Any chefs/line cooks in here?
Is every sous chef really an asshole? Even though executive chefs all preach a positive environment, is the reality really that theyre all just complete dicks? I green as fuck and trying to find my place in the industry but Im starting to doubt my ability to take this shit.
>>7808242
It's always a mixed bag Op. I've worked in a kitchen where the chefs were assertive but still respectful. The chefs I got right now have short attention spans so it's a little annoying when they call for something that's all ready plated/in process.
I would suggest get a good 6 months in and apply for greener pastures if it's really affecting your work.
Need more perspective, explain further?
I've worked under some pretty brutal chefs, and a lot of French trained chefs are rather temperamental. You just have to prove yourself through your actions.
I had this one chef that had a habit of being on everyone's shit, a real perfectionist but rather forward about it. Tiniest things needed to be addressed if done slightly wrong, so on and so forth.
Whenever he'd tell me to do something I would always say Yes Chef, but then I'd ask "What can I do better chef". Ended up getting me very far in that kitchen, and it's been a great tool for success since.
I went from dishwasher to line cook, but the only thing I can't get used to is calling the Chef "Chef" it's so weird to me and usually I just call him sir if anything. But the sous chef I have is very calm and always in a good mood. I don't know how he does it.
>>7808242
Im a sous, i push my cooks to be better everyday. If they have a particularly successful service ill order a round of shots for the kitchen. If not ill cut hours. We operate based on performance. But every sous and exec is different. Hope you find a good set if you arent happy.
5 years plus 1st cook here, if every chef ends up seeming like a complete dick you might just not be cut out for the kitchen life, the average kitchen interaction can seem hostile to most people. There are also chefs and sous that are assholes though no doubt, having worked under a couple different sets of them though I can tell you that that vast majority of my chefs and sous have all been amazing people that helped me become the cook I am today.
Exec Chef here.
When I was coming up, I worked for some real assholes. Brutal, temperamental ego maniacs that would fly apart over the smallest thing. I vowed not to be like them when I became the Chef.
For the most part I'm not. I treat my employees fairly, lead by example and hardly ever raise my voice. The secret is to hire good people, lay out your expectations plainly and then hold people to those expectations.
I don't have histrionics if an employee can't/won't do the work properly. I just fire them and bring in someone who will. It's nothing personal. I have a kitchen to run and I don't have time for slackers/idiots/crybabies.
>>7809494
Good advice anon.
Pretence tier plateup though. I mean, a mustard quenelle? Now you're just showing off; )
Go with hand flaked parmesan, not grated.
Tartare deserves it's own course, the second yolk is superfluous.
Jarred Italian pickles? Not here.
A brie staircase? It's better to do that with apples or pears and give one wedge of cheese.
No salt/pepper/oil?
Keep it simple - 2-3 saltyporkmeats, 2-3 cheeses, 3-4 accoutrements.
>>7808242
being new is fine but if you're not picking it up quickly then yeah you're gonna catch shit. I once had to flat out tell a dude, you're worse than useless, if you were just useless I wouldn't have to go around behind you and fix shit, now go stand in the corner
>>7808242
I work in fine dining and my sous chef is one of the nicest people i've ever met and holy shit do i want to fuck her
Exec Chef here, 18 years in the trenches.
There's always a pressure on sous chef's, they are accountable for the smooth operation of the kitchen under the head/ execs guidance. If standards fall due to slackness of the staff under a sous he generally cops it from the exec. This can be immensely frustrating from experience, I was sous for 7 years under an old school classicly trained chef who expected nothing short of 110% 110% of the time. Any lapses in quality or speed from commis, Demi's or apprentices was to be quickly sorted. The exec had more important business to take care of than keeping 17 year old apprentices on task.
>>7810228
What a picky bitch you are. Those are just your preferences really, and I hope the other guy ignores you, because that looked great and I'd stuff my face without hesitation.
>>7809494
I am guessing your image is related, and i have to say it looks like shit, even the steak tartare
