The Bear in Copenhagen | Pro Chef Reacts to Season 2, Episode 4

[@jonathanfriedman7430]

I staged at TFL about two weeks ago. It was an interview for a summer externship. I did a prep day and a service day. This is for a masters degree at Cornell, and I had a classmate who had a friend at Per Se. I just asked for some input and basically he said to put your head down and work. My stage went really well. Showed up early. I did what you suggested in your old videos about reviewing tagged Instagram posts to get a sneak preview of the menu. So I would watch people and ask them what they’re working on and then it would snap in my brain and I’d be like “oh this is for that dish, right?” I learned that stages can be a little nerve racking, and some of my CIA senses went out the door before I walked in, but I just worked hard, clean, and did exactly what they told me to do. I got to listen to their post-service meeting as they went over the menu. And then I had a chat with the sous chefs and Chef Breeden said that I did a great job and said he hopes to see me over the summer. I know they probably say that to a lot of people, but getting that reaction from someone of that caliber (he’s TK’s right hand man) is always a great feeling. I got the externship! I watched a lot of your videos on clothing, stage equipment, and I even used your email template, so, your stuff works!

[@justinkhanna]

This is the coolest 😎 kudos to you for putting in the work!

[@dittagecoeco2738]

Epic stuff !!! thanks for the share

[@brownyshmurds6576]

wake up babe a new justin khanna breakdown of the bear just dropped

[@justinkhanna]

😴👀

[@kevinbach7096]

😂

[@THErealOGse]

I went to a technical high school and was in their culinary program. Got a job like 3 weeks into freshman year of HS. I thought I'd be washing dishes and was ok with that. Nope. Had me doing prep. Did that for like 9 months. Executive Chef apparently started out young like I did so he started mentoring me and showing me things. By the time I was ready to graduate high school I'd be on the line at a great restuarant for 2 years. Staged for educational purposes a few times and then staged my way into a much more competitive market and a better restuarant. Worked my ass off. Ultimately my mental health and my life goals and the restuarant business did not align. Left in December 2009. Got another degree and got into another career. Doing very well. Still help friends and former employers when need be so I am still somewhat in the industry.

[@seraphindavid1898]

Lol "The plate can smell fear" I'm gonna get that embroidered. Love learning all new terms and specific instruments used in the kitchen. Another awesome video.

[@justinkhanna]

Worth taping down on the pass for sure

[@erics2281]

Fun fact: Noma presented a hazelnut dish not that far off what Marcus plates in the show in the most recent game and forest menu

[@justinkhanna]

I heard though the grape vine that this prep was a parsnip mousse thing. But totally can see the tie in to what you shared too

[@skyorrichegg]

I just want to thank you for these in-depth and technical reactions to The Bear. I do not work in or really know much about anything related to the restaurant industry. I just appreciate shows that make an effort to be authentic and try to get the small details right, even as they occasionally fail and get stuff wrong. Your insights have been incredibly valuable for understanding a lot that goes unstated with The Bear but obviously has an impact affecting the overall vibe of the show and why it can resonate with people outside the industry. I work in software development. I, thankfully, currently work in an organization that encourages cross-pollination of skills between our different teams, where developers can do something similar to staging for a few months (agile sprints really) on some of our other teams. But obviously, this is quite different as it is still internal to the same, admittedly, large organization. My own times doing that were definitely a time of learning and growth that was incredibly beneficial to my career development. I feel like software dev ends up being something that you either progress or stagnate in that just naturally leads to the need to develop yourself that it just ends up that the best developers end up moving on from orgs every 2 to 3 years. Perhaps if something similar to staging developed in my industry and as a better and more flexible alternative to traditional interning, organizations would have a better job retaining talented developers. I would love to get to work with and learn from others companies' codebases.

[@justinkhanna]

Huge thanks to you for watching!

[@robertmargesson1819]

I did that flight to Copenhagen a few months ago. Exactly as you described it. Got in at 6 AM. Streets were mostly empty. Dodging bikes. Loved the city though.

[@justinkhanna]

Why do they do that to us 🚲

[@rashestkhan2878]

When I was in auto mechanic school, I had to do a stage in any shops near the school. I applied in the biggest Mercedes dealership in the area and got the 3 week stage over there. Everything went well, I learned a lot over there, how to use tools which I had no idea existed or doing some big diagnosis jobs. At the end of the stage, the foreman of the shop gave my name for a apprenticeship in a smaller mercedes dealership et worked at in the past. I got the job and as of now Ive been working there for 3 years.

[@alvindelacruz2221]

Loved this episode breakdown chef. My view in stages: being a chef is all about transactions. Trade time for money, trade time for knowledge, trade knowledge for money. When staging, (time for knowledge) it’s one of the best Exchange in my opinion. So many times I meet exec chefs who have no skills, or dormant cooking skills and they loose the respect. I say as we get older never trade out your knowledge. Keep learning and racking up your skills.

[@erics2281]

I just got back to the states after 4 months studying in Copenhagen. They absolutely killed it. I also feel like this episode was “made for me” like you say

[@justinkhanna]

CPH is goated 💥

[@Spicy_chef]

Had a stage at EMP back in 2011… they were bumped from 1 star to 3 stars a week before my trial. As I was flying in to nyc for the first time, I was hyper focused on preparing for this. After a full day of service I was interviewed by James Kent in the office and when asked why I wanted to work with them… I went into fanboy mode about the work the team was producing and being a part of one of the best teams in the USA… it ended abruptly when I said “ I honestly don’t know how you guys only have 1 star, I know it’s only a matter of time before the guide catches up to what is happening here” I DIED WHEN HE BROKE THE NEWS TO ME. . This last year, I had the team from EMP come though my restaurant while they were in Hong Kong and shared this story with them over after dinner drinks to quite the laugh 😂

[@S0undCr3w]

I've staged for every job I've had in the industry, and none have been exploitative, thankfully enough. Most stages are paid nowadays, and the ones that aren't are usually compensated in some way or another. Once I worked 2 12 hour days back to back for free, for fun. Sure, it was work. But nobody yelled at me, and they sat me down to eat at the end of the second day. Ended up eating a $500 tasting menu and a wine pairing for free. High key worth more than if I'd been paid.

