/ck/ - Food & Cooking

>>5524134
>Do you have any tips for someone just starting in the restaurant business?
Don't, unless you love food and are really passionate about it, in which case, don't.
You need to be or will become a gritty, bitter, alcoholic fuck with little social life and a passionate hate for useless young waitresses and customers who think they know food better than you, the chef.

>>5524156
I've heard people mention that on here, and honestly it's the one thing I'm truly passionate about.

If that means I'm going to become a tired, old, bitter piece of shit then let it be.

>>5524162
No seriously, if you are seriously passionate about cooking then don't take it up professionally unless you can somehow take all the guff and agony and deal with it cleanly.

>>5524172
I honestly can't see myself doing anything else, anon, unless it's something on the lines of food writing or food media, and that has a near impossible employment rate.

But yeah, I love food a lot, and I want to at least pick up enough restaurant experience to know if I'll be able to handle having this as a career. I'm still really young, so I definitely have time to turn things around if I decide it's not my thing, but i've wanted this kind of life and all the pain that comes with it since I was a kid.

>>5524181
OK, just keep in mind that you don't have to work in restaurants.
Also buy some very comfortable shoes like crocs or brikis and loose, breathable pants and jackets.

>>5524185
They give us whites to wear and stuff, so I can't really wear any of my own things, but what sort of shoes do you recommend?

Also my hairs insanely long, do you recommend I just cut it to prevent anything from falling out of my hat when I work?

>>5524134
prepare your anus
sounds like you're already willing to do whatever needs to be done, keep that
if you don't fully understand something, let them know
don't be a shit
go in early, leave late
pay attention to everything you can around you, particularly where everything, and I mean everything, down to where the canned goods from the 4 cycle old menu are stuffed underneath everything

>>5524202
thank you based anon. this stuff was actually pretty useful!

They're asking me to come in at 6 PM for my little evaluation test run thing

should I drop in at 5:30 so I can be there early, or would that annoy them?

my anus feels so prepared.

>>5524197
I worked for about a year and a half with longer hair than every waitress, i tried just ponytailing and wearing a skullcap but I kept losing hairs in food, much better to wear a hat that covers all the hair unless you scour your scalp daily for loose hairs.

>They give us whites to wear and stuff
Try for the loosest, most comfortable fit. You'll be standing and running for up to 12 hours in a hot room..
Ask the older guys what shoes they wear for comfort.

>>5524212
thanks man

do guys get different shoes than girls though? I heard that apparently dude feet and grill feet have different arches and all that jazz

should I ask one of the female employees what they wear instead? or is it all the same?

Some of what that anon is true.

You are working long hours, you will have virtually no social life.

You will probably hate the waitresses. Most of them are useless, the reason being is most don't give a shit. They are just in it for the money whilst they are going to school or something. They have no passion for it. Every now and then you'll come across some good waiters that you will really appreciate. These are the ones that have done it for years, they have passion.

Customers are a different story. You won't form a hatred to customers, its just some are annoying and will disrupt service for you. They aren't trying to be assholes, its just they don't realize the impact their "special order" or whatever has on the kitchen. Occasionally you will get a customers that is not genuine and just bitches for the sake of bitching. These guys are the people you will fucking hate.

Drugs and alcohol. Common is the industry. You can't avoid it. Depends on the workplace how prominent it is, but if you've got the willpower to stay off them you'll be fine.

On to it as a career. IMO, its one of the best things you can do, even if you don't like it in the future.
Sure it isn't the best payed job, you have long hours whatever.

But you are doing what you love. You'll be working hard, but it won't feel like it. I obviously do my job to make a living, but I look at it as more of a hobby. Its not work for me.

You'll be able to get a job anywhere, and there are a lot of jobs on offer at any time. If you want to go to Paris for a year, you go. Getting a job is no trouble. Same for anywhere else in the world.

It also gives you the opportunity and skills to go up the ranks. Not just to an executive chef position, but in other areas aswell.
It doesn't necessarily mean you have to be slaving away in a kitchen allday. You can become a business owner, a representative for food suppliers & kitchen equipment, a private chef, put into management roles etc.

tldr: do it

>>5524215
>should I ask one of the female employees
I would be amazed if there were more than one or females in the kitchen. Most of the manufacturers probably cater towards men for this reason.

Here's what I like to see in a stage:
1.discipline
>work clean, keep your towel folded, stay clean.
2. Moves
>be efficient with your movements. Don't spin in circles
3. Don't be a faggot.
>Don't argue when I ask you for something you think you've already given me. Don't whine.
4. Knife work.
>hand placement. Long strokes. Sharp knives. (If your knife is dull, why are you here?). Consistent cuts.
Also, unlike the turd I had last week. Know the difference between garlic and shallots.

