{"id":255385,"date":"2026-01-21T02:41:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T02:41:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/255385\/"},"modified":"2026-01-21T02:41:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T02:41:09","slug":"what-do-chefs-really-think-when-you-ask-to-go-off-menu-in-their-restaurants-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/255385\/","title":{"rendered":"What do chefs really think when you ask to go \u2018off menu\u2019 in their restaurants? \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is no doubt about it \u2013 the ability to cook well is akin to producing art and, like any artist, a good chef will want to showcase their creation exactly how it was imagined. <\/p>\n

But what happens when someone makes a genuine and polite request for food to be altered slightly to accommodate their taste? What do chefs really think? And are patrons justified in walking away if their special requests are not met?<\/p>\n

This is what Dubliner Aileen Halpin, who \u201chas an aversion to a number of different things\u201d does when she asks to go off the menu but a restaurant will not accommodate her. <\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like mushrooms or fish and I am quite picky about the meat and vegetables I eat,\u201d says Halpin. \u201cI also have a dislike of creamy sauces, and most gravy in general, so I will usually check straightaway to see if a plain dish can be prepared for me. If not, nine times out of 10, I will leave and go somewhere else. <\/p>\n

\u201cFortunately I don\u2019t have to do this very often as in most of the restaurants I go to, the chefs are willing to fry a piece of chicken or steak for me and not mess about with it too much. But there have been occasions where I\u2019ve asked the waiter to check what they can do for me, and have been told that they are too busy to go \u2018off menu\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is \u201cvery poor customer service\u201d in Halpin\u2019s view.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot only will my night, and that of the people who I am with, be ruined, but also I will never go back to that place again. It isn\u2019t a huge request and although I know that a lot of thought might have gone into a dish, if someone doesn\u2019t like it, nothing is going to change their mind, so it would be better to just try to accommodate them, within reason of course,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

Michael Callaghan, executive sous chef at Eden Bistro at Lyrath Estate in Kilkenny, says he does his best to modify dishes to suit a customer\u2019s taste because a menu shouldn\u2019t be driven by rules.<\/p>\n

\"MichaelMichael Callaghan, executive sous chef at Eden Bistro at Lyrath Estate in Kilkenny <\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the most common questions I hear in the kitchen is, \u2018Can you make something that\u2019s not on the menu?\u2019 and my answer is almost always yes,\u201d he says. \u201cAs a chef, I\u2019ve never believed the menu should be a rigid set of rules. Instead \u2013 it\u2019s a guide, an expression of ideas, seasonality and balance. Cooking, at its heart, is about feeding people well, not forcing them into choices that don\u2019t suit their needs.”<\/p>\n

Callaghan says that when someone orders off menu, it\u2019s often because they know what makes them feel good. He believes cooking should adapt to people, not the other way around.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday\u2019s diners are more informed than ever, and that\u2019s something I genuinely respect. Allergens, dietary intolerances and personal health considerations are no longer fringe concerns, they\u2019re part of everyday dining. Whether it\u2019s gluten, nuts, dairy or something less common, understanding allergens isn\u2019t an inconvenience; it\u2019s a responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

Callaghan has also noted a shift in how patrons think about food and energy. <\/p>\n

\u201cMany guests calorie count or simply want to eat lighter, cleaner dishes,\u201d he says. \u201cNot everyone wants heavy sauces, rich creams or overly indulgent plates, especially at lunchtime or midweek, and that\u2019s perfectly fine. Cooking without cream doesn\u2019t mean sacrificing flavour. In fact, it often pushes chefs to be more creative: using herbs, spices, reductions, good-quality oils, fresh vegetables and thoughtful techniques to build depth without weight.\u201d<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Twelve great-value restaurant deals for JanuaryOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

At Fota Island Resort in Cork, executive head chef Satish Jothi also always tries to make allowances for individual requirements, but he notes that omitting an ingredient is sometimes not advisable. <\/p>\n

\"SatishSatish Jothi, executive head chef at Fota Island Resort <\/p>\n

\u201cIn general, I try to accommodate requests depending on their nature and whether they relate to a preference, intolerance or allergy,\u201d says Jothi. \u201cWe are very accommodating with minor adjustments. However, there are occasions where I feel strongly about serving a dish as it was intended, particularly when the ingredient in question is integral to the flavour or balance of the dish.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a five-star experience in mind, Jothi will, where appropriate, offer guidance on the best option for off-menu requests. This could be calling ahead to flag a preference, choosing an alternative dish or, in some cases, selecting another restaurant within the hotel that may better suit a customer\u2019s tastes.<\/p>\n

Jenny Flynn, executive chef at Faithlegg Hotel in Co Waterford, will also try her best to help a guest who asks for something to be prepared without a particular ingredient, but will \u201cinform them that this change could affect the flavour or balance of the dish\u201d. <\/p>\n

\"JennyJenny Flynn, executive chef at Faithlegg Hotel in Co Waterford <\/p>\n

One solution in this kind of situation seems to be advance warning, allowing a busy kitchen to accommodate requests without unexpected disruption. <\/p>\n

James O\u2019Sullivan head chef at Landline, Park Hotel Kenmare, Co Kerry, can attest to this.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt Park Hotel Kenmare, true hospitality means listening to our guests and adapting with skill and care,\u201d says O\u2019Sullivan. \u201cEvery dish is designed with intention, but if someone prefers to avoid an ingredient, whether it\u2019s cream, coriander or anything else, our instinct is to find a thoughtful alternative rather than say no.<\/p>\n

\"JamesJames O’Sullivan, head chef at Landline, Park Kenmare <\/p>\n

\u201cIf guests have particular preferences, calling ahead is always helpful, but even in the moment we will always do our best. Great cooking isn\u2019t rigid; it\u2019s responsive, and our goal is to ensure every guest leaves the table delighted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tim Daly, head chef at The Kingsley in Cork city, agrees and says his approach is very much \u201cno problem\u201c.<\/p>\n

\u201cFood should be enjoyed, and if a small change such as leaving out cream or an ingredient someone dislikes makes the dish more enjoyable, we are always happy to accommodate that,\u201d he says. \u201cWhile we do put a lot of thought into how a dish is created, the guest experience always comes first.<\/p>\n

There are times, however, where \u201ca dish is built around a particular ingredient\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"TimTim Daly, head chef at The Kingsley in Cork <\/p>\n

\u201cIn those cases, we explain this clearly and suggest an alternative that we know will suit the guest. So, my advice to guests would always be to let the team know. If they can mention preferences when booking, that is ideal, but even on the night we will do our best to help. Good communication between the floor and the kitchen makes all the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flynn agrees that learning of specific dietary requirements in advance works best for everybody.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis means we can work together to ensure they won\u2019t feel restricted by the menu,\u201d she says. \u201cWe do of course get some interesting requests, like [once we were asked for] a salad with no salad. But, in hospitality, the guest comes first, so we always make it work.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There is no doubt about it \u2013 the ability to cook well is akin to producing art and,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":255386,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[72,61,60,52492],"class_list":["post-255385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-business","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-picky-eaters"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=255385"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255385\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/255386"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=255385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=255385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=255385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}