That's what my boss says. A lot. Nearly every time I'm at work someone I know is coming in to try out my restaurant. The General Manager says I'm the best customer. Still. As a prep cook. And that's because of my friends and family, my support and encouragement. So thank you to all who have come to my restaurant. And an extra big THANK YOU to those who keep coming back.
Delicious.
Funny story. One of the servers this evening made a little mistake and order the same entree twice without realizing it. This turned out to be one of the best tasting mistakes the server could have made. At least for me. Although I probably would never have ordered it myself, I ate the mistakenly ordered dish: the Pan Roasted King Salmon with baby bok-choy and potato hash, served with a wasabi pepper sauce. So so so good! There is a reason it's one of the pricier items on the dinner menu. So far I've had two of the more expensive dinner items, all in the name of fixing mistakes and learning how to cook something for myself. Not for myself as in I get to eat it, but for myself as in learning how to make it on my own.
Delicious.
I'm full. Polishing off a mistake entree followed by staff dinner means that my tummy is full. Full of delicious. Wow. Some days I love working in a highish end restaurant!
With a full tummy and tired everything else,
K.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Oh yum!
Tonight I ate at my restaurant with my parents and some good friends. We had my favorite dish, the pork tenderloin with fennel-yam mash, and my new favorite dessert, the bread pudding with amaretto-caramel sauce. Delicious. I am so glad that I can eat at an establishment that I also can see what happens in the kitchen. Super cool.
As we were leaving the restaurant, there was another couple leaving as well. In passing, they kind of mumbled something about how the food was so good. I smiled. Really big.
One of the owners told me tonight that I am their (our) most reliable customer so far.
Basically, what that means is that I'm getting to eat a lot of the delicious, fantastic food that I help create. Sweet deal.
On a full stomach,
K.
As we were leaving the restaurant, there was another couple leaving as well. In passing, they kind of mumbled something about how the food was so good. I smiled. Really big.
One of the owners told me tonight that I am their (our) most reliable customer so far.
Basically, what that means is that I'm getting to eat a lot of the delicious, fantastic food that I help create. Sweet deal.
On a full stomach,
K.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
"Look out! Who gave the prep cook a knife?!"
That's what the server/bartender said today when I was walking around the kitchen with a knife. The head chef had previously told me to announce when a knife is moving around the room. The waitstaff thinks that's really funny, apparently. Oh well. I supposed I deserved a little ribbing from her. After all, I had refused to let her collect some citrus for the bar earlier in the day. That's what I get for being ornery. I get teased back. Who knew.
Anywho, last week I took a big step in the direction of continuing my practice of being a cook. I bought my own knife set! Gah! I bought a seven piece set for just under $300. Pretty good, considering I was expecting to pay $500-600 for a seven piece set. I love big sales at cutlery stores in the local mall. So, one may ask, what is included in this fabulous seven piece knife set? Well, I'll tell you. For just under $300 I purchased the following:
A carrying bag for my set, and room for expansion!,
Kitchen shears,
An 8" chef knife,
A 7" filet knife,
A 4" paring knife,
A 5" utility knife, and
A 9" honing steel.
All except the bag are from JA Henckels, a highly regarded German manufacturer. Sweet.
I took my knives (that sounds a little wierd, my knives) to the restaurant today. My boss was quite impressed. At one point near the end of my nine-hour shift, he asked, "Can I borrow YOUR knife?" I know, crazy! I said, "Of course, chef." I'm not going to say no to a guy whose Dad was trained under Iron Chef Chinese Chen Kenichi!!! For those of you that know what I'm talking about, congrats! For those who don't, sorry, I'm a sucker for poorly dubbed Japanese cooking shows. Well, just one, really.
Again, I digress. Moral of today's story (blog): My boss was impressed with my knives. The end. Oh, and I have funny coworkers. That's good too.
