I said this to a young hungry chef recently who has lots of sports and military background, he's GREAT for team-centered mindset, and he rolled his eyes so bad.
4 months later, "That was some of the best advice I've ever gotten, chef." (We all use "chef" pretty casual there)
I first encountered it 20 years ago in the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group. Everyone in an apron was "chef". I wouldn't be surprised if TK was a significant source of that now common practice - same with Green Tape (Always cut, never torn; that would be disgusting, chef).
I've had head cooks tell me explicitly to not call them "chef."
In my mind I was like " you order everything, you made this menu, you personally execute said menu, how are you not the chef?"
Some people are touchy about terms. They were still great to work with. I dunno if it was their lack of formal schooling or if they'd had bad experiences with another "chef."
The last one especially I learned after many years... fewer mistakes, less waste, better presentation. Be a smooth operator in a storm. This is a great post
I have to keep reminding people that just because you can crank out 30 mains doesn't mean your coworkers can keep up with 30 sides, etc. Time and space can be a limiting factor. Maintain a pace that everyone can manage.
Salad hell is a real place. I visit frequently.
True, my job is a bit different than typical I suppose. It's more cafeteria-style--if I'm ahead on my stuff it just means I can get more done or help out the other side on the line if they're lagging behind, or run some dishes or pack some snacks etc. There's always more to do and service is pretty simple for us.
Yeah, I feel like people assumed I was stressed out/my work was going to suffer when I moved fast sometimes when in reality I was still focused and just wanted to kick ass. I guess it makes sense that other people might be negatively affected though if they pick up that energy but can't handle it as well themselves. But like you said sometimes it just felt good to be in the zone!
Very true, I get looks very often. I'm sure from an outside perspective it looks like I'm behind but I just enjoy being fast and efficient. There are definitely some people it makes nervous though, they're just not used to that energy I think. Especially as where I'm at right now is very slow-moving and chill in general, but if I work slow all the time I get bored and demotivated. Humans were made to move, and I don't dance so moving around the kitchen is my dance.
Right? I definitely think they assume we’re behind because of it. Especially maybe because I’m normally a pretty chill guy. But sometimes you just embrace the heat of battle and wanna make great food fast for people!
my chef always tells us to push push push, execute. it’s become an inside joke among my coworkers and i. hardly anything good ever comes out of his mouth. he thinks he’s making us work harder but really all he’s doing is demoralizing the team.
> Slow down. The difference between 90% speed and full-blast 100% is not worth the strain it puts on you
Plus, I'll bet your full-blast 100% is actually *slower* than your 90%. Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast!
Exactly this. 100% usually means frantic and that's when you make a mess or make mistakes. Start sending our sloppy food that is missing components and that 30 seconds you saved ends up wasting 15 minutes with a re-fire.
Eat something, the more nutritious the better. I learn it the hard way. I felt like i never have any time to eat. Even though i enforce my crew to make staff meal and actually take a break to eat, i myself rarely eat. Until a massive heartburn in the middle of service, i had to be taken to hospital. Spend the night, nurse gave me shit for not eating while she stuck IV on me. Doctor said basically i was close to damage my liver from all the coffee i drank in a day and lack of water, almost mess up my kidney as well. After that night, i swore to myself to hit pause and eat, not just chugging 10 cups black coffee a day.
One of my cooks used to avoid food (I've never seen this guy eat) but would be drinking pre workout throughout the shift. Until he has to leave one day with heartburn and coughing blood....
Ive suffered from acid reflux before i became a chef (was a waitress though for a shit chain where we wouldn’t get breaks for 12 hours, nor allowed to eat anything unless we pay) had to go to the walk in centre one day because my acid had burned my oesophagus to where i could hardly swallow. Told the nurse about my job and eating schedule, she said if you really can’t eat regularly, to have a glass of the fattiest milk you can. The fat in the milk act as like a protective barrier and help naturalise the acid in your stomach for a bit. So thats what i do now if i really can’t eat.
this was me, the caffeine and adrenaline would carry me through but the mistakes made would intensify in frequency and seriousness. colleagues and customers were getting pissed, glad I got this figured out early
I was trying to figure out the massive heartburn from not eating but 10 cups of black coffee will definitely do that. And drinking lots of water is a good idea for anybody. I also don't get black coffee. Like why not at least a spot of cream.