>>5524134
Fixed
> I've been offered a "job" that I wont get paid for
> I'm real enthooosed
> Where do I pick up some condoms for the casting couch?

>>5524197
Crocs make nice clogs. Get clogs. Seriously.

>>5524203

Not that anon, but you can if you want. It won't annoy them, infact its probably better as the most places I've worked at will start service at 6. It will just show you're interested. I feel as if Im not atleast 10mins early to work, Im late. Its a good habit to get into

For shoes, I would just to go a catering or kitchen store. Try everything on. Just get something comfortable. Slip-ons are quite common, as are boots (blundstones are good) if you are fine with carrying quite a heavy shoe for hours on end. Just be prepared. Take everything on board. For the first few years in training, just be a sponge. Absorb every single bit of info you are given.

>>5524231
shut up faggot.
Great thread, good luck to you in your endeavors OP!

>>5524239
Riiiiiiiight, whatever you say. These companies exist to make money, if you want to make money too then you don't work for free, they don't away their food for free. If they did, they wouldn't be in fucking business.

Showing effort is helping that company, restraurant, whatever make money, therefore you get paid too.

Working for free shows you as a sucker.

>>5524258
I don't think you understand why people stage for no pay.
(hint:it's not about getting paid for that work)

>>5524262
I understand it fully, it's because they're suckers, and staging is a way that people get free work out of people who should be paid in the first place.

Would you like to buy some "miracle spring water?"
It's sold direct from Peter Popoff.

>>5524262
Maybe some "No Evil Oil" is more to your liking?

>>5524286
I've never heard of anyone staging for more than a few shorter shifts.
Not everyone does it with money in mind, I know a couple of older guys who only come to our kitchen when we are short staffed or overbooked because they are good old friends of the chef.
Some people just do it for fun or to get the chance to work in a kitchen that already has enough people employed.

>>5524292
All that I can say is that I've never worked for free except for a couple months which was for a company that my family owned, so I wasn't really working for free.

>>5524302
Internships is the same bullshit. The staging is that it gives manager types access to hot chicks willing to work for free, that works for homos too. Being intern is stupid as fuck because again, a person is working for free for a "for profit" company. Why would they respect you if you're willing to work for free and what are you going to learn? How to fetch someone else's coffee and laundry? Fuck that, that would be a waste of my time, I'd rather not do that and get blazed with some friends and play frisbee then work for free for some assholes.

>>5524292
Isn't that kind of a revolving door then?
In one idiot, then no, you're no good but thanks for working for free, here's the next one. Suckers.

>>5524319
It's not a scam like you think it is.
Maybe you are too Jewish minded.

>>5524217
thanks man. That was a lot of information that you don't really get from people IRL, but it was definitely necessary information.

as for drugs and alcohol and stuff, I'm still too young to legal drink anyway, so people usually stop offering once they find out my age anyway

But yeah, I don't know if I'd like to cook forever, but I do like the doors that cooking opens.

Thanks again, man!

>>5524223
Shit, man, really? I thought there'd be more girls in the business.

>>5524227
Thanks for the advice!

also do you think they'd let me bring/use my own knife kit? I'm pretty attached to my chef's knife

also holy shit someone didn't know the difference between shallots and garlic?! dude. duuude.

>>5524232
I'm down with that

>>5524239
Thanks, dude!

>>5524258
>>5524286
>>5524302
>>5524319
Okay, I don't think you guys understand.

I have the job, this day is just to see what position they're going to put me in, like pantry, prep, line, or whatever.

Like, I am going to get paid, not today since it's just a day to see where I'll be working and trying everything out, but once everything's settled, including my work schedule, I'll be an actual employee/cook there.

And even if I did decide to just trail and not take the job, it's amazing experience. I can't learn everything in my own kitchen, at some classes, or even at a culinary school.

You need restaurant experience in any way that you can get it, and if that means just spending a day to a week working in various parts of the kitchen without pay, I'm fine with that.

>>5524312
Post again when you graduate high school and let us know how your job landscaping is going. I'm dying to know.

>>5524862
Most (90% of) decent restaurants expect you to have knives. Other useful tools: plating spoons, fish spat, veg peeler, shears, box cutter, needle-nose pliers. You build an impressive kit through your career.
They sell these bag-things that we call a "knife roll." It holds all your tools, and makes them convienent to lug around. Get one.

>>5524134
dont get crocs, shoes with holes are stupid in a kitchen. get birkis or danskos

>>5525017
Crocs make hole-less, non slip clogs that you can pass through the dish machine every night.

>>5525021
>Crocs make hole-less
they still have holes on the sides and suck compared to danskos or birkis

>>5525027
Jesus man. I'm not comparing the cheaper (And fucking hole-less, just google it) crocs to the superior brands.