To recap what I made at the restaurant today:
Indonesian Corn Fritters
Chicken Satay marinade
Spicy Peanut Sauce
Golden Raisin Bread Pudding
Red Curry Paste
Cucumber Salad
Julienned veggie salad
Cinnamon and sugar topping for the Chinese Donuts
I also prepared and served:
Indonesian Corn Fritters with Spicy Sweet Soy
Chicken Satay skewers with Spicy Peanut sauce
Cucumber salads
Roasted Pork Tenderloin with fennel-yam mash, baby bok choy salad, and a tamerind ketchup sauce
Chinese Donuts with cinnamon and sugar, and Passion Fruit Curl
Potato hash, to accompany the King Salmon steak as well as the Terra Red Duck dish
Moo shu pancakes to serve the Moo shu pork dish
Coconut Creme Caramel with Jackfruit, to go
I don't remember what else. Nine hours is a long day. Especially being on my feet in a warm kitchen. Well, I guess that's not all bad. I could have been outside in the cold, wind, and rain with a big sign that says, "New Apartments ===>". Not that that job is bad, it's just that today's weather was not the happiest it could have been. That sentence was pretty messy. My apologies.
Hey! I have an idea! You should come to my restaurant and try something new and delicious-sounding. Just an idea...
Peace.
Anywho, last week I took a big step in the direction of continuing my practice of being a cook. I bought my own knife set! Gah! I bought a seven piece set for just under $300. Pretty good, considering I was expecting to pay $500-600 for a seven piece set. I love big sales at cutlery stores in the local mall. So, one may ask, what is included in this fabulous seven piece knife set? Well, I'll tell you. For just under $300 I purchased the following:
A carrying bag for my set, and room for expansion!,
Kitchen shears,
An 8" chef knife,
A 7" filet knife,
A 4" paring knife,
A 5" utility knife, and
A 9" honing steel.
All except the bag are from JA Henckels, a highly regarded German manufacturer. Sweet.
I took my knives (that sounds a little wierd, my knives) to the restaurant today. My boss was quite impressed. At one point near the end of my nine-hour shift, he asked, "Can I borrow YOUR knife?" I know, crazy! I said, "Of course, chef." I'm not going to say no to a guy whose Dad was trained under Iron Chef Chinese Chen Kenichi!!! For those of you that know what I'm talking about, congrats! For those who don't, sorry, I'm a sucker for poorly dubbed Japanese cooking shows. Well, just one, really.
Again, I digress. Moral of today's story (blog): My boss was impressed with my knives. The end. Oh, and I have funny coworkers. That's good too.
To recap what I made at the restaurant today:
Indonesian Corn Fritters
Chicken Satay marinade
Spicy Peanut Sauce
Golden Raisin Bread Pudding
Red Curry Paste
Cucumber Salad
Julienned veggie salad
Cinnamon and sugar topping for the Chinese Donuts
I also prepared and served:
Indonesian Corn Fritters with Spicy Sweet Soy
Chicken Satay skewers with Spicy Peanut sauce
Cucumber salads
Roasted Pork Tenderloin with fennel-yam mash, baby bok choy salad, and a tamerind ketchup sauce
Chinese Donuts with cinnamon and sugar, and Passion Fruit Curl
Potato hash, to accompany the King Salmon steak as well as the Terra Red Duck dish
Moo shu pancakes to serve the Moo shu pork dish
Coconut Creme Caramel with Jackfruit, to go
I don't remember what else. Nine hours is a long day. Especially being on my feet in a warm kitchen. Well, I guess that's not all bad. I could have been outside in the cold, wind, and rain with a big sign that says, "New Apartments ===>". Not that that job is bad, it's just that today's weather was not the happiest it could have been. That sentence was pretty messy. My apologies.
Hey! I have an idea! You should come to my restaurant and try something new and delicious-sounding. Just an idea...
Peace.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Highs and Lows After a Full Week
One of the most common icebreaker activities at a group or staff meeting is the High and Low game. This isn't really a meeting, but I figured it might be fun to give a few highs and lows of my time at the restaurant so far.
First the Lows:
Yesterday I burned some Pork and Chive dumplings.
The day before I overcooked the potato gnocchi I was making.
I'm too slow at chopping.
My hands are getting all sorts blisters, cuts, burns, and cramps.
