diff --git a/src/core/Dish.mjs b/src/core/Dish.mjs
index 8137f97d..e5ba9aec 100755
--- a/src/core/Dish.mjs
+++ b/src/core/Dish.mjs
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ class Dish {
      * literal input
      */
     constructor(dishOrInput=null, type = null) {
-        this.value = [];
-        this.type = Dish.BYTE_ARRAY;
+        this.value = new ArrayBuffer(0);
+        this.type = Dish.ARRAY_BUFFER;
 
         // Case: dishOrInput is dish object
         if (dishOrInput &&
diff --git a/tests/node/tests/nodeApi.mjs b/tests/node/tests/nodeApi.mjs
index 0fef129b..1a21c39d 100644
--- a/tests/node/tests/nodeApi.mjs
+++ b/tests/node/tests/nodeApi.mjs
@@ -331,8 +331,8 @@ TestRegister.addApiTests([
 
     it("Composable Dish: Should construct empty dish object", () => {
         const dish = new Dish();
-        assert.deepEqual(dish.value, []);
-        assert.strictEqual(dish.type, 0);
+        assert.strictEqual(dish.value.byteLength, new ArrayBuffer(0).byteLength);
+        assert.strictEqual(dish.type, 4);
     }),
 
     it("Composable Dish: constructed dish should have apply prototype functions", () => {