So I have now been at Without Reservation for almost a week. In that time I have come to learn how much I don’t know and even a bit of how much I do. But there is a whole lot less that I know versus what I don’t in the culinary world.
As I mentioned last week, I had to leave Reservation. I looked at what the next while was going to look like for me and further I felt I had stagnated and that that was not going to change in the foreseeable future. As such I believe I did what all cooks do. Leave on good terms and see if I really have wings or am just Icarus. I believe now, firmly, that I am not Icarus and that I am not going to come crashing down to the earth. I only mention this because Sous Chef A and I had a conversation about the move and he (quite rightly) let me know that in a move like this if I can not pick up the pieces quickly and survive the line that my dream might well be at jeopardy. The more I thought about it the more I found that he was A) Right and B) being a friend and mentor by giving it to me straight as opposed to sugar coating it. So for that I thank you A.
The first week was filled with more ups than downs which is always a good sign. I found that at the line I certainly can crawl and even pulled myself up to walk very quickly. Now I just need to learn how to run. And what’s more I know I will.
As a steakhouse we do exactly as the name suggests. A good thirty percent of the breakdown on food sales is grill. Another 30 sauté. The rest is Garde or as we call it upscale bar food. As such since starting on the line I have been responsible for about thirty to thirty five percent of the meals that go out to customers.
I’ve learned this week for the first time the proper construction and use of both a blonde and brown roux. Proper technique to cooking it and its usage. I’ve learned most of the recipe book and how everything is plated. I’ve worked both Sauté and Grill and yes, of course have done a tonne of prep. Not just for my station but also for the Chef’s station, the grill. Not because I was asked either. Instead because I am part of a team and I feel that where I am in that team requires me to set a good example. Not that it is really an issue in the kitchen that I am currently in. EVERYONE pulls his or her weight. Which is refreshing.
As I mentioned last week, and if I didn’t, I meant to, a lot of cooking on the line is preparation and organization. Without either you will be dead in the water before you even have your second chit on the board (more on this in my next post).
I can not stress enough the importance of organization on the line. I need to know exactly what I have, where I have it and if not on the line I need to know where it is stored so if I fall into the weeds I can verbally paint the picture of exactly where it is for whoever has the ability to grab it for me. On the line (which I will post a picture of soon) the main line consists of one line for sauté and grill. To the left is the Garde station and in the back is where all the upscale bar food comes off. As such there could be a disconnect between stations. This leads to another important point – COMMUNICATION. The main line consists of a six top, a fryer and a grill.
Our staging area is about eight feet long and consists of Chef to my right, a common ground in between for plating and then the station I am currently working. Again communication is key as space is limited.
The fridge space on the line is limited and requires great organization. In my past I would never have said that I could organize my way out of a paper bag. Though I would say that words don’t count when it comes to that statement, as I have always been organized when it comes to my writing. I have exactly two shelves which measure approximately three feet by three feet. Maybe a bit less. In that I need to keep all of my prep and backup for service. What I can’t keep in there, as I said earlier, I store in such a way that it is easily accessible.
Back to communication for a moment. Many times in the past year I have mentioned the importance of communication. On our team we have three cooks and Chef. It is quite interesting with that brigade pulling off anywhere between 150 – 200 covers, most of which come in a quick hit of one hour and fifteen minutes. SOLID sweat and motion. Purposeful motion. Which again, in such a tight space requires constant communication between the whole team.
These are all things that I am indebted to Reservation for teaching me. Without the fundamentals that I learned at Reservation I am not sure that I ever would have been able to jump on the line as I have at Without Reservation.
My hours are less, the work more stressful, the environment quite different from Reservation. But as I said in my last post. This move was necessary for me. To continue my growth. To lead me down the path that I chose for my dream and that I live every day.
I will be back with a post about the frenetic energy and pace of service shortly.
Paulo Coelho once said; “When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back. A week is more than enough time for us to decide whether or not to accept our destiny.”
I could not agree more.
