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• KoFusion’s Nigel Morgan shares his ideas on culinary style

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KoFusion Sushi

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KoFusion »
Address: 1 E. Main St. Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 531-1166
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At night, electric blue lights glow with an aura of modernity around the front of KoFusion. Located at 1 E. Main St. in Champaign, KoFusion is a hip restaurant specializing in contemporary American cuisine and sushi. Soft neon lights lend bold color to the bubbling fish tanks and bold lines in the ceiling, giving the place a cool, fresh vibe. buzz sat down with head chef Nigel Morgan, who has been a chef for about 10 years. He enlightens us about the art of food presentation, known in the culinary world as “plating.”

buzz: Did you get any particular inspiration from going to culinary school?

Nigel Morgan: As much as learning what I did like, I learned what I didn’t like. I tend to like things to be a little more spare, I don’t like clutter or things to be over done ... I like things to be minimal

and simple.

buzz: Why is plating important?

NM: It does in some sense give you a way of

instructing people of how you intend something to be eaten. Obviously, it has visual appeal, it draws people in, it makes the overall dining experience more appealing. People try to make it into a cerebral

contortion of food, but by and large you want to make something appealing.

buzz: How important is it for food to look good on the plate?

NM: I think it’s very important. As much as

anything, it should look appetizing, not just artistic.

I think sometimes it goes too far one way and not the other. Food just fundamentally needs to look appealing — like it’s cooked properly, it’s hot and it tastes good. You want it to look presentable and an aesthetic of your own taste, but first and foremost, people should want to eat it.

buzz: What is essential to making a plate look

presentable and appealing?

NM: From a practical level, it has to be something

you can put together and have it stay hot. You want a balance of color and taste. I don’t like

really tall food — you don’t want it to fall over. Just balance and simple. And clean, also. No thumb prints, no splatters along the rim. Clean and looking

like everything sort of fell into place.

buzz: What is your personal style for food

presentation?

NM: The way I approach things tends to be

somewhat neutral. It’s about the food itself and what looks good with it rather than trying to meet a certain theme.