I'm opening a food business. What do you want to see on the menu?

[DonLewis]

I know it's not an AIBU!

But I want to get my menu right! I love street food and we have some amazing street food where I live, but I want to do something different.

We have, on our doorstep, phenomenal Japanese food, Lebanese food, tapas, chicken, burgers, Vietnamese, gastro pub food, Indian, you name it, we've got it.

I'm keen to do great veggie and vegan stuff alongside proper meat.

The restaurant already does an amazing daytime menu that I don't want to change but the evenings is ripe for the taking.

I've got ideas, but I love you guys and want to know what you want to see on a menu.

In a hipster area. (yak, but true!)

Hit me with your ideas

[MrsAvocet]

Good point PennyPincher
In fact I would go further and say don't have a children's menu at all, just serve the same food in small, medium and large portions. Children don't need a different kind of food, and they are not the only people who might want a smaller portion. In her later years my Mum would struggle to eat even a children's portion but so many places insisted that she had to have an adult meal. Not only did a huge plate of food put her off eating at all but it created so much unnecessary waste. Just offer different portion sizes and let people of any age decide for themselves what's appropriate for them.

[PennyPincher64]

If you're going to do a kids menu please consider doing some tasty and healthy options. It's so hard to find a kids menu that has something other than chicken nuggets, fish fingers and pasta in tomato sauce.

[TeaAndHobnob]

There's a noodle place here which has a really simple menu, it changes regularly but there's generally 3 noodle bowls on the menu - 2 meat, 1 vegan, a couple of vegetarian side options and 2 or 3 types of bao.

A small but well thought out drinks menu & unlimited green tea. The service is great and friendly and the food is wow, honestly. The stock they make is so good and everything they serve is cooked perfectly.

[BrokenBrit]

Caribbean vegan food, jerk jackfruit burgers, plantain, curries, cornmeal pudding, juices and smoothies.
Really good food, not common but popular when anyone tries it.

[2ndAugust]

Low carb low sugar veggie or vegan food. Something that’s does not involve bread of any kind! Hard to get decent food I can eat.

[Pelleas]

Seasonal game, particularly birds.

[Lockdownlooks]

If it’s a van, especially currently something quick to serve, so limited but good menu. If I’m social distancing in a queue in autumn or winter I don’t want to be there too long.

[extremity1]

Bbq - smoked meats, pulled meats
Ribs, wings, pork butt, smoked ham
Skin on fries
Char grilled corn on the cob, halloumi, courgette, roasted peppers
Proper slaw
Grilled fruit ( peaches, apples, watermelon) sticky with honey and then loads of ice cream

You get the idea. I have been desperate to find a restaurant, street meat van, cafe or anywhere that does proper bbq in the uk and it can be seasonal not for summer. Smoked pulled Turkey with cranberry glaze is another favourite. X

[Rewis]

What is the day food like? I think the food in the evening should should match the one you are serving during the day.

[geojojo]

I love Lebanese food - things like humus, falafel, big salads. My favourite stall at borough market is the one with the veggie burgers and the choice of salads. So delicious but also feels quite healthy.

[Hannah4banana]

Best takeaway I had was a Yorkshire pudding wrap at the Christmas Market. I had to queue for ages and it only comes once a year but is always mobbed. Slow cooked turkey, ham or beef with stuffing, potatoes, veg, cranberry sauce or gravy wrapped up in a Yorkshire pudding shaped like a tortilla wrap. I still dream about it.... I'd have that every night

[RibenaMonsoon]

I dont think you can go wrong with toasties. Only proper toasties, done in a frying pan and not one of those devices that squeezes the filling out of them. Really packed with filling. I've mastered the art of toastie through butter boredom on lockdown. DHs favourite is salami, cheese, mayo, red onion. It's the most beautiful thing in the world.

[babysnowman]

I'd love to find somewhere that did poutine

[Nottherealslimshady]

Haloumi gyros (think that's correct spelling)
Them noodles where you can pick the veg and sauce.
Think that's really the only street food I eat other than chips, pizza and waffles

[ComeOnEileen11]

@CatFaceCats

Vegetarian food that isn’t made from mushrooms. Sick of my options being a mushroom risotto, or a mushroom burger.

This with bells on. Mushrooms are revolting
We want plenty of choice of veggie options too please!

What is your theme/style OP?

[willowtree81]

Vegan options as you say please! Black bean and mushroom fajitas with vegan yogurt instead of sour cream are pretty amazing 😍

[soloula]

Greek gyros. My favourite street food.

[muckycat]

all the suggestions sound delicious and it's great you're looking to offer veggie and vegan. i would recommend you offer proper veggie options if you're doing a cuisine that uses dairy, rather than conflating the two, so, vegetarian options with real cheese etc as well.as vegan alternatives or dairy free. i.e. offer both if you can. doesn't have to be a million options but as a veggie I am more tempted by a vegetarian dish than something that has been made vegan with tonnes of sweet potato and highly processed cheese stuff. of course, there are loads of dishes that are in themselves vegan.

in terms of what to cook, why don't you think about what dishes you make well domestically and go from there? traditional cooking in any culture tends to be fairly balanced and filling and has outlasted any trend.

[Conkerts]

I’m obsessed with Poke - but nowhere I’ve tried in England does it right - so maybe thats a hard choice.

[Aebj]

Ploughmans lunch

[LellyMcKelly]

Another vote for Mexican/South American or Tex/Mex sort of food - grilled meats with wraps, chillis, salads, salsa, tacos, burgers, sweet potato fries, yum!

[Marahute]

Proper Chicago hotdogs, beef Franks with all the traditional toppings, including the neon relish. I haven't seen anywhere doing any authentic Chicago-style cuisine in the UK. You could do the pizza too, but it's not really street food!

[Gingerkittykat]

@GreenTulips

I’ve always thought what’s missing is an evening takeout you can pick up one the way home

Sort of fresh healthy bucket of stew or soup, like a take out lunch but healthy evening food.

Walk in, pick from a few decent choices, carton of soup and chunky bread, stew with mash, noodles with spicy chicken. Quick and easy on the way home.

I would also love a healthy takeaway option, I always feel really guilty when I get a takeaway because of the calories and grease. I would love a takeaway meal that I could feel good about eating, think some decent protein and a nice selection of veg.

[Habibtihayati]

@edwinbear I came in to say exactly that; poutine!! It's nigh on impossible to find here... and you could ring the changes with various topping (à la New York fries - which I've also never found here).