Food for garnish

Bacon
Neutral-flavored soup—such as this potato soup—goes great with the salty taste from a bacon garnish. The bacon also adds some crunch to the otherwise plain-textured soup.

Photo from Thinkstock Images

Cheese
Grated cheese over a plate of pasta not only adds texture to the pasta; it also adds a complementary flavor. Just remember not to overdo it, or else your dish will look—and taste—like a plate of cheese with a little bit of pasta underneath.

Photo from Thinkstock Images

Lemons or calamansi
Citrus fruits not only look great sliced, they’re also fragrant and add a fresh flavor to anything they garnish—from a pitcher of water to the fried fish dish right here.

Photo from Thinkstock Images

Parsley, celery, or any minced leafy green
A sprig of parsley brightens up any dish in a complementary color, such as this bowl of Osso bucco. If you don’t have parsley, just mince celery or even malunggay and sprinkle it lightly over your dish.

Photo from Thinkstock Images

Sili (chilli)
The great thing about sili is that it’s brightly colored and it has an unusual shape. A bowl of Dinuguan with a green sili looks so attractive because the green sili complements the brown Dinuguan. Even this plate of white rice garnished with sili and some greens perks up.

Photo from Thinkstock Images