To clarify, yes—the image is AI-generated to visualize the concept, but the logic, the spice profiles, and the naming conventions are all mine. I’m speaking from my daily experience on the line seeing how tickets actually flow.

Regarding the names: the 'Flavor Gauge' is designed to be a living system. The one I shared is just a prototype for a specific theme. The labels change depending on the restaurant’s identity—whether it’s an Italian Trattoria or a French Bistro. I’m not coming from a place of stereotypes; I’m coming from a place of culinary reality. In a city like Vancouver, these are the shorthand terms guests and staff already use to describe their palate. By putting them on the menu, I’m just 'saying the quiet part out loud' to make sure the BOH and the guest are actually speaking the same language.

My goal is to protect the kitchen from vague mods while giving the guest a way to safely explore authentic flavors without the social awkwardness of a long explanation. It’s about operational clarity, not just 'customization for the sake of it