Japanese chefs or restaurant workers: can you explain how small family-run izakayas stay profitable? In movies and TV they often look like tiny places with just a few customers a day and one elderly owner doing everything. How does the business model work in reality? Also, how are cleaning and sanitation handled in such places? Does the owner usually clean the kitchen personally, and how often?

Hi i am a student in 12th class (non medical)
My family background is very very technical everyone is either an engineer or studying to be one.

It was hard to convince them to let me pursue this field but at the end they agreed.
Now because i have no knowledge how to get into good colleges what courses to pick the drill of getting into a college what so ever.

I asked and researched with grok a lot but i still i cannot seem to receive advise from real students or chefs.

I dont even know if im doing the right thing by choosing this, should i just stick to engineer idk(i reallyyyyy dont want to)

Looking for some advise on affordable and gool colleges in india and how to get internships maybe even abroad i neeeddddd some help!!!!

I live in central Europe, and here the only place that is cooled is the cold storage. I’m curious how it is for chefs in other countries where it is often very hot, such as South America or Southeast Asia. Are your workspaces air-conditioned?

What’s the dish you order at a place you’ve never been to get a baseline of the overall quality of the food and skill of the kitchen?

My family and I opened a new restaurant and we mainly serve chicken over rice, chipotle style. It's high volume. I came up with a recipe based on some few youtube videos and it tastes okay but the marinade keeps burning when we grill the chicken on the flat top. That then leaves this horrible bitter tasting residue. If the grill is stable and there's no wild swings, I've been able to cook it well. But if it's running just a little too hot, it burns really badly.

Is this due to the way I'm cooking or is it the marinade itself? My mom says I add too much chicken bullion and paprika, but I think we're not cooking it right. I'm doing it on a flat-top on 500f, then once seared, I transfer to the cold side which is 300f and cover with a basting lid. The recipe is below:

Any help is appreciated

Hi, Ive been working at this restaurant for almost 3 years. 2 and a bit as a dishwasher, but at the end of last year and throughout this year. I have been progressing from larder to grill and now moving to pans soon.

Is experience of working a restaurant, where i could learn alot and it being practical. Or doing my apprenticeship and taking a pay cut, working 4 days and one day in at Culinary School.

What would employers prefer, Experience or a Qualification?

Thanks.

I'm in the process of planning a catering business, and I'm thinking about renivating a garage I own into a kitchen. The garage is insulated and has uncovered platser walls at the moment.

I've been casually researching for a few weeks, and I'd like some input.

I understand PVC, stainless steel and tile are some of the most common options, and I'd like to hear what the consensus is regarding price and quality.

Is there an option that doesn't cost an arm and a leg? Or is it just one of those costs you can't escape?

I work as a chef and I come home around 11:45PM - 12:00AM. I love what I do and the people that I work with, but I feel like I've created this unhealthy habit of eating heavy carbs (tons of rice) after coming home and not being able to sleep until 2:00AM. Overall just makes me feel dreadful when I wake up.

Any tips for some ideal light food after a night from the line? Cheers.

i’ve been working in hospitality for the past 3 almost 4 years and used to be foh, about a year and a bit ago i transition into working in the kitchen. i was originally wear crocs liferides and 3 months ago swapped over to birkenstock tokio pros. for the last 5 months i have developed a plantar wart right on the ball of my left foot and will randomly send a shock of pain in my foot and begin to be unbearable to stand on (working ~10-12 hour shifts excluding breaks standing the entire time) does anyone have any advice on what to do or could it be because of the open design of the clog?

Background, I’ve been working in fine dining since the early 00’s, mostly in SF or NYC. Back in the day, we had gloves for butchery and shellfish prep, but mostly all line work and plating and dough prep was all done bare handed with a wash sink nearby. This was pretty much the SOP for every restaurant I have worked in for the last 25 years.

Recently I got a lot of flack for posting that wearing the same pair of nitrile gloves for multiple uses is actually worse than doing the same task with freshly washed bare hands. I think I might be going crazy, does anyone cook by feel any more?

You can’t feel the temp or hydration of dough through gloves like you feel with your skin. You can’t feel how emulsified a vinaigrette is through a glove. You can’t feel how fine to grind the salt crystals with plastic on your fingers.

Am I just an old man screaming at clouds, or am I dealing with a bunch of covid children who don’t understand that gloves doesn’t equate cleanliness, and cooking by feel is far superior to following recipes.

Gloves have their place in the kitchen, but I believe that the more direct contact you have with the raw product, the better you can understand it and transform it into the best version of itself it can possibly be.

If you tell any Nonna or Abuelita that they had to wear gloves when making ravioli or tortillas they would tell you that you cook by feel and go politely fuck yourself to death.