I'm the least experienced member of the kitchen staff by about 12 years and I don't speak Chinese.
Next the Highs:
Chinese Donuts with Passion Fruit Curl
Spring Rolls with Tamerind Ketchup
Julienned veggies
Fun and knowledgable co-workers
It is a great opportunity to begin my work as a cook in a high(ish) class restaurant.
Also:
This job has very long, tedious hours at competetive pay. I couldn't decide if that was a high or a low.
So here's the thing. My highs are great. I'm trusted to make the dough and batter for Chinese Donuts, Indonesian Corn Fritters, and now the fresh potato Gnocchi. I impressed my head chef with how I could finely cut (julienne) veggies, make a Thai basil oil, and understand the reasons and techniques of tart crust making and baking. Delicious.
As far as my lows go, they can be improved. I know not to leave my dumplings on the stove for too long. I know not to leave my potatoes in the oven too long. My chopping can be improved with practice and better techniques. This will also improve the number of cuts and blisters I've gathered, as will having a better understanding and more experience in a high paced kitchen. And my experience has to start somewhere. And if I can pick up some Chinese along the way, super. Essentially, my lows are most likely temporary. Sure, I'll cut my finger once in a while, but I'll also stub my toe walking around the house. It just happens. But it can happen less often if I be more careful.
I know this industry is difficult. I know I'll be stressed, challenged, and frustrated. But I can also tell that the more I learn, the better off I'll be. And this place, with these people, is supportive and encouraging me to learn by doing, to ask questions, and to fail so I can succeed. From what I understand of the industry and of the working world in general, I'm not going to find a better environment than this easily. So I'm going to learn what I can for as long as I can do it. At least that's the plan. Does it sound cliche? Maybe a little. But that's okay. It's my blog, I can cliche if I want to.
Two more items. One, the toilet paper at the restaurant is very soft. I wonder if it's 8-ply. Yeah, that soft. Two, in case you're wondering, I don't wear a chef jacket or a chef hat. I wear a cook coat. Someday maybe I'll graduate into a chef jacket. But at least my cook coat has short sleeves and is lighter weight, so I don't have to worry about burning my sleeves or wearing a blanket-jacket. And I like the buttons better. Easier to operate.
Finally, I want to share with you our goal and style, as taken from the insert of the dinner menu. Enjoy.
"Our goal is to not only thrive as a distinguished neighborhood restaurant, but also become a community-centered destination with food, family, and celebration as its driving force. . . . Our cooking style centers on traditional Asian dishes, married with fresh local ingredients and implemented with a European approach. We call it Modern Asian Cooking."
First the Lows:
Yesterday I burned some Pork and Chive dumplings.
The day before I overcooked the potato gnocchi I was making.
I'm too slow at chopping.
My hands are getting all sorts blisters, cuts, burns, and cramps.
I'm the least experienced member of the kitchen staff by about 12 years and I don't speak Chinese.
Next the Highs:
Chinese Donuts with Passion Fruit Curl
Spring Rolls with Tamerind Ketchup
Julienned veggies
Fun and knowledgable co-workers
It is a great opportunity to begin my work as a cook in a high(ish) class restaurant.
Also:
This job has very long, tedious hours at competetive pay. I couldn't decide if that was a high or a low.
So here's the thing. My highs are great. I'm trusted to make the dough and batter for Chinese Donuts, Indonesian Corn Fritters, and now the fresh potato Gnocchi. I impressed my head chef with how I could finely cut (julienne) veggies, make a Thai basil oil, and understand the reasons and techniques of tart crust making and baking. Delicious.
As far as my lows go, they can be improved. I know not to leave my dumplings on the stove for too long. I know not to leave my potatoes in the oven too long. My chopping can be improved with practice and better techniques. This will also improve the number of cuts and blisters I've gathered, as will having a better understanding and more experience in a high paced kitchen. And my experience has to start somewhere. And if I can pick up some Chinese along the way, super. Essentially, my lows are most likely temporary. Sure, I'll cut my finger once in a while, but I'll also stub my toe walking around the house. It just happens. But it can happen less often if I be more careful.