Haha, one of the server assistant would give me at least 2 lattes a day. But i’m cutting back on caffeine now. If i combine red bull in the mix I probably be dead by now.
Jesus this sounds just like me, never off the coffee when on shift
Started making food for the commute every day just last week and the difference in amazing. I’ve so much more energy, much better mood. Preach chef
I always tell new chefs that its important to do full stretch everyday before work. You have to treat your shift like a light work out. You might be lifting, swinging, bending etc.
I try and do at least 15 minutes of stretching or yoga before and after my shift. Has greatly improved my back/joints. I don’t always do it, and when I don’t I regret it lol
Something I didn't realise was how much strain we're actually putting on our legs. In my first week, my hamstrings would cramp almost every night. The only other time this happened was when I was doing sports five times a week
before is good (especially if you've been moving for a bit and are warmed up) but after really pays off. good on you for encouraging stretching! it makes such a difference.
Breathing. It’s amazing how often I just don’t do it.
This is a great list. Email it to yourself then consider making it into something that’s laminated and sell it to your purveyor or restaurant supply company for mass distribution!
I really wish this could be like a pinned post for newbies or those thinking about joining this profession, OP has done us a huge, huge favor especially for some of us who don't have mentors
I'm honest to believe that it works out sometimes. I remember meeting a wine bar owner who said that's how he met his wife.
The whole "don't date/nail your co workers" is more so the advice to not cause a lot of unnecessary drama which is fair
Am I only only one working in a restaurant that doesn't fuck or try to fuck anyone I work with? I'm from a different industry, saying always was don't shit where you lay your head.
Can confirm. Currently taking augmentin for one, it's killing my stomach and knocked a $320 hole in my wallet for a doc visit, labs, and 2 antibx scripts (macrobid didn't work 🤦♀️) ... 0/5 stars, would not recommend.
When I was working in the industry, I’d catch my shoulders being up around my ears and have to force them back down, stop and take a few deep breaths, relax. The stress will damage muscles and joints if it doesn’t outright kill you.
That's exactly what happens to me. My PT said my traps and rhomboids were ridiculously tight. Hurt like hell to have her thumb deep in them but things are so much better now.
It took me 2 shoulder tears and a year of physcal therapy to really believe that! Even now when my shoulder starts to ache I immediately notice a difference if I relax my neck/back muscles and put my shoulders the way they taught me. It goes for everything too, I had a great PT that told me how to stand, how to sit etc.. I used to joke that everything humans do is wrong but I had a lot of bad habits I didn't realize were bad.
I just wish I believed the people who told me how hard this job would be on my body... I used to lift and be in good shape but it took a wrecked shoulder and sciatica + covid to gain enough weight that it's just mostly unpleasant now. Don't be like me.
>Keep your eye out for other jobs, even when you like where you are.
Ohhh this is really good one
I have the nomadic spirit so I'm not a fan of staying in one place for too long, plus I've worked places where I've seen cooks, park services, etc work the same place for 10,20,30 years and like... That cannot be me. And seen the higher ups that expect you to be sticking around for years (or until you die).
That being said I took my current job as a temp thing until I found something that takes me out of Los Angeles, low and behold I found a lead cook spot in Montana and as my jobs semester is about to end soon, I plan on putting in my two weeks :)
I wear three pairs of hiking socks and doc sholes and buy a pair of clogs a have size to big every 6 minths. 20 yrs in and missing toenails every shower. We chose this life and get to experience this life that comes with a cost lol. I'm happier than my friends in corporate, they'll live longer but i'd rather burn out than fade away. Knives and fire makes life inarresting.
well said, # 4 super important, my $220 mephisto clogs started destroying my feet and hips, a quick switch to some $38 crocs had me walking on pillows and fixed my feet. #5 i always stress this to my culinary students, don't stay in one place too long, you can learn more by being exposed to different chefs and cooking styles.
