We love having fun with food.

Whether we enjoy it at fine restaurants or make it ourselves, we relish food presented with wit, as works of art, or tongue-in-cheek.

Of the latter, we made a literal version not too long ago, layering sliced tongue with beef cheeks.

The famed dish Oysters and Pearls at The French Laundry in Napa and Per Se in Manhattan, is a sabayon of pearl tapioca topped with malpeque oysters and osetra caviar (more “pearls”), is one of Chef Thomas Keller’s tongue-in-cheek preparations

When you dine at L’Atelier Joel Robuchon in New York City, you may have all three experiences.

Every dish presented by the team representing the world-acclaimed chef is a work of art, for sure. Some are turned into beauty or wit by clever plating, including by creating custom plates (photo #1).

Here, “La Carotte,” is witty, artistic and tongue-in-cheek.

[1] The custom plates were designed by L’Atelier Joel Robuchon in New York City, which uses them to present different foods (photo courtesy L’Atelier Joel Robuchon).

In La Carotte, an oblong of carrot cake is iced with orange-tinted cream cheese frosting.

 
If you, too, enjoy fun food, look at your own cooking for inspiration. Our tongue-in-cheek dish is a concept that didn’t require any more effort than regular cooking of the two meats.

We added plate garnishes like pickled mustard seeds and a purée of beets for color, and everybody loved it.