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Showing posts with label Communication. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Communication. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Functions, Parties, Events (file under always an adventure)
So when I joined Reservation I was completely unaware of some of the things that go on in a kitchen of that size. Of course when I started I was beyond green. I had only passion, drive, a great work ethic and a desire to be the best that I could. Since starting I have learned so much and I am grateful for every day that I am there. One of the things that has struck me is the preparations that are made for functions, events and parties. There is always something going on and as we go into the summer season I have become aware of the fact that we may have days where we have ten functions of all different sizes. So far we have been busy but not nearly as busy as I know we will be by the time I get back from Mexico in a couple of weeks.
At Reservation we can do functions for as few as ten people and as many as we can fit in the establishment. The largest event we have done since I have been there was for around two hundred but I’ve gotten the feeling that in the summer that number can multiply by two or three.
In terms of functions the first thing that happens when L and I get into to work is to look at the function sheets. A function sheet is filled with all the pertinent data that we need to structure our day to prepare. It has the event name, the person throwing it, the date of the event, the revision date for any revisions that have been made, the starting and ending times, the number of people expected, the location as well as the menu broken down into canapés and dinner offerings.
We have quite a few canapé options at Reservation. Some of these include crab cakes, shrimp lollipops, fish and chips, quiche, vol au vent, carpacchio, Bruschetta, spring rolls, duck crepes, Vietnamese rolls and butter chicken stay just to name a few. As you can imagine some of these are fairly easy to prepare and assemble. Others not so much. L and I are capable of preparing these fairly quickly and when it comes time to plate them we can go from zero to one hundred in a minute flat. The cold canapés take a little bit longer to plate as they are a little more labour intensive. The hot canapés merely require to be fired and plated and we can send out five dozen in a matter of minutes.
Dinner options are always to the client specification but usually entail a soup or a salad, an entrée and a dessert. But some menus are more intensive and have a soup, salad, appetizer, entrée and dessert. L and I have developed a system where he and I can do a party for up to forty five people on our own without assistance from any one else who happens to be around. We can plate those forty five in approximately three minutes from start to finish for each course and have them at the table within four. Over forty five it becomes quite difficult to manage and we have to use the line method.
A note on the plating line. Obviously the plates start at the far left of the line. Starch is laid down first. The plate then moves to the right where it gets its vegetables. Next are protein, then sauce, garnish and a wipe. In this manner we can send out a party for one hundred approximately the same time as if it is just L and I doing it. I do expect that as the summer approaches we will be doing parties like this even faster and that so far I am just on my learning curve. As well either Executive Chef, Head Chef or Chef J will expedite the line result. So lets for instance say that we have a table of nine. The Chef will call out the order which we acknowledge. We get all the plates down for that table which he then expedites through the servers. All the while we are working on the next table so that there is a steady stream to the guests. It really is one of the most beautiful ballets I have ever seen. Six or seven people plating in a very tight space. All the while making exceptions to the plates. Some want rare, medium rare, well done, some have nut allergies or preferences. It is remarkable to see but even more remarkable to be a part of it. While at the same time the front of house servers are streaming out with plates that we have done in less than a minute for a table.
For example we recently had two parties going at the same time. One was a wedding which had 68 guests and the other a wedding “celebration” for 56. We had to try and juggle the canapés in such a way that the parties that were overlapping would have a staggered service. One party had twenty dozen canapés while the other had fifteen (I think, I’m going from memory not my notes). Even though they both entered their respective venues at the same time we were able to get the canapés out for the second party first so that we could start concentrating on dinner. Even though we timed our stagger perfectly the second party delayed sitting down but we had enough cushion built in that we were able to work it.
For the wedding celebration that we started to plate first we had orders for 26 soup, 26 salad, 26 chicken, 26 salmon and two vegan meals. For the wedding at the other venue we had to add an extra course. For that one we had 68 soup, 68 gnocchi, 30 salmon and 38 beef as well as one vegan meal. And as I’ve come to learn this dance is one that needs to be choreographed perfectly, especially as we approach the summer “busy season.”
Also communication is key. It is imperative that the left hand know what the right hand is doing and if there is a problem it needs to be vocalized and dealt with. That type of clarity and quick response is something that I thrive on. I love the rush, the excitement and the result.
I pay attention to every aspect of what we are doing. I recall the first time I was on a line I was as slow as molasses. Now I’m better but there is always room for improvement. I pay attention to what everyone is doing; I pay attention to the Chefs and even the servers as I feel that all of this will serve me in my goals.
