. Guest: * Do you have any (roast chicken)?

Yes: * Yes, we do. I will bring some right away.



3. Guest: * What kind of (fish) is it?

* It's (red snapper). Would you like to try some?



4. Guest: * What (fish) have you got?

* We have ... Which would you like? ...



5. Guest: * Do you have any (red snapper)?

No: * No, I am sorry we don't. But we have some

excellent, fresh (garoupa). It's very nice. Would you like some?

Yes: * Yes, we do. Would you like some? ...



6. Guest: * Have you got any (spaghetti)?

Yes 1: * Yes, we have some here.

Yes 2: * Yes, we do. I will bring some right away.

No: * No, I am sorry we don't. We have ... Would you like some?

7. Guest: * What's this?

* I am sorry. I don't know the English name. I will find it out.


8. Guest: * Could I have some more (red snapper filet)?

* Certainly. I will bring some right away.



9. Guest: * I'd / I would like some ..., please.

* Certainly. I will bring some right away.



10. Guest: * What's in the sausages? / What are the sausages made from?

* Pork / chicken / beef.



11. Guest: * Have you (got) a leaner piece?

Yes: * Yes, we have. Here you are.

No: * No, I am sorry we don't.



12. Guest: * Could you take the skin off, please?

* Certainly. Right away.



13. Guest: * Is the (fish) fresh?

Yes: * Yes, it is.

No: * No, it's frozen / imported.



14. Guest: * Where does the (fruit) come from?

* From (Vietnam).

* It's imported from (France).

* I am sorry, I don't know. I will find out right away.





1.7 Providing Service at the Buffet



1.7.1 Offering food from the buffet

* Would you like some (roast chicken)? It's very tasty.

Yes: * Here you are.

No: * The (roast lamb) is also excellent.

* Which sauce would you like? ... This is ...



1.7.2 Offering to serve the food at the guest's table

* Where is your table?

* A Waiter will serve you at your table. Enjoy your dinner.



1.7.3 Guest asks for more food

* The (pineapple fritters) are all gone.

* There's no more (beef) (left).



A. There is more

* Certainly. I will bring some right away.



B. Someone is bringing some more

* Some more is coming.



C. There is no more

* I am very sorry. There is no more. Would you like (something else) instead?



D. When you bring the food

* I am sorry to keep you waiting.



1.7.4 Checking guest satisfaction

* Are you enjoying your dinner? ...

Yes: * I am glad to hear that.

No: * I am sorry to hear that. I will inform my supervisor.



1.7.5 A guest complains

* I do apologize. I will change it right away.

I will inform my supervisor right away.





1.7.6 Saying goodbye

* I hope you enjoyed your dinner. ... I'm glad to hear that.

* I wish you a pleasant evening. Goodbye.





1.8 Finding Out How A Guest Wants Some B-B-Q Buffet Food Cooked



1.8.1 Recommending in answer to a question how to have something cooked

* I recommend you have it deep‑fried / panfried

steamed / (charcoal)-grilled..

baked.

* ... and served with (meuniere) sauce.



1.8.2 Guest says how s/he wants the food cooked

* Could I have it deep‑fried?

steamed?

baked?

panfried?

(charcoal‑) grilled?



* Certainly. It will take about ... minutes.



1.8.3 Offering to serve the food at the guest's table

* Where is your table?

* A Waiter will serve you at your table . I hope you enjoy your dinner



12 Suggestions for the Next Buffet Service Briefing





The Waiters and Kitchen staff should do the following often during a buffet:



1. They are Experience Creators, not Waiters. Everything they do should create experiences.



2. When a guest walks past you carrying a pate and heading for the tables, it is very likely that s/he is going to sit down. Walk behind so that you can pull the guest’s chair as s/he reaches his/her table.



3. Look out for opportunities to pull a chair for a guest who is getting up or sitting down.



4. Think all of the time, “Where is there an opportunity to create a memorable experience for a guest?”



5. Try to resist the temptation to stand in pairs and threes and chat. One cannot be an Experience Creator if one does this.



6. Walk around more, especially in the area where there are fewer standing heaters, such as by the chessboard platform.



7. When you look at a table, see what you can do for the guests there. For example:

a. Are any glasses one-third full which you can fill up?

b. Is anyone about to finish a plate of food or soup? Be ready to offer to remove the dirty plate.

c. Are any side plates full of food debris and which can be changed?

d. Can you fill up any wine glasses and ask if the guests would like another bottle of wine?

e. Is anyone’s drink glass empty? Offer another drink.



8. If you see a guest sitting on his/her own at a table, go over and ask something like:
· “Good (evening), (madam). Are you enjoying your meal? … I’m glad to hear that… Is there anything I can bring you? … A delicious dessert, perhaps? …”

· If you can, look up the guest’s name on the seating list and address him/her by name.



9. When you see a guest at a buffet counter, casually go up to the guest and

show some enthusiasm for the dish. For example:

· “The (lamb curry) is delicious! I highly recommend it!”

· “If you like (chicken), you’ll love this / the (chicken breast in a honey sauce). It tastes very good.”



10. If you are standing at a buffet stand, you should not be silent when a guest comes to look at the food in front of you. Talk about it like it was food for sale in your own shop – like in (9) above.



11. Greet guests with eye contact as you pass them or they pass you. Don’t ignore them. Look them in the eyes, smile, and say, “Good (evening), (sir/madam).”



12. At a buffet there are plenty of opportunities to compliment people’s clothing. Do so, especially the dresses of the women. Compliment their hair too. Charm them! That’s part of your job as an Experience Creator.







Dinner Buffet Interactions



Interaction 1

• Good evening, (madam). Good evening, sir. … Are you enjoying your dinner? … I’m glad to hear that. I wish you a wonderful evening … My pleasure.



Interaction 2

• Good evening, (madam). Good evening, sir. … Are you enjoying your dinner? … I’m glad to hear that. … Is there anything we can do to make your stay more memorable? … I’m glad to hear that. … I wish you a wonderful evening … My pleasure.



Interaction 3

• Good evening, (madam). Good evening, sir. … Are you enjoying your dinner? … I’m glad to hear that. … “If you like (chicken), you’ll love this / the (chicken breast in a honey sauce). It tastes very good. (I cooked it myself.) … May I serve you some? … I wish you a wonderful evening … My pleasure.



Interaction 4

• Good evening, (madam). Good evening, sir. … Are you enjoying your dinner? … I’m glad to hear that. … You’re wearing a beautiful dress. … My pleasure … I wish you a wonderful evening … My pleasure.