Fine Dining 101 🔪 50+ Minutes of Advice I Wish Someone Would've Told Me

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👋My name is Justin Khanna. I spent 8 years training at Michelin-starred and critically acclaimed restaurants like Per Se, Grace, The French Laundry, noma, Frantzen and Lysverket.
I host a weekly podcast called The Repertoire Podcast geni.us/repertoirepodcast where I curate chef/restaurant/fine dining news. There, I also interview knife makers, authors, food critics, chefs, bartenders, farmers, entrepreneurs and thought leaders to discover insights that can improve your life.
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00:00 Welcome!
02:50 Gear Giveaway
05:13 Fine Dining Restaurant "Fundamentals"
14:46 Station Setup Tips
16:49 Cleaning in Fine Dining Kitchens
18:29 Communication Insights & Standards
20:38 Managing High Cover Counts (Keeping Track of Orders)
27:20 Culinary School Externship Tips
36:08 How to Keep a Level Head in High-Pressure Situations
48:20 How Does the Staff Interact?
51:05 "Do You Have Eyes on It?"
55:15 Sign Up Below!

[@coldweatherchristy5592]

I watch this video over and over and over. Thank you

[@DmChef]

Great video, after 15 years in kitchens it becomes like home and family were ever you go from fine dining to dive bars. Just don't give up

[@miguelmendoza6496]

Na cause when he said “and you look at each other and go fuckkk! That sucks” I felt that

[@justinkhanna]

Truuuue

[@DScapo0]

Just got back on a line after being let go during covid. I Def want to prepare for a fine dining line in the near future. I appreciate your time chef.

[@grandcookingtinyapartment1834]

Another great video, thanks!

[@Chef99895]

Hey chef I came across your videos and they help me greatly.i just started my cullinary career this year and is overwhelming.i work at a fine dining restaurant with one of your co workers he’s the head chef.i was hired on the spot and have never been more thankful.this year I’ve watched of how to videos for cullinary.i really enjoy your videos and I relate to them.great job chef

[@sianwarwick633]

Dude, this is positive, but it doesn't tell me anything about how it really helped you

[@issaaraki4765]

I literally cried hearing this bc every rush i just freeze up and go full on panic mode 36:09

[@justinkhanna]

❤️ what do you think would be most helpful? Would love to go deeper on this and make sure that happens less often - you gotta join the community so we can jam on this in a Hotseat session together!

[@davidlauri1412]

Absolutely great video, just had to say it.

[@justinkhanna]

Much appreciated!

[@sianwarwick633]

Hi. These are effective lessons for learning to step in to grow your skills and become a partner with your work colleagues, becoming more transparent in the workplace, putting pressure on yourself to grow, becoming a better [line] staff manager. I have seen all these situations happen in a kitchen, large and small.

[@justinkhanna]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@PabloSteuer]

working in a hotel kitchen and i wonder why we dont have a reminder installed in our booking software that reminds us to ask about any vegans or allergies. almost every time we have a buffet they either send us 3 days before the part yor on the happening day that there will be some vegans. its such a minor problem and could be solved so easy, its almost like they want it to be like that

[@Jeremy-tb5gl]

Lpij

[@Jeremy-tb5gl]

Lpij

[@sianwarwick633]

Have you asked the booking manager to update the software so allergies/diet preferences can be added in when bookings are taken. This is crucial, because you will be getting this info all the time before the service date. You need to stipulate a final date for all the dietary preferences. At least three days before service date, to allow for menu creation, ordering [replacement] items, setting up who will do the work

[@sexycydy]

Just found this channel !! 🥰any advice on how to better describe food to the guest , expression, words ect to better entice them to make them want to buy it or try it a particular meal you are recommending

[@justinkhanna]

Write more! It's been by far the most helpful practice for me in getting better at this. This could be a blog, a meal journal, a group text with other food friends, a running Google Doc - whatever gets you to actually put words down and work on your vocabulary and descriptive accuracy

[@alec3945]

Covid threw a spanner in works of me wanting to go abroad and doing fine dining and now having a relationship. I want to go abroad next year though, would 26-7 be to old to give fine dining a go having done only nice middle level restaurants

[@justinkhanna]

Where you gonna head?!