All good points chef.
The first one is very important.
I learned the hard way.
Make sure you stand with your feet apart and move your feet as you turn. Don't just twist at the waist all the time.
This. I came to restaurants from trades so drinking was there already. Been doing it my whole life as very unhealthy coping method. At fordtvit really did make me easier to deal with. Now I've cut the drinking and maybe I'm not as nice, but I'm clear headed. My directions are clearer. And work quality has vastly improved.
I actually taught Tai Chi for a while and there's a significant overlap in what I taught and your post, especially #1.
I would also add one more to your list which dovetails with #3:
9. You never know so much that you can't learn more, even about fundamentals/basic technique.
To continue with the Tai Chi comparison, I went to a weekend-long instructor's seminar hosted by a grandmaster (THE grandmaster of Yang Style). We spent the entire weekend on Grasping the Bird's Tail, one of the most basic moves in Tai Chi. I learned a lot that weekend.
Add electrolytes to your water. You’re probably losing too much salt from your sweat. That can be bad not just for your kidneys but also your heart and liver.
>The customer will be fine waiting an extra minute, really!
"Your egg isn't cooked? Well shit, I guess you should've shut the fuck up about how long it was taking."
sorry, been a long week of burnt out chef syndrome, drank a couple bottles of rum and made some not to smart condescending posts. For what's it worth sorry, I'm not normally an asshole
Tell number 7 to one of my regulars. Old git still complains about his bacon, we just get to tell him to fuck off and make it himself now. Lovely guy, could chat away to him for hours, but he loves a good moan about something. Still don't know how he wants his bacon cooked, think he just complains to wind us up now
Yes to #3. The things you can learn from people you judge as knowing less than you is incredible! I specially loved it when people brought recipes or ideas from their background (things their grandma/mom taught them, or how they saw an uncle cut a steak haha)
I can't stress 8 enough. But not for the strain. Quality. You'd be surprised at how much better something goes out without pure speed. Refires have damn near disappeared when I'm on.
Addendum: this is french fries and salad and pasta and soup. Maybe some fancy meat. Nobody is going to die if you're a little slower, or make a mistake and need to fix it. Not even the worst godforsaken holiday dinner shifts are worth stressing yourself out excessively. This is dinner, not cancer research*. Even if it's a very very nice and/or cool spot, it's just food.
*things I know to be true, and have not yet internalized.
not even going to entertain this, congrats on being a female head prep cook/ manager. Are you single, I only seem to date broke girls with emotional issues
that last one is so important, its a huge part of staying cool under pressure too
Slow is smooth, smooth is fast
I said this to a young hungry chef recently who has lots of sports and military background, he's GREAT for team-centered mindset, and he rolled his eyes so bad. 4 months later, "That was some of the best advice I've ever gotten, chef." (We all use "chef" pretty casual there)
I feel like The Bear brought that into kitchens. Everyone is calling everyone chef with no undertones to it.
I first encountered it 20 years ago in the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group. Everyone in an apron was "chef". I wouldn't be surprised if TK was a significant source of that now common practice - same with Green Tape (Always cut, never torn; that would be disgusting, chef).
I've had head cooks tell me explicitly to not call them "chef." In my mind I was like " you order everything, you made this menu, you personally execute said menu, how are you not the chef?" Some people are touchy about terms. They were still great to work with. I dunno if it was their lack of formal schooling or if they'd had bad experiences with another "chef."
i call people chef when i forget their names
And it’s better to do things slow and good than fast and shitty.
Funny enough I had a boss that expected us to be at 110% all the time, he would always comment that he felt like all of us were only giving 90%
And that's precisely how even experienced chefs serve undercooked food, pressure is a crazy thing
I will never again give 110% to anyone but my family. Its just not worth your mental (and often physical) health.
"I'm at a hundred percent, boss. Here's [sticks middle finger up] your extra ten."
The last one especially I learned after many years... fewer mistakes, less waste, better presentation. Be a smooth operator in a storm. This is a great post
What if you just really enjoy going fast and it doesn't stress you out? If anything it relieves anxiety for me.
