Published 02.06.2025 — Michael A. Di Palma

Yes, we’re officially designing menus for TikTok now.

It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be “disruptive.”

And no—I still won’t be using the word synergy, unless it’s in a cocktail with (I'll settle for) a whisper of orange oil.

Once upon a time, we plated food for flavour.

Now? We’re plating for followers.

“Food-as-Media” is the shiny new buzzword floating through the industry like truffle oil at a chef’s table.

Basically: your dish isn’t just food anymore—it’s content.

Menus are being designed to perform.

Lighting? Not for mood—for filters.

Service flow? Built around the best camera angles.

And God forbid your burrata doesn’t burst in slow motion with just the right drip of olive oil.

We’ve entered the age where a tasting menu needs a ring light and a hashtag strategy. Great for engagement. Slightly less great for… actual taste?

Now, let’s be fair—there is value in creating a dish that photographs well. It’s part of the modern experience.

But maybe let’s leave that part to the professionals—the food stylists, the content creators, the ones who actually knowhow to use a ring light.

Not my mum, out with the ladies after golf, trying to shoot a Reel while shouting “wait, where’s portrait mode?!”

Beautiful food has always been part of the show.

But if it looks better than it eats?

That’s theatre. Not hospitality.

Here’s my question to the industry:

Are we still crafting experiences for people—or for their audience?

Because if the focus shifts entirely to the feed, don’t be surprised when flavour becomes a footnote.