The Palytt Blog
Guides to choosing dishes, remembering good meals, and planning dinner with friends.
Featured Articles
Dim sum ordering guide: what to order on your first visit
Start with har gow, siu mai, buns and noodle rolls. Check the pieces per plate, choose a first round to share, and add more as the table gets hungry.
How to find new dishes you'll actually like
Start from a dish you already love, name what you love about it, then order a dish that shares those traits in a new cuisine. Here's how, with examples.
What's your Palytt pal? The 16 food personality types, explained
Four letters for how you eat and one for how bold you like it. Meet the 16 food personality types, their four families and the character behind each one.
What to order at a Thai restaurant (a guide for first-timers)
Share a noodle dish, a curry and a soup or salad, with jasmine rice and mild-to-medium spice. The Thai dishes to try first, and what to order next.
How to decide what to order at a restaurant
Start with what you know you love, find the dishes the kitchen is known for, and order the one in both groups. A practical method for any menu.
How to pick a restaurant with a group of friends
Collect constraints first, vote on a short list, and name one decider. How to get a group from "where should we eat?" to a decision in minutes.
How to find the best dish at a restaurant you've never been to
Look for the dish that reviews, photos, food writers and friends keep naming, check it against your taste, and confirm it with your server.
Best restaurant review & tracker apps compared (2026)
Compare Yelp, Google Maps, Beli, Truffle, Mapstr and Palytt for restaurant reviews, tracking and dish notes. Check privacy, photos, export and fit before switching.
Recent Articles
Group dinner ideas for friends that make choosing easy
Seven group dinner formats for friends, from hot pot and Korean barbecue to dim sum and tapas, with what to order at each and how to pick one for your table.
Best Waffle House order, by taste
The best Waffle House order depends on your taste. Pair a waffle with eggs, or order hashbrowns your way, matched to bold or mellow cravings.
Best McDonald's order, by taste
The best McDonald's order depends on your taste. Pick a Big Mac, Spicy McCrispy, Egg McMuffin or McFlurry to match bold or mellow cravings.
Best Dunkin' order, drinks and food by taste
The best Dunkin' order depends on your taste. Match a Cold Brew, Iced Americano or Signature Latte with a Sourdough Breakfast Sandwich or donut.
Best Shake Shack order, by taste
The best Shake Shack order depends on your taste. Pick a ShackBurger, SmokeShack, Chicken Shack or Shack Stack, then add fries and a shake.
Best Dutch Bros order, by taste
The best Dutch Bros order depends on your taste. Pick a Golden Eagle, Annihilator, Americano, Vanilla Chai Latte or a Rebel energy drink by flavor.
Best apps to decide where to eat with friends
Compare swipe, roulette and voting apps for choosing a restaurant as a group, and check what each one needs from your friends before you pick.
How to split the bill with friends without awkwardness
Agree how to split a restaurant bill before ordering. Handle shared dishes, drinks and one-card payments with clear examples and useful wording.
How to build a dish bucket list you will actually use
Build a food bucket list around specific dishes, workable restaurant plans and your own tastes. Keep future ideas separate from meals you have tried.
Eat well in a new city in one evening
One evening in a new city? Pick one food neighborhood, shortlist a few places before you arrive, ask a local, and order what the city is known for.
Omakase: what to expect and what to ask for
At an omakase you don't order dishes; the chef serves a set sequence. Here's how the meal flows, what to tell the chef, and what's worth asking for.
What to order at Cheesecake Factory, by taste
Choose Avocado Eggrolls, Chicken Madeira, a fresh salad or Four Cheese Pasta by taste, then share one cheesecake if your table wants dessert.
What to order at Olive Garden, by taste
Choose Chicken Alfredo for creamy comfort, Zuppa Toscana for a bolder soup or Minestrone and Fettuccine Alfredo for a vegetarian meal.
What to order at Chick-fil-A, by taste
Pick a Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich for a classic first order, a Spicy Chicken Sandwich for heat or a Market Salad for fruit and greens.
What to order at Whataburger, by taste
Start with the original Whataburger, choose a Patty Melt for creamy pepper sauce or a Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit for a sweet-savory breakfast.
What to order at CAVA: build a bowl, pita or salad
Build your first CAVA bowl, pita or salad: choose a base, protein, spreads, toppings and dressing by taste. Check the current menu before ordering.
What to order at Dave’s Hot Chicken: sliders or tenders?
Compare Dave’s Hot Chicken sliders, tenders and combo formats, then choose a heat level. Check the current menu and save what you would order again.
How to remember what you ordered at a restaurant
Remember a great restaurant meal with a simple dish note: exact name, place, one useful detail and whether you would order it again next time.
How to find restaurants similar to your favorite
Find restaurants like your favorite by matching the dish, texture, sauce and occasion you love, then checking menus before trusting a similar rating.
What to order at a Mediterranean restaurant, by taste
Find your Mediterranean restaurant order: grilled skewers, crisp falafel, bright salads or rich baked dishes, plus useful menu questions.
What to order for dinner: a mood-to-menu worksheet
Use a copyable dinner worksheet to compare two menu options by texture, flavor, budget and timing, with worked examples for solo meals and sharing.
What to order at a Mexican restaurant, by taste
Choose what to order at a Mexican restaurant by taste, from tacos al pastor and mole to pozole, chiles rellenos, enchiladas suizas and elote.
What to order at Din Tai Fung for the first time
Start with Kurobuta Pork Xiao Long Bao, add noodles or fried rice and greens, then choose a dessert. A first-time Din Tai Fung order for every taste.
