Stuff I didn't know about restaurants until recently

[samarrange]

I am very old, but I only learned this year that hotel buffet scrambled eggs are usually made from powdered egg. That explains why they are a uniform colour. Scrambled eggs made from scratch have yellow and white bits.

On the plus side, I also learned recently that the chicken (or at least the "Original Recipe" pieces) at KFC is made from scratch in the shop every day from fresh chicken pieces, flour, and herbs'n'spices. I had imagined it was all done in a factory somewhere and then cooked from frozen.

What are some other bits of restaurant knowledge that surprised you?

Then that's just gross! sorry.

James Martin gave one of his master class things on his TV show on how to make poached eggs. He said that one of his jobs when he started working in kitchens was to cook all the poached eggs for the day and put them into iced water and then the fridge and they stay there until needed when they are reheated for a few seconds in boiling water.

My friend is a chef, he would cook for us, we were polite and went to his work kitchen when he invited us etc
It wasn't interesting. It's just people preparing food.

Not my cup of tea.

there;s just preparing food, then there's preparing food to 3 michelin star level.
I assume your friend isn't working at a 3 michelin star resturant? It's a com[;etely different thing.
I also wouldn't be interested in watching someone put random sprigs of stuff on the plate but in very good places it's watching a piece of art beig created.
I guess if you've never experienced it it's hard to envisage .
You don't sound like you really know or appreciate very good food so i suppose your interest will be low

Assume what you like.

He's an excellent chef, does all the high end "art" stuff.

I've eaten at very lovely places thanks, had all sorts of fancy meals in Dubai, London, Paris, new York etc been to Sushi restaurant where they make it for you there and then... It's still not of interest to me to watch them make food.

ok, I was talking specifically about 3 star restaurants which I assume your friend doesn't work at or you would have said.
All decent sushi restaurants make it there and then for you.
I'm just saying if you are into really good food it's very interesting and like watching art being made.
I'm not forcing you to like it!!

Ok , again, assume what you want.

I've been to 3 star restaurants, quite a few really including the one my friend worked in...

I'm still not interested in going in to the kitchen in them ... Because it's not that interesting to watch... 🤷‍♀️ It might be for you, and that's wonderful, you're the reason they invited people in.
But it really is of little interest to me to watch people cook and put food on plates, they regardless of how artistic and lovely it is.

ok, not quite sure why this needs so much discussion; different people like different things.
Which resturant was your friend working in btw? may be one I've been to.
What's been your best restauarnt? I'm always interested to know.
I think Hertog Jan in Belgium for me, sadly not there as the original restaurant any more

We went to Al Iwan and got a free meal there - so that was the best 😁
Otherwise have enjoyed Moor Hall, Le Bernadin and The Ledbury for 3*, other "notable" restaurants we've dined in and liked are Allegria and L’Oiseau Blanc.

My friend worked in one of the above.

ooh, we went to Moor Hall a couple of years ago.
They were very lovely with me wittering to them after having had the wine flight!!

Next on our list are Mana and Skof in manchester

And how did you get a free meal?!
Lucky you

We know people were something to do with the high up there. A bit of a friend of a friend thing

nice.
It's only ever been an eye watering event at bill time for me 😁

Yuk, yuk and yuk again for the re-heated poached eggs. Abomination!

Once got invited into the kitchen at Ramsays Royal Hospital Road restaurant. Beautiful dining, lovely air conditioning. That kitchen was baking hot, staff carefully preparing food. V.impressive but not for me. The attention to detail was fantastic but the intensity was crazy. Seen it now so happy to just eat in these places. Preferably on someone else's account

even in the quiet kitchens it just looks so intense and stressful. I coudn't hack it!

I used to love it. We all used to take turns blasting our music too in the kitchens on a busy service. I was heavily into punk rock at the time, I still whack on a bit of Greenday or All American Rejects when cooking Sunday lunch at home 🤣

That's how I make mine too! Minus the paprika! It tastes so rich and like you say, like there are loads of ingredients in it! I could eat it all day long! 😋

Such a brilliant travel writer and so passionate about food. It was awful that he was so disturbed that he felt the only answer was to commit suicide.

I recently learnt how to velvetise chicken after years of wondering how Chinese takeaways and restaurants get their chicken so tender! It's been a game changer!

And??

@samarrange
Sorry! Basically slice the chicken breasts, put in a bowl, sprinkle over a tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda, toss it round to coat the chicken. Leave for no more than 15/20 mins, rinse off well, dry the chicken with some kitchen paper and you're good to go! Makes a real difference!

Only the roasting pan was from last night

It is sooo good! She also does fried wontons with pork mince, salt & pepper. No other ingredients. I could eat a bucket full of them!

But she was handling the bag.

Horrible example but imagine she has picked up a dog turd and got some on her hands, she then uses the same hand and picks up the bag, the turd gets transferred to the bag and then she hands it to the customer and they get dog turd on their hand, the hand they then put in the bag and get their burger out with.

OK she would probably see dog turd, but she won't see hundreds of microorganisms she is transferring.