Every year, a brand-new, glitzy trend completely overtakes the restaurant industry, enflaming Instagram and foodies. This time, it was all about healthy, eco-friendly remixes of old classics as well as fake meats, bleed, and fake blood.
1. Vegetarian food
Vegan and vegetarian diets. Vegetable comfort meals like mashed cauliflower and pizza with zucchini crust, as well as veggie burgers that taste and bleed like the real thing, come with health benefits and a reduced carbon footprint.
2. Poke bowls from Hawaii
Moreover, just bowls in general! The popularity of Buddha bowls and deconstructed bibimbap is predicted to rise. A Buddha bowl must contain plenty of rice, spices, and fresh vegetables. This is another step in the direction of the revolution for health and customization.
3. Elegant street fare
Globally influenced small meals include flatbread pizzas, enhanced Mexican elote, and luscious Belgian waffles. We support this small dish and tapas-inspired shift as long as the pricing don’t go out of hand.
4. Farm-to-shaker drinks
Since a few years ago, the concept of “farm to table” has become increasingly popular in the food industry. However, a recent development is the use of fresh, locally produced ingredients in cocktails. Some restaurants use byproducts that are healthy and environmentally favorable, including leftover fruit and beet trimmings.
5. “Ghost” eating places
With so many people choosing delivery over dining in, many restaurant owners are prioritizing convenience above enjoyment by outsourcing delivery to companies like Uber Eats or simply providing pick-up services. This allows us to always dine in our pajamas and is less expensive for restaurants.
6. From root to stem and tail to snout
2018’s biggest problem is food waste, therefore restaurateurs are battling it with a brand-new, cutting-edge no waste approach. Chefs will use leaves, stems, and other ingredients that aren’t frequently used in Western cuisines. Every food scrap is used for something.
7. Homemade accoutrements
While Heinz ketchup is an option, many establishments are opting to offer their own selection of handmade sauces, sorghum sauces, smoked hot sauce, or vinegar flavored with hot pepper and sugar this year.
8. Gut-friendly meals
Although some people find it a touch too lip-puckering for their taste, the popularity of fermentation, pickled foods, and preservation has soared. This year, probiotics are becoming more popular, and restaurants will start selling delicious foods like miso, kefir, and kimchi.
9. Heme
We briefly addressed this trend before and it kind of fits in with plant-based diets. Yes, heme is used in restaurant burgers to aid in bleeding and create a medium-rare burger like no other. Impossible Foods is the company that has employed it most famously, but we hope to see more of it in the future.
10. Eco-Friendly Seafood
Although it’s difficult to imagine a time when seafood would ever go out of style, it is being reinvented this year. Restaurants will make an effort to stay away from overfished species and dubious harvesting methods, replacing them with locally sourced seafood or seafood that is properly farmed.
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