Noni Gilbert Riley (asker) Jun 26, 2010:

New information http://cn1.kaboodle.com/hi/img/c/0/0/49/8/AAAADCOIY6IAAAAAAE...

I was able to talk directly to the designer of the dishes (although as he pointed out, he didn't actually write the menu) yesterday, and among other things he drew me the spoon in question, which looks roughly like the image I've linked to. "Appetizer spoon"? Sounds a bit of a let down after the temptation of the runcible spoon!!

This of course means that Muses' image was quite right - now we need to decide on the name!

Isamar Jun 17, 2010:

It should have been serious Gilla! The fantastic nature of the dishes warrants an equally creative description!

Evans (X) Jun 17, 2010:

@ Isamar it wasn't a serious suggestion!

David Ronder Jun 17, 2010:

I mean Carol as in no e, noel etc.

David Ronder Jun 17, 2010:

Carole's right ...pictures would help enormously. If you Google "twisted spoon" on Images, most look plaited or kind of Celtic, but that may not be the idea at all. Without actually seeing it, you can only guess.

Carol Gullidge Jun 17, 2010:

Hi Noni I recently had a set of tricky menus to translate frm a terribly posh restaurant, and in the end the client sent photos of most of the dishes (samples would have been even better!). This helped tremendously, as - apart from listing the ingredients - the descriptions provided bore little resemblance to the actual finished product. What I'm saying is that I fear you may need some sort of clarification from Chef. This actually sounds to me like those plastic bent children's feeding spoons - which is highly unlikely!!

David Ronder Jun 17, 2010:

if the dish is actually served in the spoon - or the spoon is the dish, if you get my meaning - it's probably something quite elaborate. Twisty-turny? Curly? Spiral?

Isamar Jun 17, 2010:

I've seen a runcible spoon also referred to as a "spork" and also as sort of large ladle-like spoon. As much as the suggestion seems to fit with the translation, it might give the waiters a few problems if asked by those not familiar with Lear what a runcible spoon is!

Evans (X) Jun 17, 2010:

a frivolous suggestion but perhaps not out of place in the fanciful descriptions you are dealing with, how about a "runcible spoon" - as no one really knows what this looks like as Edward Lear made it up!