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Beyond a food list: Why restaurants hang on to physical menus and craft them into works of art
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MO Bar uses a view-master and two sets of reels as its menu.
ST PHOTO: LUTHER LAU
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SINGAPORE – The first menu was carved into stone. Commissioned by Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II in 9th century BC, it detailed the 14,000 sheep, 10,000 fish and 10,000 eggs consumed over the course of his 10-day banquet.
Nowadays, menus are a lot less unwieldy. They are printed on paper, stapled together, laminated or sheathed in a leather-bound folio. Often, this list is uploaded online and condensed into a QR code diners can scan at the table.
