42.Le Bernardin
http://www.le-bernardin.com/
August 2003- September 2004
It has been 7yrs since I left LB! Wow!! Although I strongly believe there’re still several chefs knowing me(!!), anyway just remind you readers first: whatever I say here is Le Bernadin’03-04! I was working on line with some famous chefs nowadays such as chef Jennifer Carroll(cdc @ 10arts / top chef) and Matt Orlando(cdc @ Noma)... smelling sweat each other!! / laugh So... nothing may be same what LB now, but please let me close my eyes and remember my old days at LB….
I moved to NY right after SF and staged 9 restaurants in 2wks(!!) and eventually I settle down LB. To me American kitchen, especially NY kitchen, we can find everything around the globe. Ginger, avocado, lemongrass, jalapeno, soy sauce, fish sauce, parmesan, chorizo, sriracha, mirin, nori, wasabi..... And in my opinion, the menu at Le Bernardin showing what NY French restaurant is. Very globally inspired French(seafood) cuisine.
In one year at LB I learned a lot, of course. But ... I say the biggest thing I learned is actually NOT how to cook! I know it sounds funny, but I learn something important and crutial in the kitchen other than "how to cook". Which is “how to work”. When I was Le Bernarin during busy seasons, we did over 400 covers(!!), lots of high volume covers. No matter how much skill he or she havs, we have only two hands. What makes difference? That's knowing how to work effective & efficient.
Say> 300 covers, 6 top is about to pick up, 7 tickets on the board, more to come: Everything is ready to pick up 6 top You got brief of the moment: what need to be get done? PLENTY of things! All the 9 pan garnishes should be filled for next round, refill squeeze bottles, bring back-up mise en place from walk-in coolers, check if they’re any special request coming up such as vegetalian and be ready, refill all the plates & sauce pour before storm start, clean the station, changing water on the bain marie, clear the bins, wipe the station… Over 200 covers, cooks have nothing to do and standing in the station until tickets are fire? I don't believe that.
On the banquet operation: simple one rule plate one way either left to right or right to left, never cross the hands with others. Also three is not always faster than two. By Space limitation, organization and methods, two can be faster than three. Three could slow down the pick up. “forward thinking to work efficient & effectively, seeing the entire service as 'consecutive line' instead of seeing 'multiple dots' " Those are something I learned at LB and also 100 of stages I did.....
Some dishes I remembered from my old LB days:
progressive fluke 4 ways / tuna, foie gras & baguette / sea urchin pasta with caviar / blackbath, enoki, maitake with duck boillion / striped bass with lemon verbena nage / poached halibut with tomato & grape / shrimp ravioli with truffle….
Thanks list:
Chef Eric Ripert, Chris, Eric(Gestel), Brian, Richard, Mikael, Phil, Leo, Victor, Segundo, Phina, Ramone, Fusto, Matt, Adam, George(big), George(skinny elbow)Julia, Jennifer, Aliza, Atsushi, Wantan, Troy, Chripy, Shanon, Louis, Gabriel.... and many many more people I forgot for this moment!!