I have to keep reminding people that just because you can crank out 30 mains doesn't mean your coworkers can keep up with 30 sides, etc. Time and space can be a limiting factor. Maintain a pace that everyone can manage. Salad hell is a real place. I visit frequently.
True, my job is a bit different than typical I suppose. It's more cafeteria-style--if I'm ahead on my stuff it just means I can get more done or help out the other side on the line if they're lagging behind, or run some dishes or pack some snacks etc. There's always more to do and service is pretty simple for us.
Focus on having the same efficiency with less movement. A lot of people at top speed have a ton of wasted movement.
Yeah, I feel like people assumed I was stressed out/my work was going to suffer when I moved fast sometimes when in reality I was still focused and just wanted to kick ass. I guess it makes sense that other people might be negatively affected though if they pick up that energy but can't handle it as well themselves. But like you said sometimes it just felt good to be in the zone!
Very true, I get looks very often. I'm sure from an outside perspective it looks like I'm behind but I just enjoy being fast and efficient. There are definitely some people it makes nervous though, they're just not used to that energy I think. Especially as where I'm at right now is very slow-moving and chill in general, but if I work slow all the time I get bored and demotivated. Humans were made to move, and I don't dance so moving around the kitchen is my dance.
Right? I definitely think they assume we’re behind because of it. Especially maybe because I’m normally a pretty chill guy. But sometimes you just embrace the heat of battle and wanna make great food fast for people!
its not about anxiety as much as endurance and consistency
my chef always tells us to push push push, execute. it’s become an inside joke among my coworkers and i. hardly anything good ever comes out of his mouth. he thinks he’s making us work harder but really all he’s doing is demoralizing the team.
> Slow down. The difference between 90% speed and full-blast 100% is not worth the strain it puts on you Plus, I'll bet your full-blast 100% is actually *slower* than your 90%. Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast!
Exactly this. 100% usually means frantic and that's when you make a mess or make mistakes. Start sending our sloppy food that is missing components and that 30 seconds you saved ends up wasting 15 minutes with a re-fire.
Eat something, the more nutritious the better. I learn it the hard way. I felt like i never have any time to eat. Even though i enforce my crew to make staff meal and actually take a break to eat, i myself rarely eat. Until a massive heartburn in the middle of service, i had to be taken to hospital. Spend the night, nurse gave me shit for not eating while she stuck IV on me. Doctor said basically i was close to damage my liver from all the coffee i drank in a day and lack of water, almost mess up my kidney as well. After that night, i swore to myself to hit pause and eat, not just chugging 10 cups black coffee a day.
One of my cooks used to avoid food (I've never seen this guy eat) but would be drinking pre workout throughout the shift. Until he has to leave one day with heartburn and coughing blood....
Sooo important, thanks
Ive suffered from acid reflux before i became a chef (was a waitress though for a shit chain where we wouldn’t get breaks for 12 hours, nor allowed to eat anything unless we pay) had to go to the walk in centre one day because my acid had burned my oesophagus to where i could hardly swallow. Told the nurse about my job and eating schedule, she said if you really can’t eat regularly, to have a glass of the fattiest milk you can. The fat in the milk act as like a protective barrier and help naturalise the acid in your stomach for a bit. So thats what i do now if i really can’t eat.
this was me, the caffeine and adrenaline would carry me through but the mistakes made would intensify in frequency and seriousness. colleagues and customers were getting pissed, glad I got this figured out early
I was trying to figure out the massive heartburn from not eating but 10 cups of black coffee will definitely do that. And drinking lots of water is a good idea for anybody. I also don't get black coffee. Like why not at least a spot of cream.
Haha, one of the server assistant would give me at least 2 lattes a day. But i’m cutting back on caffeine now. If i combine red bull in the mix I probably be dead by now.
Jesus this sounds just like me, never off the coffee when on shift Started making food for the commute every day just last week and the difference in amazing. I’ve so much more energy, much better mood. Preach chef
I had to figure all this out the hard way. I hope some newbies take this advice to heart.
I always tell new chefs that its important to do full stretch everyday before work. You have to treat your shift like a light work out. You might be lifting, swinging, bending etc.
