In the honzen ryori (a basic style of traditional Japanese cooking) serving style the ideal combination is thought to be 'one soup and three types of side dishes' consisting of a staple food, a soup like miso soup, solid side dishes called 'sai' or 'okazu' including rice, soup, pickles and three side dishes of namasu (a dish of raw fish and vegetables seasoned in vinegar), hirazara (a dish on a flat plate), yakimono (a dish of broiled fish or meat).
本膳料理の膳立ては、飯と汁・香の物のほかに膾(なます)・平皿・焼物の3菜を添えたものを「一汁三菜」と表現して、主食に味噌汁のような汁物と、「菜（さい）」、「おかず」と称される固形の副食を組み合わせるのが理想的とされた。