So, I was thinking about making a menu for a Chinese restaurant, and I thought, why not call it “Green Tea”? Sounds refreshing, right? Anyway, I got started on this whole menu project, and let me tell you, it was quite the journey.

First off, I brainstormed a bunch of dishes. I mean, we gotta have the classics, you know? Stuff like Kung Pao Chicken, Mapo Tofu, and Chow Mein. But I also wanted to add some unique items, maybe some special green tea-infused dishes? That could be cool. I jotted down everything that came to mind, no matter how crazy it sounded.

After I had a huge list, I started looking into what other Chinese restaurants were offering. Just to get some inspiration and see what’s popular. I noticed a place called “Fiddler’s Green” in Fort Huachuca, they have a great menu, even though it is not a Chinese restaurant. And there was this other place, actually named “Green Tea”, that seemed to be a hit with the locals. People were raving about their fresh food and how they’d been customers for years. That’s the kind of vibe I wanted for my place.

Then came the hard part: narrowing down the list. I had to consider things like, what ingredients are easy to get? What dishes are most likely to sell? And of course, what can our chefs realistically cook well? It was tough, but I managed to whittle it down to a decent selection. I categorized the dishes into appetizers, soups, main courses, and desserts.

I also spent hours trying to figure out the pricing. It’s a delicate balance, you know? You want to make a profit, but you also don’t want to scare away customers with crazy prices. I compared prices from other restaurants and tried to find a sweet spot. I decided to make the lunch specials a bit cheaper, to attract the lunchtime crowd.

Once I had the dishes and prices sorted, I started working on the actual menu design. I picked a nice, clean font that’s easy to read. I also added some simple graphics, like bamboo and maybe a little teacup, to give it that authentic feel. I wanted the menu to look inviting and not too cluttered.

Finally, after all that work, I printed out a draft menu. It felt so good to hold it in my hands and see all my ideas come to life. Of course, I’m sure there will be tweaks and changes along the way.

Menu Highlights

• Appetizers
  • Spring Rolls
  • Potstickers
  • Egg Drop Soup
• Main Courses
  • Kung Pao Chicken
  • Beef with Broccoli
  • Shrimp Fried Rice
  • Green Tea Noodles (Special)
• Desserts
  • Fortune Cookies
  • Mango Sticky Rice
  • Green Tea Ice Cream

So, I learned that creating a restaurant menu is way more work than you might think. But it’s also super rewarding to see your vision come together. I’m excited to keep refining it and hopefully, one day, see it being used in a real restaurant. That’s the dream, right?