[@evanshort6275]

Man, I wish I knew half of this before stepping into Octavia's kitchen in San Francisco around 2018. Went from a diner on Castro to michelin star kitchen with no formal training. I didn't even know what a hell a "6'pan" was or how to even use a knife, which was a single-bevel fish knife I bought because "it was Japanese" so it must be good. I couldn't even cut a corn cob with it on my first day. Luckily, the chef got tired of holding my hand and tossed me into the smaller sister restaurant, Frances, where I learned how to actually cook.

[@justinkhanna]

Soooo many things to learn - and there's no chance that it could be covered in one video!

[@justinkhanna]

What resonated? I'd love to expand on what stood out for you in a future video...

[@jaredgreen-colon9704]

The part about monetary value and time 👌

[@sianwarwick633]

See my comment that outline the 5 basic skills or situations (problems ?) you might encounter

[@alexshorttop7730]

Great video. Do you think 32 years old is too difficult to work at my first Michelin restaurant (and it s 3 stars)?

[@justinkhanna]

No way - when I was working in 3*** places, my co-workers who were in their late 20's and early 30's would run circles around me because they were able to be more calm and mature. It's definitely more difficult if you have other obligations or aren't able to accommodate a lifestyle change if that's what you'll be experiencing. It also doesn't have to be a "forever" job for you - you can spend however long you think you need

[@alexshorttop7730]

Great to hear!

[@yobananayo]

Thank you for asking this question! Thanks @Justin Khanna for this awesome video. I'm in my late 30s about to adventure in stared reataurant, feeling lil anxious and excited.

[@99i63]

You should react to the movie ‘The Menu’

[@justinkhanna]

Going to see it tonight!

[@user-mm4be5uj1j]

Link to Hong Kong vlog?

[@justinkhanna]

CRAZY HONG KONG FOOD TOUR 2016 kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2a6Ymh5gpijq7s

[@erikrodriguez2494]

Do you think a person could “make it” at a fine dining level only being self taught/educated ?

[@justinkhanna]

I don't mean to get more "granular", but I think it's important to define terms vs giving broad-brush advice, especially if this is a goal you're wanting to go for! Is fine-dining a 1-star place? A 3-Michelin starred spot? Going from diner-menu to tasting menu? And what is "making it"? Just "not getting sent home"? Running a station? Becoming a sous there? Also, what is "self-education"? This is important because it helps identify what you might be missing and then what forms of education/learning can be had to bridge those gaps. It also implies that self-education is bad, when I don't believe that's the case. I got super far in my early career from just watching and learning and asking questions on stages I did...I'm not sure if that falls into the bucket you mentioned of "self-taught" but it definitely didn't come with a degree or diploma at the end 😅 but if we're gonna call "self-education" just reading cookbooks and taking no action, then you're right, I don't believe that's the most effective route. Only so much I can do over comments, hope to see you in a future Hotseat session to go deeper!

[@papichefitup]

No , you need to start from the bottom of the kitchen industry learn every aspect this means 18 hour days first one their last one to leave become a human sponge before making that leap.

[@stepan1226]

If you have some experience cooking fine dining dishes at home you can definitely try. But don't jump to high; go for an internship at regular michelin guide or one stared restaurant. + my recommendation is to look for work at smaller restaurants with less people in the team, they tend to have less pressure in the kitchen. Be prepared to peel and cut hundreds of vegetables and plate the most difficult and boring stuff during service

[@deadhead4077]

Yikes, Jordan Peterson is the last person I'd be quoting.

[@tooxtalivai0690]

None of what you said, just dropping in to listen about your experience..

[@justinkhanna]

Always happy to share, especially if it helps 🙌