A signature dish is the special dish for which a particular chef or restaurant is famous, the plate that defines a reputation. It might be an original creation, like a chef’s deconstructed classic, or a traditional dish executed so perfectly that pilgrims travel for it. The signature dish anchors the menu and the marketing: it is photographed, reviewed, and remembered, and regulars would riot if it vanished. For the chef it is both calling card and cage, since fame for one dish can overshadow everything else on the menu. The best signature dishes distil a cook’s philosophy into a single plate, technique, memory, and place combined, and they often outlive the kitchens that birthed them.