I've been a professional cook for some time now. I've cooked in several different kitchens and venues. The difference between a restaurant kitchen and a catering kitchen is excellent. While a catering kitchen works on cooking in large amounts and mostly a day or two before serving, a restaurant doesn't have that. The operation of a successful restaurant kitchen and the rest of the restaurant must be orchestrated and managed.
I've been asked how a typical restaurant kitchen operates over the years. So for those who have always wondered and those that just thought about this, here are my answers.
Please bare in mind that I'm writing from my experience, and every restaurant might be different.
What is the difference between a chef and a cook?
The word "chef" is French for "chief." It means "the head of the kitchen." The chef is in charge of leading the culinary aspect of the venue, including building a concept, putting a menu together, and choosing products. The chef would also be involved in staff educating, choosing plates and cutlery, and the overall design of the place.
On the other hand, the cooks make and plate make and plate the food according to the chef's directions and the customer's specifications, if there are any. The sous chef usually leads the kitchen brigade.
How do you determine what to charge for each item?
A restaurant is a business, after all. And as such, every expense has to be covered. To do that, as you probably guessed, we charge money for the food we serve.
When the chef creates a dish, he calculates how much of each ingredient is used and how much does it cost for that dish. This is called "food cost." Then, he adds the "labor cost," which is the average amount of what his cooks are getting paid divided by the average amount of time it takes to work on this dish plus the waiting and other staff wages. Then go in other expenses such as bills, rent, insurance, advertising, and miscellaneous. To that, we'll add a percentage of profit (usually around 15 percent) and taxes.
What happens when I order?
Oh, the question of all questions. What sort of magic is this?
So, this is where the orchestration is crucial. When your server has finished taking your order, a ticket with your order on it will be sent to the kitchen. Every few minutes, the expediter will call out what tickets the kitchen staff is working on. This is to ensure that each cook in each station knows what to do. See, each kitchen is divided into stations. This could vary from place to place, but they'd all have a hot station, a cold station, and an expedition order for the kitchen to send out your food together with the rest of your tables' food at its intended temperature, the stations have to be in unison and orchestrated by the expediter. Usually, you'll find the chef or sous chef in this station.
When do you make everything? How come it takes you less time than it takes me at home?
That's a tricky question, on the spot and ahead of time. Every dish is prepared before the last one or two steps. Meaning – the vegetables for your salad are already cut when you order; the cook just mixes up the specific amounts together with sauce and puts it on a plate. Some hot sauces are made ahead of time and get heated up.
Any stew, or slow-cooked dish, is prepared ahead of time. This is done to save time, but In the case of stews, slow-cooked dishes, and sauces, this lets the flavors of the different ingredients blend more and become more noticeable.
How do you make sure things don't get spoiled?
Spoiled food is the worst. It is harmful to you, and actions to prevent spoilage are taken regularly. Although this might sound daunting to some, these actions are simple and can easily be implemented (and should be implemented) in every household.
1. FIFO. Initials for "First."n, First Out." When products come in (or when you do your grocery shopping), the existing products of that type get moved to be the most accessible, and the new ones go behind. The older products in your fridge or pantry get priority when you come to use them . This also goes for prepared food.
2. Check the expiration date. It is a bad idea to ignore what the experts have determined is the best for it.
3. Always, but always, wash your hands. During the COVID pandemic, we all learned how to wash our hands best. These directions are great for getting rid of many germs.
4. Chuck away rotten veggies. Without getting too "sciency," rotten veggies ruin the party for the rest of your veggies. So, instead of throwing everyone out, take care of the bad guys.
5. Keep your kitchen clean.
I hope I was able to answer most of your questions! Any more? Let me know!