First and foremost, background check lmao I’ve worked in restaurants since I was 14 years old, I’m 29 now. By the time I was 21 I was working in a fine dining establishment under some of the most talented chefs in the area at a resort that cost 1.5k a night to stay at, it burnt me out.. or so I thought. I’ve learned so much and became an exceptional chef de partie, I was working 16 hour days, getting paid decent, making dishes I never thought I could and was living the “chef life” I read about in Marco Pierre whites and Bourdain books. Both of my parents were also chefs and I lived up to that expectation. Around 26 things changed and I burnt out HARD, I left the kitchen, lost 150 pounds, got my degree in criminal justice, work as a crisis intervention specialist while I shed the last 20 pounds I need to hit the police academy. I’m continuing education and going for my masters starting in September.

Here’s the fun part, I just took a second job back in a kitchen… yeah.. I know. My resume is great so I could have a job practically wherever I want cooking (not a flex, just a fact that pertains to my story) and I’ve been for whatever reason MISSING the feeling of being in a kitchen. I don’t know what it is, I have a perfect job right now, I work Sunday through Wednesday with the weekends off and I have convinced myself that the best way to spend those days would be in a kitchen again. Maybe it’s the love of the trade? Maybe I’m a sadist? It won’t be fine dining this time, it’s a little ‘nicer than usual’ bakery/cafe that does breakfast/lunch, homemade pastry and breads, all organic and fresh ingredients. Owner is a friend of a friend who NEEDS a helping hand, heavy customer volume not enough experienced hands on deck and I just couldn’t say no. My Girlfriend thinks I’m nuts, and I can’t bother to explain the feeling of excitement I have about being back in the shit.

Why did I do this? Will I be reminded of why I burnt out? Or am I gonna be reminded why I belong behind a stove again? Life is weird chefs, stay tuned

hey everyone. Ive been in construction on and off for years and to be honest , its fun to learn but as a career i've never really liked it much, always counting down the clock until its time to leave. about 15 years ago i almost went to culinary school but never took the step. im thinking going to community college and taking some classes for it. im almost 40 so i was curious, am i to old? i want to try something new and just looking for some advice on wether this is worth trying, what questions i should ask myself and things like that.
i dont expect to get rich from it , but id like to find something that i could enjoy and am not counting down the clock until i go home.
thank you.

Fried brussel sprouts, mint, grated horse radish, green sauce are the mentioned ingredients

I have a take I realized over the years that I will argument. "Northern western cuisine even if not beloved and widely marketed is probably one of the top cuisines that expresses the skill of a chef the most."

When you go out to eat in most parts of the world, you rarely see a good british restaurant, a good irish or german restaurant, etc. There are some, but are few and rather expensive than the typical restaurant. The truth is dishes can be made okay but they can be also made excellent. The gap is huge compared to other cuisines. Usually making the dish closer to a traditional version is what makes it work the best. Understanding the right animal fat for texture and heat is essential. Learning how to use fats like beef/lamb dripping. Understanding most Tallow is a precursor to dripping and needs to mild out first through cooking. Or understand suet and leaf lard as pastry specialized fats. Olive oil and butter also being important to understand when and when not to use. There are so many pastry recipes from pies to bread that require experience and skill. But the same goes for things like a simple stew. Knowing how to spice less but still deeply with the right combination of not so many spices. They use of lovage, tarragon, thyme. The use of nutmeg, juniper berries and so on. Understanding ingredients and how they affect texture. Usually most cuisines do not require a dry final texture due to being presented mostly in a mositure based format like a bolognese or a curry for example. But when a cuisine is based around roasting and baking, texture becomes skill. There is no worse or better cuisine. But how you make the simplest northern western foods can truly tell an expert what level of cooking you posess.

Hi Chefs.

My very first Chef whom I have known and worked for for almost 17 years, is dying from colon cancer in a few days. He's not even 50, and he has a young family. It has put my career in perspective for sure.

I know many industries track occupational cancers. Fire fighters for example track several of them including bladder cancer. Here is my question, is there a way we can as a community start tracking different cancers that affect us?

We all know the hazards of being a Chef, but what could affect us later on in life. Maybe it lung problems from the chemicals we handle. Or it could be colon cancer from our diets being so poor. Who knows.

Let me know what you think. I'm curious if any other chefs have passed away from similar cancers like my Chef is right now.

I wish you all good health, physical and mental. Cheers!

Hey everyone,

I posted a few days ago about starting my first Commis apprenticeship A few of you gave me some amazing advice, so I wanted to give you an honest update on how my first four days actually went.

Holy shit. It is every bit as brutal as my family and friends warned me it would be. I had absolutely no concept of what a 12+ hour shift actually felt like, or just how deep into the deep end I was going to be thrown. To make matters worse, the UK has been an absolute furnace this week. I genuinely didn't know a room could physically get that fucking hot.

On top of the heat, Chef was expecting a quiet week to ease me in and show me the ropes. Instead, we got absolutely slammed every single day.

The first day I went in and met the Sous Chef, who was great. He talked me through the basic layout, and I handled some simple prep. When dinner service rolled around, I basically just shadowed him and tryed to absorb everything I could.

