10 dishes chefs find incredibly annoying to make

Everyone knows that one task at work you really hate. Things you would rather put off for as long as possible, hoping they will magically do themselves. Chefs are no different, and you have no control over who sits down at your table. Maybe you’ve just sat down at a table with a chef who hates making one of these ten dishes…

As a chef, you sometimes get the strangest requests and comments from guests. Ordering pizzas with cheese but without cheese or a steak that tastes too much like meat (..), enough to drive you crazy. Of course, the customer is king and most requests are dutifully carried out, but that doesn’t mean chefs don’t need to vent every now and then. It’s not only guests’ requests that can be frustrating; some dishes are simply no fun to make at all. So today: 10 dishes that chefs find incredibly annoying to make.

These chefs never want to make these again

1. Marshmallows

Personally, I’m a fan of marshmallows, especially Flügel Marshmallow Shots. Luckily, I don’t have to make them myself, unlike this chef: ‘I hate making marshmallows; they have the most horrible texture to touch, taste, prepare and clean up. I’ll happily flambé a banana for you as long as I don’t have to make marshmallows!’

2. Lobster

Lobster is something most foodies really enjoy—a deliciously decadent dish that appears on the menu in many restaurants. This cook was less pleased with this order, though. ‘I worked as a chef for a while at a simple fish-and-chips shop that was mainly frequented by students. The most luxurious dish on the menu was probably swordfish. On an extremely busy Valentine’s Day, a guest suddenly ordered lobster! We didn’t even know lobster was on the menu. I still remember the head chef swearing and having to get out the cookbook. We rummaged around in the freezer and found the lobster somewhere at the bottom, not knowing we had it. We prepared it with the cookbook beside us because we had never made lobster before. In hindsight it was hilarious, but the chef remained grumpy for the rest of the day.’

3. Well-done hamburger

‘Years ago I worked at McDonald’s. We once had a burger there that was called “the skinny burger.” It was intended for people who wanted to eat healthier—haha. The regular burgers were cooked on the grill, but this one was thrown into the microwave. Once it was heated, it looked gray and smelled so bad that nobody wanted to work near the microwave anymore.’

4. Soufflés

This dish may not be the most difficult, but timing is absolutely crucial when serving soufflés. This chef’s frustration proves it. ‘We prepared as much as possible in advance, but heating, folding in the egg whites and putting them in the oven so they can soufflé can only be done at the last moment. The waiter has to be ready the moment you take them out of the oven, otherwise they collapse before they reach the table. If the soufflés are ready at exactly the moment the guests get up to go to the bathroom or smoke a cigarette, they come back and you have to start all over again. Then I cry on the inside.’

5. Well-done beef tenderloin

In my opinion, the only excuse for ordering a well-done steak is if you’re pregnant. So I completely agree with this chef! ‘People who order beef tenderloin and then want it well done. They always send it back because it tastes like rubber or is too tough… DUH, what did you expect? Steak is not meant to be served well done. In this case it often takes 30 to 45 minutes to get it well done, and then you also have to make sure the outside doesn’t burn. It’s my job to carry out requests like this; that’s what I get paid for. But every time I see this on a ticket, I die a little inside.’

6. Everything puréed

‘A different perspective, but I was a cook in a nursing home. Some residents ate everything puréed, and I found that so disgusting. I literally had to throw the entire meal into a blender and put it in a bowl. I always felt so bad.’

7. Fondue

Personally, I find cheese fondue absolutely delicious, but after reading this chef’s comment, I might enjoy it just a little less next time. ‘Fondue is a headache to make, even when it’s just melted cheese. Guests almost never finish it before everything has burned. Then it’s also absolutely horrible to clean.’

8. Omelet

Sometimes your guests frustrate you so much that you never feel like making those same dishes again. ‘I worked as a cook for a long time in a café that attracted many wealthy people. One of them was the director of a large company. The chef always treated him like some kind of prince, even though he was a gigantic idiot. He always made him an egg-white omelet with various vegetables. It wasn’t on the menu and therefore took a lot of extra time. One day, my boss wasn’t working when this man came in and asked for his omelet. The manager asked me to make it in the middle of an insanely busy lunch service. It was so annoying that I have hated making an omelet ever since, especially one made with egg whites only.’

9. Ham salad

Although this butcher is of course completely right, a nice tub of ham salad can also be incredibly delicious! ‘Not a chef but a butcher; I can’t put into words how much I hate products like ham salad. I always love it when customers come into my shop for the first time, but I’m so disappointed when they say things like: “I heard you have amazing ham salad.” Sorry, but all ham salads are amazing—there’s such a gigantic amount of mayonnaise in them that you can’t taste the quality of the ham anymore!’

10. Cinnamon rolls

‘I work as a baker, and my biggest frustration is cinnamon rolls. They take an incredibly long time to make. It takes three days before they’re ready: making the dough, letting it rise, baking. By the time the customer happily eats them warm, I’ve spent far more than the €5 they cost per roll. Utterly exhausting.’

Read also:

• Incredibly annoying: When a restaurant turns into a daycare center.
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• 12 things Starbucks baristas absolutely hate

Source: BoredPanda