Amuse-bouche

Amuse-bouche – An internet search of this term brings up more than a dozen references to an episode of Friends before letting Wikipedia elbow in with some actual information. I would be more ashamed of American pop culture if I were not such a huge fan of Friends, and had not, mostly likely, learned the term with that episode. Simply put, it is the first thing that hits the table in traditional European fine dining. It is a gift from the kitchen, served free of charge. No more than single bite, it serves a BIG role by providing the first impression of the Chef’s skills. It CAN NOT be meh.