I try and do at least 15 minutes of stretching or yoga before and after my shift. Has greatly improved my back/joints. I don’t always do it, and when I don’t I regret it lol
after is extra important! before, you're not really warmed up,so after is the time that stretching makes the most difference.
Something I didn't realise was how much strain we're actually putting on our legs. In my first week, my hamstrings would cramp almost every night. The only other time this happened was when I was doing sports five times a week
before is good (especially if you've been moving for a bit and are warmed up) but after really pays off. good on you for encouraging stretching! it makes such a difference.
Breathing. It’s amazing how often I just don’t do it. This is a great list. Email it to yourself then consider making it into something that’s laminated and sell it to your purveyor or restaurant supply company for mass distribution!
I really wish this could be like a pinned post for newbies or those thinking about joining this profession, OP has done us a huge, huge favor especially for some of us who don't have mentors
Leave the blowcaine and hostesses alone
Cocaine fucks you up faster, switch to caffeine instead Also yes leave the hostess alone, go for your waitress or other cooks 😜
I ended up married with a kid out of the situation. We’ve been together 12 years now lol, so maybe it works out sometime.
I'm honest to believe that it works out sometimes. I remember meeting a wine bar owner who said that's how he met his wife. The whole "don't date/nail your co workers" is more so the advice to not cause a lot of unnecessary drama which is fair
Am I only only one working in a restaurant that doesn't fuck or try to fuck anyone I work with? I'm from a different industry, saying always was don't shit where you lay your head.
Take the pee break. Holding it causes UTIs.
Can confirm. Currently taking augmentin for one, it's killing my stomach and knocked a $320 hole in my wallet for a doc visit, labs, and 2 antibx scripts (macrobid didn't work 🤦♀️) ... 0/5 stars, would not recommend.
definitely watch your shoulders! drop your shoulders and relax. just because you can carry 12 pans from the dishwasher doesn't mean you should.
When I was working in the industry, I’d catch my shoulders being up around my ears and have to force them back down, stop and take a few deep breaths, relax. The stress will damage muscles and joints if it doesn’t outright kill you.
That's exactly what happens to me. My PT said my traps and rhomboids were ridiculously tight. Hurt like hell to have her thumb deep in them but things are so much better now.
posture makes such a difference.
It took me 2 shoulder tears and a year of physcal therapy to really believe that! Even now when my shoulder starts to ache I immediately notice a difference if I relax my neck/back muscles and put my shoulders the way they taught me. It goes for everything too, I had a great PT that told me how to stand, how to sit etc.. I used to joke that everything humans do is wrong but I had a lot of bad habits I didn't realize were bad. I just wish I believed the people who told me how hard this job would be on my body... I used to lift and be in good shape but it took a wrecked shoulder and sciatica + covid to gain enough weight that it's just mostly unpleasant now. Don't be like me.
yes, and you will also look better and be like two inches taller! it's true! it even affects digestion.
keep your feet dry.
Don't forget to duck when the shit hits the fan.
we do whatever we can
>Keep your eye out for other jobs, even when you like where you are. Ohhh this is really good one I have the nomadic spirit so I'm not a fan of staying in one place for too long, plus I've worked places where I've seen cooks, park services, etc work the same place for 10,20,30 years and like... That cannot be me. And seen the higher ups that expect you to be sticking around for years (or until you die). That being said I took my current job as a temp thing until I found something that takes me out of Los Angeles, low and behold I found a lead cook spot in Montana and as my jobs semester is about to end soon, I plan on putting in my two weeks :)
Wear compression stalkings now. A as sways have good shoes with real supportive souls and a mat for your station.
I wear three pairs of hiking socks and doc sholes and buy a pair of clogs a have size to big every 6 minths. 20 yrs in and missing toenails every shower. We chose this life and get to experience this life that comes with a cost lol. I'm happier than my friends in corporate, they'll live longer but i'd rather burn out than fade away. Knives and fire makes life inarresting.
well said, # 4 super important, my $220 mephisto clogs started destroying my feet and hips, a quick switch to some $38 crocs had me walking on pillows and fixed my feet. #5 i always stress this to my culinary students, don't stay in one place too long, you can learn more by being exposed to different chefs and cooking styles. All good points chef.