You're going to want more than one pair of kitchen shoes. Get Danskos & Crocs. I have several pairs that don't have annoying holes in them.

Say goodbye to your social life, too. The restaurant business is rough.

>>5524862
As far as girls in the industry, there are more when you progress into "serious" kitchens. Most women go to cooking school, and start in garde manger or pastry. Women who fit in with the guys tend to be crude, shit-talking, workaholics, who love the business. They are great to have around, and tend to be more creative than the lumbering dudes, which means we get things like tasty churros after service.

>>5525010
yeah, I have one! I cook like, a shit ton so i've built up my tools throughout the years

>>5525057
nice! I mean if I am the only chick there, I won't give two shits, but it'd be cool to meet a grill who likes the same stuff i like (most of my friends are picky fast food eating buttholes)

also fuck yes churros.

Hey, soon I will be work in some pizza place as a cook, my first cooking related job to be honest ( i know it will be sucky but i am not afraid of hard work and kinda looking forward for it)
I got a question (maybe stupid one) : how to become good and somewhat respectable chief later on? should i attend some cooking school/whatever? should I later try finding cooking job in another country and is it hard finding it?

td:lr : how to become kitchen god?

As somebody else who's looking into a career in the cooking business, this has all been pretty useful for me too, so thank you.

>>5525288
Fuck you.

>>5525293

Why fuck me?

>>5525294
i think it was an invitation, anon

u 2 should date

>>5525278
The paths are many. Some people go to school. This helps you land gigs at corporate "concepts." You will get good at managing books and ordering in croutons for a pack of 10 dollar an hour line cooks. Alternately, you can work your way up the ladder, stage at reztaurants you like on your day off, ask questions, and learn. It takes a few years either way. Lastly, don't work pizza, these skills are inapplicable and soul killing.

>>5525098
We have 5 girls on the team right now (3 line, 1 prep, 1dishwasher) and they are all fantastic to work with. They chug whiskey after service, don't complain about carrying ten gallons of veal stock to the prep area, and brush off the verbal abuse that is the product of dinner service in a high volume kitchen. Good people.

>>5525328
they sound chill as fuck

i'm meeting my future coworkers and stuff tomorrow, i hope they're as chill as your chefs

the place i'm gonna work at is like..insanely high class white tablecloth-tier though.

Should I expect rad badass coworkers? Do you think they'll be snobby?

>>5525311
you are right and i agree with you 100%, but i need to start from somewhere. i will work there 1 year max, after that maybe i will find something decent. But idk maybe i am wrong, maybe i shouldn't waste my life with pizza place.

>>5525343
Nah. I started slinging eggs and hash at a diner, worked up to exec chef at a gastropub corporate concept. Worked fine dining, and now I'm at a locally owned, locally sourced sort of place. The seriousness about food quality changes, but the behavior of line cooks is 100% consistent. Expexct hourly dick jokes and that's-what-she-saids.

>>5524134
OP why don't you get into catering? You still work with food but you make alot more money and the hours are usually better.

>>5525354
I must correct myself. Pizza will give you the turn-n-burn speed necessary in a high volume setting. I'd work hard on my knifework, and do as much sauce prep as possible. Work on your discipline, too. Folded towel, clean board, clean floor, clean station.

>>5525354
try walking in and attempting to trail at some finer places. As anon stated and you've heard, pizza's not gonna help you achieve much, especially if you're working at a regular/shit tier/not 5 star pizza place.

that's just my opinion though.

OP here!

today's the day, guys. Wish me luck!!

The restaurant I work for requires everyone to have a pair of shoes from Shoes for Crews, they have many different styles and are slip resistant.

https://www.shoesforcrews.com/

>>5524185
For the love of god don't wear crocs in a kitchen (or at all for that matter) Get a good pair of non slip from shoes for crews, some of the steel toes heavy duty ones. Something with laces that fits tight around your ankle. Had a guy in culinary school who wore those shitty loose fitting clogs. Had a pot of boiling pasta water spill in them. Ran to a chair and tried to get the shoe off then take his boiling water soaked socks off. MFW the skin of his foot came off attached to the sock.

>>5527471
The reason you wear clogs is so if you do spill something you can kick them off quickly instead of having to untie the shoes and take it off.

That being said fuck Crocs, Danskos all the way.

In a kitchen you definitely need something slip resistant. It could be Danskos, Shoes for Crews, or something similar. I personally am not fond of wearing clogs so I go with a tennis shoe style. It's all a matter of preference. Shoes for crews do have a few pair of shoes that are waterproof, but they are more of a boot style.

>>5527873
The shoes for crews waterproof ones are where it's at. They are slip resistant, come in low cut clog-like but still have laces or boot style. They won't fall apart if you get grease and oil on them and come in steel toes for those rare moments when that 20 quart mixing bowl full of dough comes off the table and down on your foot.