Aldous Huxley once said; “There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self.” How true it is.
Dream big and inspired.
A la prochaine
SDM
At Reservation we can do functions for as few as ten people and as many as we can fit in the establishment. The largest event we have done since I have been there was for around two hundred but I’ve gotten the feeling that in the summer that number can multiply by two or three.
In terms of functions the first thing that happens when L and I get into to work is to look at the function sheets. A function sheet is filled with all the pertinent data that we need to structure our day to prepare. It has the event name, the person throwing it, the date of the event, the revision date for any revisions that have been made, the starting and ending times, the number of people expected, the location as well as the menu broken down into canapés and dinner offerings.
We have quite a few canapé options at Reservation. Some of these include crab cakes, shrimp lollipops, fish and chips, quiche, vol au vent, carpacchio, Bruschetta, spring rolls, duck crepes, Vietnamese rolls and butter chicken stay just to name a few. As you can imagine some of these are fairly easy to prepare and assemble. Others not so much. L and I are capable of preparing these fairly quickly and when it comes time to plate them we can go from zero to one hundred in a minute flat. The cold canapés take a little bit longer to plate as they are a little more labour intensive. The hot canapés merely require to be fired and plated and we can send out five dozen in a matter of minutes.
Dinner options are always to the client specification but usually entail a soup or a salad, an entrée and a dessert. But some menus are more intensive and have a soup, salad, appetizer, entrée and dessert. L and I have developed a system where he and I can do a party for up to forty five people on our own without assistance from any one else who happens to be around. We can plate those forty five in approximately three minutes from start to finish for each course and have them at the table within four. Over forty five it becomes quite difficult to manage and we have to use the line method.
A note on the plating line. Obviously the plates start at the far left of the line. Starch is laid down first. The plate then moves to the right where it gets its vegetables. Next are protein, then sauce, garnish and a wipe. In this manner we can send out a party for one hundred approximately the same time as if it is just L and I doing it. I do expect that as the summer approaches we will be doing parties like this even faster and that so far I am just on my learning curve. As well either Executive Chef, Head Chef or Chef J will expedite the line result. So lets for instance say that we have a table of nine. The Chef will call out the order which we acknowledge. We get all the plates down for that table which he then expedites through the servers. All the while we are working on the next table so that there is a steady stream to the guests. It really is one of the most beautiful ballets I have ever seen. Six or seven people plating in a very tight space. All the while making exceptions to the plates. Some want rare, medium rare, well done, some have nut allergies or preferences. It is remarkable to see but even more remarkable to be a part of it. While at the same time the front of house servers are streaming out with plates that we have done in less than a minute for a table.
For example we recently had two parties going at the same time. One was a wedding which had 68 guests and the other a wedding “celebration” for 56. We had to try and juggle the canapés in such a way that the parties that were overlapping would have a staggered service. One party had twenty dozen canapés while the other had fifteen (I think, I’m going from memory not my notes). Even though they both entered their respective venues at the same time we were able to get the canapés out for the second party first so that we could start concentrating on dinner. Even though we timed our stagger perfectly the second party delayed sitting down but we had enough cushion built in that we were able to work it.
For the wedding celebration that we started to plate first we had orders for 26 soup, 26 salad, 26 chicken, 26 salmon and two vegan meals. For the wedding at the other venue we had to add an extra course. For that one we had 68 soup, 68 gnocchi, 30 salmon and 38 beef as well as one vegan meal. And as I’ve come to learn this dance is one that needs to be choreographed perfectly, especially as we approach the summer “busy season.”
Also communication is key. It is imperative that the left hand know what the right hand is doing and if there is a problem it needs to be vocalized and dealt with. That type of clarity and quick response is something that I thrive on. I love the rush, the excitement and the result.
I pay attention to every aspect of what we are doing. I recall the first time I was on a line I was as slow as molasses. Now I’m better but there is always room for improvement. I pay attention to what everyone is doing; I pay attention to the Chefs and even the servers as I feel that all of this will serve me in my goals.
Aldous Huxley once said; “There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self.” How true it is.
Dream big and inspired.
A la prochaine
SDM
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