Asking stage is like asking the date to the women you just met.... SORT OF. Start with tad hesitation, I may fuck it up, some mistakes, make me realize how terrible I am..... but hey... nothing to lose, just wing it! I wanna learn. have fun and get inspired, so speak out... "Excuse me, you have time???" simple as that. And.... time has passed, One hundred-fifty!!! Mmm, it was long way indeed.....
I was addicted to stage back in 2002 when I moved to New York. If I remember correctly, I staged 14 restaurants in first 3wks!! It was actually all trials, so I was quite 'tense' during my stage to showcase my best performance. But... same time I found so much 'joy' to seeing different food, kitchen & people. If chef Laurent gras taught me "dedication, ambition & mentality" to cooking, tons of stage made me discovered my limitless "curiosity, interest & joy" to cooking.
Going to stage the kitchen you never worked before.... A LOT TO SEE, obviously seeing different dishes is primal, but there're much much more to see, the Ingredients, dry goods, the spices, the condiments, the tools, the plates, the techniques they use, the method to do things, ticketing/expo system, kitchen set-up, station break-down, mise en place list & organization, storging, labeling, e.t.c.... Every single stage refine my skills, knowledge, idea & culinary intelligence.
Speak of.... last one year, I was full time 365+(sweating) unemployee ..... WHAT A ROSER...., I hate, hate, HATE myself, this stubborn metalhead meatball.... BUT... instead(???) I've been 35 countries and staged around 30 kitchens, was it COMPLETE wasted time or??? Will see about this.... Anyway here I'd like to say thank you to all the chefs & restaurants I staged in past years. "THANK YOU for having me!!!!!!!!!!!!"
So... the followings are the list of 50 restaurants I staged last 4 years over 23 countries! L to R, the name of the restaurant / the style of cuisine(I think) / the location The restaurant with bold line is the restaurant I worked full time more than one month. >>>>>
2010
101. Sea Grill / Seafood / Brussels, Belgium
102. Celeste / French Contemporary / Prague, Czech Republic
103. Noma / Nordic Market / Copenhagen, Denmark
104. Geranium / Nordic Contemporary / Copenhagen, Denmark
105. AOC / Nordic Contemporary / Copenhagen, Denmark
106. Chez Dominique / Finnish Contemporary / Helsinki, Finland
107. Mathias Dalhgren / Swedish Contemporary / Stockholm, Sweden
108. Bentley / Australian Innovative / Melbourne, VIC, Australia
2011
109. Baume / French Contemporary / Palo Alto, CA, U.S.A.
110. Coi / California Market / San Franciso, CA, U.S.A.
111. Saint Pierre / French Modern / Singapore, Singapore
112. Andre / French Innovative / Singapore, Singapore
113. Guy Savoy at Marina bay sands / French Contemporary / Singapore, Singapore
114. 2 AM Dessert Bar / Dessert Innovative / Singapore, Singapore
115. TBLS Kitchen Studio / Monthly Changes / Hong Kong, China
116. Amber at Mandarin Oriental Hotel / French Modern / Hong Kong, China
117. Mandarin Grill / Molecular Gastronomy / Hong Kong, China
118. Mo bar / Continental / Hong Kong, China
2012
119. Ron Blaauw / Dutch Modern / Amsterdam, Netherlands
120. Bolenius / New Amsterdam / Amsterdam, Netherlands
121. 't zilte / Belgian Innovative / Anwerp, Belgium
122. Mielke & Hurtingkarl / Nordic Market / Copenhagen, Denmark
123. Linea Art Restaurant / Swedish Modern / Gothenberg, Sweden
124. Oscarsgate / Nordic Contemporary / Oslo, Norway
125. Maemo / Nordic Innovative / Oslo, Norway
126. Terrine / French Traditional / Munich, Germany
*Baume / French Contemporary / Palo Alto, CA, U.S.A.
127. Quintonil / Mexican Modern / Mexico City, Mexico
2013
128. AQ / New American / San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.
129. Quince / Italian Modern / San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.
130. Mikael Mina / New American / San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.
131. Atelier Crenn / French Innovative / San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.
132. Casa Gangotena / Ecuadorian Contemporary / Quito, Ecuador
133. Central / Peruvian Fusion / Lima, Peru
134. Malabar / Peruvian Contemporary / Lima, Peru
135. Amaz / Amazonian Contemporary / Lima, Peru
136. Borago / Chilean Market / Santiago, Chile
137. Aramburu / Argentina Molecular / Buenos Aires, Argentina
138. Epice / Brazilian Modern / Sao Paulo, Brasil
139. JB restaurant / French Slovenian/ Ljubljana, Slovenia
140. Duvbravkin put / Seafood / Zagreb, Croatia
141. Vincent / Austrian Contemporary / Wien, Austria
142. Olo / Nordic Innovative / Helsinki, Finland
143. Spis / Nordic Modern / Helsinki, Finland
144. Chef & Sommelier / Nordic Modern / Helsinki, Finland
145. Luomo / Nordic Innovative / Helsinki, Finland
146. Pure Bistro / Bistro Modern / Helsinki, Finland
147. Ronin / Japanese Modern / Hong Kong, China
148. Yardbird / Yakitori / Hong Kong, China
149. Ly Club / Vietnamese Modern / Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
150. Nahm / Thai Contemporary / Bangkok, Thailand
As of today, 158/28/47, 158 stage over 28 countries across 47 countries I have visited.... Quite number yet, not enough!! 300/100/195 is idol lifetime targeting!!!(maybe guinness record, then!?) Next post... nnn.... not CJWDT: New Zealand yet, let's look back the past before it's too late.... been a while, shot from Baume days, Mergination & Inspiration: Ultra Violet NEXT!!!