Starbucks fall menu: what to order in 2026, by taste
Looking for the Starbucks fall menu? Choose a pumpkin coffee, pecan espresso drink, Chaider or savory bite by the flavors and format you want.
What to order at Chipotle, by taste
Choose a Chipotle bowl, burrito, tacos, salad or quesadilla by the flavors you like, from bright salsas to mellow rice, beans and guacamole.
What to order at a Vietnamese restaurant beyond pho
Choose a Vietnamese dish by the meal you want: pho for broth, bun thit nuong for grilled and fresh, com tam for a hearty rice plate, or bun bo Hue for heat.
How to rate a restaurant dish so the note helps next time
Rate the dish you ate, decide whether you would order it again, and record one specific reason. Use this simple method to make future menu choices easier.
How to eat out as a picky eater without menu stress
Check a menu for two workable dishes, ask one clear preparation question and keep a backup option. A practical restaurant plan for selective adult eaters.
How to order sushi for the first time, by taste
Start with a familiar roll, add one nigiri to compare, and order another round only after tasting. A practical sushi menu guide for first-timers.
How to order pho: beef cuts, chicken and first orders
Order pho with confidence: choose beef or chicken, decode cuts such as brisket, tendon and tripe, then add herbs and sauces after tasting the broth.
How to order hot pot at a restaurant for the first time
Choose a broth, then a small first round of meat or tofu, vegetables and noodles. This beginner guide covers menus, sauces, cooking and group orders.
Best Ethiopian dishes to order for your first meal
Start with a mixed platter on injera: try a lentil or vegetable sampler, then add doro wat or tibs if you want meat. Choose by spice and texture.
Best Sweetgreen order for your taste
Choose a Sweetgreen bowl by flavor and texture: Harvest for sweet-savory comfort, Crispy Rice for crunch and heat, or Guacamole Greens for freshness.
Best Taco Bell order for your taste
Pick a complete Taco Bell order by taste: a crunchy Crunchwrap, a mellow quesadilla, a bean-based pair or a potato taco with more heat.
Butter chicken vs chicken tikka masala: which to order?
Butter chicken is usually richer and milder; chicken tikka masala often tastes tangier and more spiced. Choose by your taste, then check the menu.
What to order at an Indian restaurant, by taste
Butter chicken, chana masala, biryani and dosa are a good Indian restaurant order. Choose dishes by taste, with guidance for first-timers.
Pad see ew vs pad thai: which should you order?
Pad see ew is usually savory and wok-charred; pad thai is usually tangy-sweet and nutty. Compare the noodles, sauces and textures before you order.
What to order at In-N-Out, by taste
What to order at In-N-Out: compare burgers, fries and shakes, learn the ordering terms, and check current menu details before choosing your meal.
What to order at Korean barbecue (and how it works)
New to Korean BBQ? Start with pork belly or brisket, add galbi or bulgogi. Learn how much to order per person, what banchan is and how grilling works.
What to order at a ramen shop: broths and toppings
Start with a shoyu or tonkotsu bowl and a marinated egg, pick shio for light or miso for hearty, and add gyoza. The ramen styles, toppings and etiquette explained.
What to order at a steakhouse: cuts and sides
Compare ribeye, strip and filet by flavor and texture, ask about safe cooking temperatures, and choose steakhouse sides and portions for your table.
How to pick a first-date restaurant you'll both like
Pick a first-date restaurant with clear prices, room to talk and orders you both enjoy. Compare menus, food needs, travel and reservation options.
What kind of eater are you? The four Palytt pal families
Scouts, Wanderers, Hosts or Keepers? Two questions about how you eat put you in a family. Here's what each is like at the table and how to plan a meal for them.
Bold or mellow? What your Palytt pal flavor letter means
The fifth letter in your Palytt pal says how loud you like your food. What Bold and Mellow mean, how they change your order and how to feed a mixed table.
Who should you eat with? Dinner partners by Palytt pal
Count the letters you share. Table-mates, balancing types and opposites, how Bold and Mellow fit in, and how to pick a restaurant when your Palytt pals differ.
What to order for your Palytt pal, family by family
Suggestions for what to order and where, for all 16 Palytt pals, from tasting menus to the corner deli, plus why a per-dish match score is the sharper answer.
What to order if you love spicy food, cuisine by cuisine
The spiciest dishes to order at Sichuan, Thai, Indian, Korean, Mexican and Ethiopian restaurants, what kind of heat each brings, and how to ask for more.
Comfort food around the world: what to order
Rich, savory comfort dishes to order at Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian, Italian, Mexican and other restaurants, grouped by the kind of comfort you want.
How to find hidden gem restaurants near you
Find hidden gem restaurants with a repeatable method: search a neighborhood, check current menus and local coverage, ask focused questions, then choose a dish.
How to take useful food photos with your phone
Take food photos that help you remember the dish. Try a simple light-and-angle exercise, keep edits honest, and pair each photo with a useful meal note.
How to build a food community around real meals
Start a food community with one manageable meal. Use clear invitations, rotate who picks, share specific dish notes, and make the next dinner easy to plan.
How to find your food taste profile and use it at restaurants
Learn a practical way to map your food preferences across flavor, texture, heat and novelty, then use that profile to choose better dishes at restaurants.
New · Palytt pal
Find your Palytt pal.
Four letters for how you eat, plus a fifth for how bold you like it. Meet 16 Palytt pals in four families — one original character for every result. 20 questions, about 4 minutes, free.
- E or R
- G or S
- P or F
- C or D
- -B or -M
Already know your type? Compare favorite orders and food habits in the Palytt pal discussions. Read without an account; sign in to share a thought.
Know what to order, everywhere
Palytt is free to download on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. Android app coming soon.
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