50 Fancy Menu Terms Decoded: From Aioli to Velouté
Restaurant menus are full of words that aren't quite English, aren't quite recognizable, and seem designed to make you nod and order something else. Here's a working dictionary of 50 of the most common ones, defined plainly. Bookmark it before your next dinner.
Cooking Methods
Confit(con-FEE)
Slow-cooked in fat at low temperature for hours. Duck confit, garlic confit, tomato confit. Result is buttery and concentrated.
Sous Vide(soo-VEED)
Cooked sealed in a vacuum bag in temperature-controlled water for a long time. Meat ends up edge-to-edge perfectly cooked, usually finished with a sear.
Braised(BRAYZD)
Browned, then slow-cooked in liquid (wine, broth, tomato) until tender. Tough cuts of meat become fork-tender. Osso buco is braised veal shank.
Seared(SEERD)
Cooked at very high heat for a short time to create a brown crust. Outside is dark and flavorful, inside is rare to medium.
Charred(CHARD)
Cooked over very high heat or open flame until the outside is blackened. "Charred broccolini" or "charred octopus" means crispy, smoky exterior.
Roasted(ROHST-ed)
Cooked dry in the oven, usually at high heat. Different from baked because it's about caramelization, not just cooking through.
Poached(POHCHD)
Cooked gently in liquid (water, broth, oil, wine) just below a simmer. Eggs benedict has poached eggs. Fish, chicken, and pears are often poached.
Blackened(BLAK-end)
Cajun-style cooking method. Coated in a heavy spice rub and cooked on very high heat until the spices form a dark crust. Different from "burnt."
Cured(KYOORD)
Preserved with salt, sugar, or smoke. Cured salmon (gravlax) is raw fish that's been salt-cured. Cured meats include prosciutto, bresaola, and pastrami.
Pickled(PIK-uld)
Preserved in vinegar or salt brine. Pickled onions, pickled mostarda, pickled mustard seeds. Adds acidity and crunch to dishes.
Sauces and Condiments
Aioli(eye-OH-lee)
Traditionally garlic and olive oil emulsified together. American restaurant version is usually garlic mayonnaise. "Truffle aioli" is flavored mayo. Still good.
Velouté(vel-oo-TAY)
A smooth French sauce made from light stock thickened with a flour-butter roux. Silky and pale. One of the five mother sauces of French cooking.
Beurre Blanc(burr BLONK)
"White butter." A French sauce of butter, white wine, and shallots. Rich, slightly tangy, served with fish.
Romesco(roh-MES-koh)
Spanish sauce of roasted red peppers, tomatoes, garlic, and almonds or hazelnuts. Smoky, nutty, savory.
Chimichurri(chim-ee-CHOO-ree)
Argentine herb sauce of parsley, oregano, garlic, vinegar, and olive oil. Bright and tangy. Served with steak.
Salsa Verde(SAL-sa VER-day)
"Green sauce." Italian version is parsley, capers, anchovies, garlic, lemon, olive oil. Mexican version is tomatillos, chiles, cilantro. Different sauces, same name.
Agrodolce(ah-groh-DOHL-chay)
Italian sweet-and-sour sauce, usually vinegar reduced with sugar and herbs. Drizzled over vegetables, fish, or meat.
Gastrique(gas-TREEK)
A French sauce of caramelized sugar deglazed with vinegar, often with fruit. Sweet-tart, glossy.
Demi-Glace(deh-mee GLOSS)
A reduced French brown sauce. Intense, savory, glossy. Takes hours to make. Drizzled or pooled under proteins.
Beurre Noisette(burr nwah-ZET)
"Brown butter." Butter cooked until the milk solids brown and it smells nutty. Drizzled over fish, vegetables, or pasta.
Preparation Styles
Crudo(KROO-doh)
Italian for "raw." Thinly sliced raw fish or seafood with olive oil, citrus, salt. Italy's answer to sashimi.
Carpaccio(kar-PAH-chee-oh)
Very thin slices of raw beef (originally) with arugula, parmesan, and lemon. Now also used for raw fish or vegetables.
Tartare(tar-TAR)
Raw chopped meat or fish, mixed with seasonings, often served with toast. Beef tartare and tuna tartare are the classics.
Tataki(tah-TAH-kee)
Japanese preparation of meat or fish briefly seared on the outside, raw inside, then sliced. Often served with ponzu.
En Croute(on KROOT)
Wrapped and baked in pastry. Beef Wellington is "filet en croute." Salmon en croute is salmon in puff pastry.
Au Jus(oh ZHOO)
Served with the natural juices from cooking. French dip sandwiches come au jus.
Au Poivre(oh PWAH-vruh)
"With pepper." Steak au poivre is steak crusted in cracked black pepper, often served with a brandy cream sauce.
Provençal(pro-von-SAHL)
In the style of Provence (south of France). Usually means tomatoes, olives, garlic, herbs.
Florentine(FLOR-en-teen)
In the style of Florence. Usually means served on or with spinach.
Milanese(mil-an-AYZ)
In the style of Milan. Veal or chicken Milanese is breaded and pan-fried.
Cuts, Knife Work, and Textures
Julienne(joo-lee-EN)
Cut into thin matchstick strips. Julienned carrots are long, thin, even strips.
Brunoise(broo-NWAHZ)
Cut into very tiny dice. About 3mm cubes. Used in fancy garnishes and stuffings.
Chiffonade(shif-uh-NAHD)
Leafy herbs or greens stacked, rolled, and sliced into thin ribbons. Common with basil and mint.