I know this industry is difficult. I know I'll be stressed, challenged, and frustrated. But I can also tell that the more I learn, the better off I'll be. And this place, with these people, is supportive and encouraging me to learn by doing, to ask questions, and to fail so I can succeed. From what I understand of the industry and of the working world in general, I'm not going to find a better environment than this easily. So I'm going to learn what I can for as long as I can do it. At least that's the plan. Does it sound cliche? Maybe a little. But that's okay. It's my blog, I can cliche if I want to.
Two more items. One, the toilet paper at the restaurant is very soft. I wonder if it's 8-ply. Yeah, that soft. Two, in case you're wondering, I don't wear a chef jacket or a chef hat. I wear a cook coat. Someday maybe I'll graduate into a chef jacket. But at least my cook coat has short sleeves and is lighter weight, so I don't have to worry about burning my sleeves or wearing a blanket-jacket. And I like the buttons better. Easier to operate.
Finally, I want to share with you our goal and style, as taken from the insert of the dinner menu. Enjoy.
"Our goal is to not only thrive as a distinguished neighborhood restaurant, but also become a community-centered destination with food, family, and celebration as its driving force. . . . Our cooking style centers on traditional Asian dishes, married with fresh local ingredients and implemented with a European approach. We call it Modern Asian Cooking."
Monday, August 11, 2008
Opening Week at TR
For those who don't know, I've recently started working at a brand new restaurant in Everett. It is a modern Asian Bistro, meaning we have cuisine inspired from all parts of Asia, with traditional Asian flavors and some European influence as well. The restaurant is owned by a Chinese family, with a head chef from Thailand, a Sous Chef adopted from Korea, and a prep cook born and raised in Lynnwood, Washington. That would be me.
The M family, the owners, all speak Chinese, as does Head Chef J. The Sous Chef, D, catches on to the Chinese language pretty quickly. I speak Spanish and Point-ese. It's a good situation.
So what's it like, working in a restaurant? Especially a new restaurant that opened less than a week ago. Terrifing. Gratifying. Stressful. Educational. Foreign. Delicious.
For the last year or so I've had my heart set on going to Culinary School. Didn't happen. Instead, I'm a current student of the Culinary School of Hardknocks, Everett campus.
Today I was taught how to disassemble a chicken. And how to debone a salmon filet. And how to pan roast a pork tenderloin. And how to make 5 gallons of the house sauce. And how to make gnocchi from scratch. Will I use this newly acquired knowledge in 40 years? Maybe. If not, I suppose that'll be okay too.
For now, know this: I love food. I love community. Some of my favorite communities often organize around food, or at least include food. Food can facilitate discussion. Food can teach, can invite, can inspire, and can humble. This is what I get for blogging late(ish) at night after almost 11 hours in a restaurant.
More to follow. This blog is meant to keep you updated, and to help me remember. Enjoy.
In the spirit of trying new things,
K.
The M family, the owners, all speak Chinese, as does Head Chef J. The Sous Chef, D, catches on to the Chinese language pretty quickly. I speak Spanish and Point-ese. It's a good situation.
So what's it like, working in a restaurant? Especially a new restaurant that opened less than a week ago. Terrifing. Gratifying. Stressful. Educational. Foreign. Delicious.
For the last year or so I've had my heart set on going to Culinary School. Didn't happen. Instead, I'm a current student of the Culinary School of Hardknocks, Everett campus.
Today I was taught how to disassemble a chicken. And how to debone a salmon filet. And how to pan roast a pork tenderloin. And how to make 5 gallons of the house sauce. And how to make gnocchi from scratch. Will I use this newly acquired knowledge in 40 years? Maybe. If not, I suppose that'll be okay too.
For now, know this: I love food. I love community. Some of my favorite communities often organize around food, or at least include food. Food can facilitate discussion. Food can teach, can invite, can inspire, and can humble. This is what I get for blogging late(ish) at night after almost 11 hours in a restaurant.
More to follow. This blog is meant to keep you updated, and to help me remember. Enjoy.
In the spirit of trying new things,
K.
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