Wanna be a true epicurean? You gotta know your lingo. Don't know your seviche from your carpaccio? Here's a quick guide to menu lingo:
The Basics
Meat
Foie gras: Fattened liver of a duck or a goose. It has a buttery flavor and a smooth texture. Often put in pate and served cold.
Seviche: Raw fish or seafood marinated in a citrus (usually lime) juice. The acid in the juice "cooks" the fish.
Osso buco: Veal shanks braised in white wine with vegetables.
Confit: Usually preserved meat, but this can mean anything that's preserved.
Carpaccio: Thinly sliced raw beef, often drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice. The term is occasionally used as a poetic way to describe thinly sliced raw vegetables, such as "fennel carpaccio."
Quenelle: A poached oval dumpling, often made of veal or chicken.
Cassoulet: A French casserole with white beans and meat.
Vegetables
Pico de Gallo: A combination of finely diced fresh ingredients - typically tomatoes, onions, chilies and cilantro.
Emulsion: The result of slowly mixing two liquids that don't easily combine.
Succotash: A dish of cooked corn, lima beans, and butter.
Daikon: A popular Japanese root vegetable.
Edamame: Whole soybeans. Often served at sushi restaurants as an appetizer.
Harissa: A spicy red chili paste from North Africa. It's a mixture of chilies, garlic, and spices.
Sauces
Beurre Blanc: A basic French sauce made from white wine, vinegar, shallots, and butter.
Au jus: Served with natural juices.
Bechamel sauce: A French white wine sauce made of flour, butter, and milk.
Soups/Stews
Vichyssoise: A cold potato and leek soup.
Coq au vin: A French stew made with chicken, mushrooms, red wine, onions, and bacon.
Methods
Seared: Quickly browned over high heat, typically in a skillet, and often with butter. This seals in the juices and flavor and results in a crisp, browned crust.
Reduction: The result of rapidly boiling a liquid until it becomes a thick, intensely falvored sauce or syrup.
Caramelized: Cooked over moderate heat until the natural sugars break down. The result is a sweet flavor and a dark color.
Gratinee: Sprinkled with bread crumbs or cheese and heated until golden.
Poached: Cooked while submerged in a barely simmering liquid. A delicate flavor results.
Wilted: Gently sauteed until the leaves soften.
Julienne: Anything cut into thin, matchstick-size strips.
Dessert
Granita: Frozen liquid and sugar that is stirred frequently during freezing to create a granular consistency.
Creme Anglaise: A custard sauce that can be served hot or cold.
Ganache: An icing made from chocolate and heavy cream.
Coulis: A thick sauce often made from pureed fruit.
Panna cotta: An eggless custard served chilled. (my favorite!)
Essence: A distillate or extract.
Napoleon: Layers of puff pastry and cream filling, but the term can also refer to anything that comes stacked.
Gaufrette: A delicate, fan-shaped wafer cookie made on an oblong iron. Typically served as a garnish on ice cream.
Frappe: A simple sugar syrup mixed with fruit or other flavorings and frozen.
Other
Bouquet garni: Bay leaf, thyme, parsley, and often other herbs tied together.
Canape: A small piece of bread topped with a savory spread, usually served as an appetizer.
Gnocchi: Italian dumplings usually served with a sauce.
Quinoa: A grain from the Andes.
Sabayon (or zabaglione): A foamy sauce made from egg yolks, sweetened or flavored with wine or liqueur. Served warm.
Spaetzle: A dish of small noodles made of flour, eggs, water or milk, and salt.
Veloute: A meat, fish, or vegetable stock made with flour and fat.
If you call yourself a foodie, you should know about half of these. If not, then you need to get to studying. Haha.
Tips on menus: The top and bottom items on the menus are usually things restaurants want to sell a lot of (they're getting a good cost-to-price ratio on them); the specials often include savory items the chef has plucked at the farmers' market or fish store and is eager to cook with; signature dishes are what the chef is known for (they are usually marked as such on the menu); and tasting menus (which generally consist of 6-7 mini dishes and matching wines) are the best way to enjoy the full range of a chef's work. That said, if you're still clueless, ask for the waiter's recommendation, but avoid questions like "Is the trout good?" Instead, give the waiter a framework: "I'm in the mood for fish. Any suggestions?" or "The pasta looks amazing. Can you recommend 2 or 3?"
Happy eating!
=)
Asian cities have some of the best bakeries in the world, where pastry artisans spin creations so fine it's 
as though an angel breathed on your plate. So when Kristy Choo, of Singapore, opened Jin Patisserie tea garden in Venice, California, the trendy locals came to relax in a modern landscape and nibble on homemade chocolates with surprisingly tasty flavors like Caramel Clove, The des Concubine, Mango Kalamansi, and Earl Grey Feuilletine. 
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