Quenelle(kuh-NEL)
A football-shaped scoop of something soft (mousse, ice cream, whipped cream) made by passing it between two spoons.
Ragout(rag-OO)
A thick, rustic stew. Beef ragout, mushroom ragout. French version of "stew."
Coulis(koo-LEE)
A smooth, thin sauce made by pureeing and straining vegetables or fruit. Tomato coulis, raspberry coulis.
Mousseline(moo-suh-LEEN)
A light, airy puree, often whipped with cream. Mousseline of shrimp, mousseline of carrot.
Mostarda(mo-STAR-da)
Italian condiment of candied fruit and mustard syrup. Sweet-spicy. Served with cured meats and cheese.
Compote(KOM-pote)
Fruit cooked down with sugar to a chunky preserve. Apricot compote, onion compote (yes, compote can be savory).
Reduction(ree-DUK-shun)
Liquid simmered down to concentrate flavor and thicken. Balsamic reduction, red wine reduction.
Specific Dishes Worth Knowing
Branzino(bran-ZEE-noh)
European sea bass. Mild, white, flaky. Often served whole, salt-baked or grilled.
Bavette(bah-VET)
A flat, flavorful cut of beef from the belly. Similar to flank or skirt steak. Common in French bistros.
Bordelaise(bor-duh-LAYZ)
A red wine sauce with shallots, bone marrow, and butter. Served with steak. From Bordeaux.
Bouillabaisse(BOOL-yuh-base)
A Provençal seafood stew with multiple kinds of fish, saffron, and tomato. Served with rouille (garlic-pepper sauce) and toasted bread.
Cassoulet(kas-oo-LAY)
A slow-cooked French casserole of beans, sausage, duck confit, and pork. Hearty, rich, very rural French.
Bouillon(BOOL-yon)
A clear, light broth. The basis for most soups and sauces.
Ceviche(seh-VEE-chay)
Raw fish or seafood "cooked" by acid (lime, lemon). Latin American specialty. Bright, fresh, often spicy.
Risotto(ree-ZOH-toh)
Italian rice slowly cooked in broth until creamy. Real risotto is its own course, not a side dish.
Gnocchi(NYO-kee)
Small Italian dumplings, usually made of potato. Soft, pillowy. Served with sauce like pasta.
Polenta(po-LEN-ta)
Coarsely ground cornmeal cooked into a creamy porridge or set firm and grilled. Northern Italian. Mild and savory.
Wine and Drink Terms You'll See
Aperitif(ah-pair-uh-TEEF)
A drink before dinner, meant to stimulate appetite. Examples: Aperol Spritz, Campari, dry sherry, Champagne.
Digestivo(dee-jeh-STEE-voh)
A drink after dinner, meant to aid digestion. Italian. Amaro, grappa, limoncello, Fernet.
Negroni(neh-GROH-nee)
Equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. Bitter, herbal, classic Italian aperitivo.
Vermouth(VER-mooth)
Fortified wine flavored with herbs and spices. Sweet (red) or dry (white). Used in cocktails and sometimes drunk straight.
Amaro(ah-MAR-oh)
Italian herbal liqueur, usually bitter. Drunk after meals or in cocktails.
The Words Restaurants Use to Sound Fancier
A few menu terms exist mostly to make a dish sound nicer than it is. Worth knowing:
- "Hand-cut": usually just means cut, like all other food.
- "Artisan": vague. Means "we want you to think this is fancy."
- "Heritage" or "heirloom": a specific older variety. Sometimes meaningful (heirloom tomatoes, heritage breed pork), sometimes just marketing.
- "Locally sourced": can mean anything from "from the farmer next door" to "from a state we are also located in."
- "House-made": actually meaningful. The kitchen made it instead of buying it. Worth paying attention to.
- "Pomme frites": French for fried potatoes. The same as French fries.
- "Verjus": the juice of unripe grapes, used as an acidic seasoning. Trendy but mostly behaves like lemon juice.
The Bottom Line
You don't need to memorize all 50 of these. You need to recognize the patterns. Most "fancy" menu words are either French (cooking methods, sauces), Italian (preparations, dishes), or Spanish (preparations, sauces). The rest are descriptive marketing.
If you see a word you don't know, ask the server. It's their job to tell you, and they'd rather explain "demi-glace" once than serve you something you didn't want. Or open MenuPics and skip the language puzzle entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does confit mean on a menu?
Confit means slow-cooked in fat at low temperature. Duck confit is duck leg cooked in its own fat for hours until it falls off the bone. Garlic confit is whole cloves slow-cooked in olive oil. The texture is buttery and the flavor is concentrated.
What does crudo mean on a menu?
Crudo is Italian for "raw" and refers to thinly sliced raw fish or seafood, often dressed with olive oil, citrus, and salt. Similar to sashimi but with Italian or Spanish seasoning. Tuna crudo, salmon crudo, and scallop crudo are common starters.
What does sous vide mean?
Sous vide (pronounced "soo veed") means cooking food sealed in a vacuum bag in a temperature-controlled water bath for a long time. The result is meat that's perfectly evenly cooked from edge to edge, usually finished with a quick sear. A sous vide steak is the same color and texture all the way through.
What's the difference between aioli and mayonnaise?
Traditionally, aioli is just garlic and olive oil emulsified together with no eggs. The American restaurant version is usually garlic mayonnaise (mayo, garlic, sometimes lemon). Most "truffle aioli" or "sriracha aioli" on menus is flavored mayo, not real aioli. Both are good.