Being Breakfast Chef

As of today, I am still uncertain as to whether I'm being hired to be breakfast chef at the hotel... The executive chef is waiting for the sous chef, i.e. his no. 2, to get in from leave before he will make a decision. Ah... the horrors of hanging by a thread.

Anyway, I went in on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, the shifts begin 6.00am till about 3.00pm, mental hours, but quite interesting experiences. As expected, my first day in a proper kitchen was quite fumbly - the worst was letting an egg benedict slip while plating it. But I learnt quite a bit of stuff - how to make good hollandaise sauce, how to fix an egg benedict, how to slice salmon, how to poach eggs properly etc. It was fun, the chef on duty was also called Lee, Welsh chap with a strange sense of humour, but generally nice to be around and very patient in teaching me stuff. After breakfast was over, I then did prep work, washing a crateful of spinach, peeling a box full of asparagus, that sort of stuff. Observation of the day was that chefs don't really take breaks, not the least for meals. They eat whatever they want, whenever they want, while they cook - rather nice actually. Nine full hours on my feet totally killed me though, being so out of touch with standing long hours (since leaving school). So yah, all was well... Got home and crashed like hell.

Sunday morning at the hotel is supposedly the busiest in the week - and it is evidently so. We (me and Lee) must have served at least 250 customers that morning. I was assigned to handle all the room service orders as well as help out when I can the main breakfast buffet. With just two chefs on duty, things got real crazy around 10.00am. Observation for the day was that knifes are sharp and hurt when it pierces human skin, and that grills are very hot, especially if you whack your hand on the cast-iron parts of it. The nine hours didn't feel all that long though, strangely enough - rushed by quite quickly as I peeled a box of potatoes (about 20+), boiled and mashed them, washed Romain lettuce - a crate full, no less, leaf by leaf and some other prep work.

Monday morning then came and bloody hell, it was a far cry from Sunday - we served about 12 customers, that's it. Luca was on duty instead of Lee and assigned me to do some other prep work asides veges, including making filo rings for garnish. Then around half 11, the executive chef, Chef Stephen Carter, called me up and asked me how I found the work so far, also questioning why I came in on Sunday and Monday, when he asked me only to come Saturday (Sous Chef Paul told me to, I answered). He then said that he'd call.

I'm still waiting for his call.

p.s. I love being called Chef. It's real swish.