The menu is not a test. The goal is to build a table with contrast, enough food, and a few decisions you are excited about.
Find the kitchen’s point of view
Look for repetitions. If one ingredient, technique, region, or format appears again and again, that is often where the restaurant is telling you what it cares about.
Build contrast
Choose different temperatures, textures, and levels of richness. One raw or bright dish can make a rich main course taste better. One crisp element can rescue a soft table.
Ask one good question
Instead of “what’s popular?” ask “what would you be disappointed if we left without ordering?” It tends to produce a more useful answer.