A chef I used to work with used to always say that we eat with our eyes before we eat with our stomachs; it’s no wonder he and other top chefs around the world continually focus on improving food presentation.
Wylie Dufresne of WD-50 is one of the best in the business at food presentation; it’s his corned duck atop a rye crisp with purple mustard and horseradish cream that you see in the image to the right.
You don’t need to be a professional chef, however, to try your hand at food presentation. Let the examples in the slideshow below give you some inspiration. Whether you pour melted chocolate into foot-shaped molds or create a large-scale piece of art from bread rolls, there’s enough variety for a creative soul to attain culinary superstardom.
30 Fabulous & Freaky Innovations in Food Presentation
30
Japanese Lunch Art
Bizarre Bento Boxes
29
Naked Sushi
Sushi Gone Naughty
28
Bread Art
When Playing With Food Is a Good Thing
27
Sushi Cannibalism Party
Bizarre Eating Rituals
26
Edible Cartoons
Face Food Bento Boxes
25
Edible Miniature Worlds
Tiny Food Landscapes
24
Spooky Bento Boxes
10 Halloween-Inspired Mini Meals
23
Edible Tableware
Playing With Your Food is OK With These Beautiful Fruit and Vegetable Bowls
22
Playing With Food For Art
Creative Culinary Photography
21
Edible Album Covers
Obacchi Jacket Bento Meals
20
Recreating Famous Art With Food
Vegetable Masterpieces by Ju Duoqi
19
Food as Art
10 Clever Food Sculptures
18
Culinary Photography Boom
The Rise of Food Porn
17
Family Bonding Through Bento
In Japan, 'Bento Day' Lets Kids Learn to Make Healthy Lunches
16
Food Sculptures
Because It's Fun to Play With Your Dinner
15
Competitive Lunch Box Creations
Star Wars Art in the Bento Challenge
14
Edible Album Covers (UPDATE)
Bento Box Art
13
Recreating Famous Portraits With Food
The Meat Mona Lisa
12
Animated Birthday Cakes
Celebrate With Moving Food
11
Cocoa Feet
Toe-Food Chocolates
10
Festive Bento Boxes
Seasoned Seasons Greetings Depict Rice as Snow
9
Celebrating Cereal and Consumerism
Iconic Images from Breakfast Foods
8
Famous Portraits Made of Sushi
Ken Kawasumi's "Sunflowers"
7
Star Wars-Inspired Culinary Art
The Jar Jar Binks Salad
6
Snack Food Stadiums
24,000-Calorie Tribute to the Super Bowl
5
Fairytale-Inspired Food
Culinary Creations by Jimmy Zhang
4
Food-Topped Furniture
From Ham Beds to Cheese Living Rooms
3
Grafitti-Friendly Serving Platters
Natural Slate Cheese Board Lets You Label Your Goodies
2
Billiard-Inspired Fruit Bowls
Triangle Dinnerware Lets You Play With Your Food
1
Vegetarian Food Branding
VEGE by Design Frying Pans
Related Ideas
Barefoot Shoes
Five Fingers Shoes Let Toes Feel Free Without the Worry
Japanese Lunch Art
Bizarre Bento Boxes
Gadgets Made of Meat
Art for Carnivores
Recycled Art
Mona Lisa Made From Obsolete Motherboards
Incredible Edible Art
Mike's Amazing Cakes
Edible Landscapes
Foodscapes by Carl Warner
Carved Vegetable Bikinis
The 'Big Is In' Campaign by Magimix
Edible Sculptures
Fruit And Vegetable Art
Bread Art
When Playing With Food Is a Good Thing
Edible Cartoons
Face Food Bento Boxes
Convertible Pool Tables
Aramith 'Fusion' Tabletops Go From Billiards to Boardroom
Remixed Renaissance Art
10 Mona Lisa Parodies
Edible Landscapes II
Meatscapes by Nicolas Lampert
20 Super-Sized Foods
Perfect for the Overeating Athletes at the 2009 Senior Bowl
One-Second Ads
2009 Super Bowl Commercials Will Include Minimercial From Miller High Life
Edible Miniature Worlds
Tiny Food Landscapes
19 Macho Must-Haves for Super Bowl XLIII Parties
Spooky Bento Boxes
10 Halloween-Inspired Mini Meals
Treats for Geeks
Star Wars Millennium Falcon Cakes
Fancy Star Wars Portraits
Strangely Drawn Art by Jim Hance
Art That Expires
Edible Michael Phelps and More
Little People
Tiny Street Art Project
Playing With Food For Art
Creative Culinary Photography
Gun Frying Pans
Over Easy Uzi
Uber Geeky Food DIY
Nintendo "1UP Mushroom" Burger
Cheese Sculptures
Eco-Friendly Edible Art
Edible Album Covers
Obacchi Jacket Bento Meals
Recycled Pool Balls Jewelry
Eleanor Salazar's Eco Accessories
Cereal Scultpures
Rice Krispies Edible Art
Mini Sized Me
Gourmet Tiny Burgers and Shakes
Monstrous Edibles
Alien-Like Fruits and Vegetables
Lunch Box for Dogs
Dora Bento Pochi
Food as Art
10 Clever Food Sculptures
Real Food Explosions As Economic Metaphors
NY Times Magazine Food Issue
Olympic Athlete Butter Sculptures
Silver Medal Gymnast Shawn Johnson in Grease
Food Sculptures
Because It's Fun to Play With Your Dinner
Liquified Rotten Cheese
Blue Stilton Milk Shake
Custom Made Cereal
MyMuesli
Deer Cupcakes
Sweet Bambi Sculptures
Strap on Animal Feet
Tralin Tracks for Fake Footprints
Competitive Lunch Box Creations
Star Wars Art in the Bento Challenge
Optical Illusion Curtains
Swarovski VEIL Has Hidden Mona Lisa
Uncommon Scents
Stinky Cheese Perfume
Personalized Round Billiards
Custom Pool Tables
Lawn Art
Mona Lisa in Grass
Edible Album Covers (UPDATE)
Bento Box Art
Post-It Notes Masterpieces
Mona Lisa from 12,000 Sticky Sheets
Wildly Popular, Disgustingly Greasy Food
"Squeeze with Cheese" Burgers
Feet as Hands
Lamisil: "Treat Your Feet" Ads
Star Wars Kitchen Gadgets
R2-D2 Peppermill
Personified Food in Asylum
Fun Heinz Baked Beans Ads
Recreating Famous Portraits With Food
The Meat Mona Lisa
Marzipan Art
Incredible Edible Art Mediums Passed on From Iran
Milan's Portable Toilet Art
Sebach Designs in Arezzo
Cocoa Feet
Toe-Food Chocolates
Novelty Vegetables
Heart Shaped Cucumber Kits
Digitally-Assisted Billiards
College Students Simplify the Game of Pool
Festive Bento Boxes
Seasoned Seasons Greetings Depict Rice as Snow
Chocolate As Art
6 Foot Tall Anatomically Correct Chocolate Jesus
Mini Star Wars Fridges
R2D2 Cooler
Frying Pan Chandelier
Culinary Institute of America Sculpture
Dough Portraits
In-Your-Face Edible Art
Fine Art Junkfood Photography
Bobby Henderson Taco Art
Strawberry Stilton
Bagpuss Cheese
Vegetable Lights
Triple Cabbage by Anon Pairot
Motorcycle-Inspired Billiards
Fierce Luxury Hustler Pool Table
Pre-Segmented Meal Portions
The Nutrition Pyramid Lunch Box
Edible Masterpieces
The Mona Lasagne
Food-Topped Furniture
From Ham Beds to Cheese Living Rooms