Chef warns: you’d better not order these dishes
If you’ve ever worked in a professional kitchen, you know that not everything is what it seems. Sometimes the sauce comes from a packet, and yesterday’s leftovers appear on the menu as the ‘special of the day’. Listen to these tips from an expert and don’t order these dishes.
Anthony Bourdain warned in his book Kitchen Confidential about the Sunday brunch buffet. All the leftovers from the entire week are thrown into those dishes, and with some parsley sprinkled on top, it still looks like something. That prompted a chef (who wishes to remain anonymous) to compile a list of dishes you’re better off not ordering, even if they’re recommended or are called the ‘house special’.
Stay away from that salad
While Bourdain warned about the brunch buffet, our chef stays far away from all kinds of buffets. ‘I can’t imagine that it’s all hygienic—everyone is messing around in it with their cutlery, breathing over it, and it sits uncovered on the table for too long. I also avoid the salad bar.’
Fresh fish?
On Mondays, you’re better off not ordering a fish dish, she says. ‘Most restaurants receive their fish from the wholesaler on Thursday or Friday. Whatever is still taken out of the refrigerator on Monday is actually no longer fresh enough to eat. Even if new deliveries arrive on Monday, the kitchen will first use whatever is left over from the weekend. Don’t forget: the chef is often off on Mondays, so the kitchen staff are probably just a little more lax.’
Split sauce
Extremely popular, but this chef won’t touch it with a ten-foot pole: eggs benedict. ‘That Hollandaise sauce obviously isn’t made to order. The sauce is kept ready at a low temperature, because otherwise the sauce will split or the egg will curdle. That means a sauce containing more or less raw egg yolks, kept for several hours at a temperature just above room temperature. Sounds delicious? I’ll pass.’
Stick to what you know
Dishes that don’t fit the restaurant’s theme. ‘For example: shrimp cocktail in a pancake restaurant, a vegetarian dish in a steakhouse, or a steak in a restaurant that doesn’t specialize in steaks.’
Specialité du jour
This chef also passes on the special of the day. ‘I really hate it when my dining companion asks what the special of the day is. It’s always a dish that’s being sold at too high a price, or it’s something that can be used to get rid of leftovers.’
Clearance
‘Cheap sushi—always avoid it!’
Immersion blender
Soup of the day. ‘Another one of those dishes that leftovers are thrown into. Blend it with an immersion blender, add some finely chopped herbs, and voilà—once again, something has been made out of nothing.’
Holiday
Extra tip: don’t eat out on Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day or New Year’s Eve. ‘Usually there’s an adapted, shorter menu, and the dishes are prepared long in advance because of the expected crowds. The staff are incredibly busy, so it won’t be a relaxed evening out either.’
Also read:
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- Ten tips from star chef Thomas Keller: ‘Setbacks? Keep going!’