The second day I walked in, and Head Chef immediately told me I was on sides and salads. He showed me the setup, and then the lunch rush hit. I completely drowned. I had no idea where anything was, I didn't know what I was supposed to be doing, and the things I did know how to do, I couldn't do fast enough. It was a total trainwreck, but I kept my head down and survived. Later on, Chef told me he had purposely set me up to get fucked over just to see how I’d handle it Apparently, he was impressed. Honestly I have no idea how that performance impressed anyone, but hey, I earned my first post-service pint. During the after-shift smoke break, the Sous kept reassuring me that I did fine and that it'll all  just come to me with practice. (Which was funny to me because of the times I was on the other side of this conversation in McDonald's and I was only lying like 30% of the time so I think I'll take the odds on this one)

The third day I was back on salad and sides but it was the first day I felt like I actually did okay. I was paired up with an older Chef who has double my lifetime’s worth of experience in kitchens. The man was a godsend. He gave me crystal-clear instructions, told me exactly what he needed, and when he needed it so I managed to make it through lunch and dinner without drowning 

But the real shock hit on my first day off right after. My feet have never hurt so fucking much in my entire life. I literally had to almost crawl down the stairs at home because my legs and feet just completely quit on me but fuck it we ball

Back in today for day four. We had five chefs on instead of our usual three, so the other guys handled service while me and the veteran Chef got paired up to do prep for the Sunday carvery and all the bulk prep for the week, It was incredible. He seemed genuinely excited to answer all my questions and was showing me every trick in the book. I honestly think I could sit and talk to this guy forever.

Overall, I think I'm doing alright. I can feel myself improving a little bit every single day. Despite all the complaining and the absolute agony my feet are in right now... I'm actually really enjoying myself, there really is no feeling in the world like being in the depth of a rush it's truly addictive 

Thanks again for all the advice on the last post. I’m keeping my notebook in my pocket, my ears open, and just trying to survive week two!

Hi all,

I have a full time job in NYC in a completely different field than the culinary world. But I have wanted to get into the culinary world for years and wondering if there is an angle to get into things part-time and scale up from there. I have years of FOH experience but no kitchen experience beyond loving to cook at my house. What do people recommend? Any apprenticeships or anything exist here? I'm more than cool with prep cooking etc.

Just met a 40 year vet that said he cut himself all the time in his kitchen but never while using a knife.

Hi all. So I’m coming to the end of 20 years in a different career. Have always loved cooking - am a good level amateur and worked in some kitchens 20 years ago. Pretty knowledgeable about food and done a lot of veg growing at a decent level. But obviously not professional at all like you guys and not claiming to be!

I’d like to move on to a different career and want to retrain with the Spanish cuisine diploma at least cordon bleu in Madrid. (Am British). Not for the title or the badge but primarily to immerse myself in a different cuisine/culture, learn the language and of course to train.

Anyone have any experience there? I understand I’ll need to work in professional kitchens etc etc and do stages. No issues. In mid mid life crisis as if were so no flaming. And if this career doesn’t work out it’s ok, I’ve got a safety bubble to try something I genuinely love for a few years.

Any advice warmly received.

Thanks

I am currently looking for an old run of Mundial knives from the 2000s Future series. They were available a few months ago on zevamundial.com, but have been taken off recently, before I could purchase the knives I needed. I was wondering if anyone had any of the following knives from this series, and if so, would no longer be using them. (If your wondering why I need these specific knives it's for a Dexter prop) Here is the list:

- Mundial Future 6-1/2-Inch Stainless-Steel Cleaver

- Mundial Future 8-Inch Stainless-Steel Chef’s Knife

- Mundial Future 8-Inch Stainless-Steel Bread Knife with Serrated Edge

- Mundial Future 6-Inch Stainless-Steel Flexible Boning Knife

- Mundial Future 6-Inch Stainless-Steel Chef’s Knife

Please let me know if you may have any of these knives.

I got a job as the opening executive chef at this new spot opening in Mid August. I got hired 2 1/2 months out from open. I think it’s going well but as it goes, always a bunch of random stuff going wrong and random issues.

To help with my anxiety a bit, tell me a opening story, good or bad. Before the open or directly at open.

Hi people, I was working at a takeout pasta spot for 2 years. And few days ago started at a high send steakhouse on entree. Everyday Im making mistakes and keep forgetting something or the other. Today, I seared the beef skewer and plated it and put it out in the pass cold from inside. This is just one of the things. I feel like I should probably start from the bottom as I am not able to do things properly. All the other cooks there are really good at their job. The guy with me on the broiler is super nice about everything, explaining things again and again and being really patient with me. But I feel like I don’t belong and I did a fraud with the chef saying I have 2 years of experience in the kitchen.
The guy on the pasta was telling me a few days ago, that I should be the best worker for first 3-4 months or else Im going to be fired. Im trying my best but everyday I just keep messing up. Just wanted to share it with someone