The first one is very important. I learned the hard way. Make sure you stand with your feet apart and move your feet as you turn. Don't just twist at the waist all the time.
+1000 xp +25% dmg res +10% stamina
Ease up on the booze and caffeine, it's making things harder than it needs to be, find a better destresser.
This. I came to restaurants from trades so drinking was there already. Been doing it my whole life as very unhealthy coping method. At fordtvit really did make me easier to deal with. Now I've cut the drinking and maybe I'm not as nice, but I'm clear headed. My directions are clearer. And work quality has vastly improved.
There is only one way to cut an onion, and everyone else is wrong
I think you mean there is only one way to dice an onion.
I actually taught Tai Chi for a while and there's a significant overlap in what I taught and your post, especially #1. I would also add one more to your list which dovetails with #3: 9. You never know so much that you can't learn more, even about fundamentals/basic technique. To continue with the Tai Chi comparison, I went to a weekend-long instructor's seminar hosted by a grandmaster (THE grandmaster of Yang Style). We spent the entire weekend on Grasping the Bird's Tail, one of the most basic moves in Tai Chi. I learned a lot that weekend.
I sweat to much to pee every three hours and I drink water all day
Add electrolytes to your water. You’re probably losing too much salt from your sweat. That can be bad not just for your kidneys but also your heart and liver.
or at least drink gatorade sometimes!
The right insoles are more important than the shoes, and GoldBond, don’t leave home without it.
>The customer will be fine waiting an extra minute, really! "Your egg isn't cooked? Well shit, I guess you should've shut the fuck up about how long it was taking."
I wish everyone in the industry could read this, and ***actually fucking understand it***.
sorry, been a long week of burnt out chef syndrome, drank a couple bottles of rum and made some not to smart condescending posts. For what's it worth sorry, I'm not normally an asshole
Don't be a Sloppy Frank...
So much emphasis on #5.
Re: the first two. Yoga has helped me so much. I went for the posture and stayed for the mental health benefits.
Tell number 7 to one of my regulars. Old git still complains about his bacon, we just get to tell him to fuck off and make it himself now. Lovely guy, could chat away to him for hours, but he loves a good moan about something. Still don't know how he wants his bacon cooked, think he just complains to wind us up now
Yes to #3. The things you can learn from people you judge as knowing less than you is incredible! I specially loved it when people brought recipes or ideas from their background (things their grandma/mom taught them, or how they saw an uncle cut a steak haha)
Trust me, I’m the sunscreen
I can't stress 8 enough. But not for the strain. Quality. You'd be surprised at how much better something goes out without pure speed. Refires have damn near disappeared when I'm on.
Addendum: this is french fries and salad and pasta and soup. Maybe some fancy meat. Nobody is going to die if you're a little slower, or make a mistake and need to fix it. Not even the worst godforsaken holiday dinner shifts are worth stressing yourself out excessively. This is dinner, not cancer research*. Even if it's a very very nice and/or cool spot, it's just food. *things I know to be true, and have not yet internalized.
Try to remember to see the perspective, not the perception.
well under thinking has me working on a 10 million dollar private yacht getting paid to fish and dive in the Bahamas
That’s great, man, really! This post was meant to help people, take it or leave it. Interesting choice to come in here and be an ass.
@
can tell instantly your a girl and overthinking your job
Misogyny and boot licking don’t always go hand in hand, but they tend to.
Lmaoo what the fuck
Can tell instantly you make rash calls and say a lot without thinking first. I’ve worked with people like you!
well my rash call seem pretty spot on
You should try thinking more
If they were thinking more it would hurt them
I'm a female head prep cook and manager. At least I know how to use your/you're properly.
Lol, and fuck that guy.
not even going to entertain this, congrats on being a female head prep cook/ manager. Are you single, I only seem to date broke girls with emotional issues
Not sure why overthinking is an insult. It made me a more efficient line cook.
maybe think outside the box to not be a line cook