So back in day at RM, time to time I told and oftenly screamed my crew some words. These are words all coming from my heart / spirit. The reason why I told these to my cooks is simple. I wanted that all my cooks carry same spirit I showed after I'm gone from RM seafood. Yes, right present time and future from now hope it stay at RM seafood....
"Raising the standard, increase the intensity"
This probably the word I said in my first monthly kitchen meeting and multiple times I told my cooks. "The intensity" is the word I borrowed from chef Grant Acatzs at Alinea meeting back in day. We cooks and chefs may not all(sadly but the truth), but most of us cooks because we love cooking. I think dream job is you do what you love and make living out of it. BUT when it going down to profession, I think people better be serious what they do. If cooks have no motive to get better as a cook or no intension to refine skills or knowledge as a professional, then I hate to say this but what is different from housewife or househubby who cook as a hobby?
The working enviroment should be fun place to be, and the place should be comfortable. BUT again, kitchen never be not cooks's house and playground, need a tension, intensity. In my past I've been the kitchens no one speak at all, but to me personally it was little too much. I thought it should have little more communication between people casue seriously people in the kitchen we usually spend more time than faimly or boy/girlfriend. So I would say people is free to talk in the kitchen as long as in a professional manner, BUT again simply "we all come here to work as a professional, not to talk with your friends." That's all about it.
"Trying means nothing, do it, do it right, every day, every fuckin' day!"
This is just my way of pushing people's back. Guess it sounds really aggressive, but it's real serious, straight forward. If trying could be the excuse, how we management can push people? I mean realistictly 5yrs old kid can at least try! Busy night service, the order need to be picked up, that's really "don't try, do it!! I don't wanna hear you trying!!" Everything from riding on the bike, swimming or cutting chives ... we start from trying. And we get better after trying every day and eventually get done perfect. So I personally think well said!!
"I don't care you are 5yrs old girl or 60yrs old granpa. I don't need weak, I want only strong in the kitchen! Mercy doesn't exist in this kitchen, no mercy EVER!!"
Again MEAN, very CJ. It comes from my belief I talked on my previous post. Once whoever come work for me in the kitchen, I promised to treat everyone same, doesn't matter about age, sex, ex. 3 michelin star cook, friend of someone or former sous chef. Just saying "I don't care who you are, do what I say, don't fucked it up or I'll fire up anytime!!" in funny way!
"You know what you doin?"
It may sounds funny, but sometimes people really don't know what they doing! and they say doing whatever because someone say do like this. Without reason, it shouldn't be done and shold have thought when we work, otherwise it could be just wasting time. And if I doing my daily routine(let's say making bao or break down rabbit), I always try to break my previous time record, try out different ways or whatever.. This I just saying "stay focus, always think what you doin and no vactation in my kitchen!!"
"You can pissed off with me, but before that you should be pissed off with your mistake or ashamed of yourself."
This is words I got.... 12(!!)yrs ago and carrying since. Long ago... at the time I was 19 worked as a kitchenhand at restaurant called Ajiichiba, Saitama-ken, Japan. One day I broke a dish and owner chef(Mr.Sakamoto, Sakamoto-san) came over and cursed me with dirty words intensionally. I got real upset and this Sakamoto-san smiled and told me this word. It really opened my eyes as a professional. This word is about having self pride in what we do, about working to prove ownself (as I always say) and controling own emotion as a professional. Seriously I would say one of top 5 favorites quotes I ever heard in my life.
"Mistakes are forgiven, Laziness never be forgiven"
No much to explain, we all make mistakes, no matter who he or she is! What I hate is people make mistake and just don't feel anything and make same mistake. That's huge problem! But real professional learn from mistakes, that's the difference from amatures. And sometimes people excuse laziness as mistake like forget something or whatever stupid shit. That is always annoying to me, laziness is intensional and mistake is by accident, never be same!!
"Focus, Details and Push(Puuuuuuuuuuuush)!!"
I don't know how many times I told this at RM upstairs...... / a bitter smile If someone ask cooks at RM upstairs what CJ always say, it gonna be "fuck"(a bitter smile) or this one, I think. But this is something I learn from chef Laurent Gras. I've known him since I was a kid (22) and I would say this is what he is all about and also what I learned from him. I'm sure I'll carry this word till the end of my carrer.
"Even you make perfect plates, if it takes 20-30mins, the guests don't care!" by chef Gerald Chin
This may be not words to words, he may say little different, but... this is a word of wisdom fro m chef Gerald Chin, chef de cuisine of RM seafood. I'm truely honored to work right next to him, he've been my mentor at RM seafood. So... what's this about? We chefs sometimes can be super self center selfish. Sometimes almost masturbating ownself like! Trying to plate every single plates perfectly same every single times, that's our mentality. But this word getting the point for real world, Real world.
Let's face it, if you go out to dining, seriously no one in dining room don't wanna wait for their courses over 30 mins. Making every single plates perfect is definely all the chefs goal, but realistically if it take 30 mins to get the dishes on the table, the diner never be happy! No matter how it looks gorgerous, beautifully present!! This word remind me time is real crucial for the service and also consistancy is the ultimate key to success. Thank you, Chef Gerald!!
So... these last three posts are something I learned from managing people at RM seafood. It was real valuable lessons in my culinary journey....
Labels: My Spirit, RM seafood