[@justinkhanna]

Truuuue

[@GMAMEC]

Like many people who receive college degrees, they obtain most of their education by actually working in their field of study. I have 3 friends who earned a college degree in Hospitality Management. All of them were required to work in the industry before they got their degree. While their degree allowed them to work in different industries, including investing and corporate management, they have an admirable appreciation for being "hands on". Whenever we go out, they always go out of their way to learn names, understand the menu, compliment things that most people miss, and tip well.

[@AngelaDruckmanCST]

"I just did this for you." Not a chef, never have been or will be but, wow, watching The Bear and your channel, I appreciate more and more the effort put into these lovely presentations ❤

[@justinkhanna]

I need those stage stories - what's been impactful for you?

[@FireProductionz]

Can I email you mine

[@ChefB0ii-li8vo]

Chocolate and mint is a great combination!!!

[@justinkhanna]

We can still be friends, you can just eat my chocolate + mint bite 🙌

[@thereisnobob]

no its not, please stop this nonsense.

[@dpclerks09]

@@thereisnobob what's nonsense about having personal tastes? who made you the arbiter of objectively "good" flavor profiles and combinations? please curb your ego. thank you.

[@thereisnobob]

@@dpclerks09 it was a joke, dude.

[@MrGrouch86]

I truly love your breakdowns of the industry. keep it up. thanks.

[@justinkhanna]

I appreciate that! Thanks for watching 🙌

[@MateoBacolor-ir1jf]

Staged at a 2 James Beard Nominated Restaurant, had no fine dining experienced learn so much for the short amount of time I was there choose one over the other for what I wanted too do.

[@justinkhanna]

Heck yeah!

[@erics2281]

You gotta get to Hart bakery. The cardamom croissant there is the best pastry in that city

[@justinkhanna]

I'm so jelly

[@jackcollins8739]

hi chef! regarding the butane flavor, i've found that this can be avoided when torching by buying more refined butane. i found mine at a... specialty store for smokers. Special Blue is a good brand

[@CanesCF]

Blow torched cheese is my biggest pet peeve in the food influencer realm.

[@justinkhanna]

I cringe every time

[@HappyPerson870]

🎉 watched whole thing! Enjoyed watching and learning

[@justinkhanna]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@PanaMaJwaaRd]

BROOOOOOOOOO, ive said this soo many times at my restaurant. the butane taste DEFFF comes off onto the food.

[@Rs-rq9fd]

yup, not a fan

[@justinkhanna]

Glad I'm not the only one 🙌

[@RetroRecipesKitchen]

I tuned into this just to hear you talk about spoons - not even gonna try to claim otherwise. You put me onto the Lady Hamiltons and I was bit by the bug - best spoons.

[@kylanwilson2754]

0:17 You always pay. You can pay now or pay later but you always pay more when you pay later (ask the credit card company)

[@tydrenning6162]

THANK YOU FOR SAYING THIS. EVERYONE NEEDS TO STOP TORCHING EVERYTHING

[@justinkhanna]

At least I’m not alone in these thoughts 🔥

[@davidhunternyc1]

Ugh, I'm trying to find out where Marcus is stashing at? They showed NOMA but this seems unrealistic. There's only 2 people in the room, Marcus and the chef and it's way too calm.

[@jamesbrain8807]

I staged with a couple coworkers for half a day with Executive Chef Jeff it was observation mostly and we did taste the food made. It was very fun honestly we got recipes and saw how certain things shall be plated etc.

[@LanceCaldera]

Do you have an opinion on the Gestura spoon

[@willbaker5264]

what were the books you talked about in this

[@philforsythmusic]

Re one on one: Do they just start earlier than everyone else in their duties?

[@justinkhanna]

I was *almost* gonna call BS on that part of the scene but then I remembered that they may be working lunch and I used to even start at 5:30 or 6am as a CDP at TFL when we did lunch. Considering he makes the bread too, that’s probably more of a nod to “baker hours” than anything else. But yeah typically pastry team works the same hours as the culinary team, the baker is the one with skewed hours so they can have free counter and oven space

[@SuperTrey807]

Patiently waiting for the 7 fishes episode lmao 👀👀👀

[@louisdang8443]

From a technical standpoint, as long as the spoon being used is made of stainless steel, which is standard in commercial kitchens, the caviar should remain unaffected. Stainless steel doesn't react with caviar. The notion of avoiding metal spoons typically applies to silver or high-carbon utensils, which are less common today.

[@justinkhanna]

I viewed his spoon as silver plated in that scene - looks way too patina’d to be stainless steel and the shape of it also doesn’t really look like a modern spoon. Good shout on the metal technicals, makes sense

[@Sage_6reen]

Staging sounds like interning in which case it can be a tremendous experience. Just make sure whoever's running it is trustworthy. They hold all the power and there's not a whole lot of regulation.

[@manggalabagaskoro5720]

bro's yappin

[@justinkhanna]

The Yap, Season 2

[@jonathanfriedman7430]

Do you have a video or resource on age and where you should strive to be career wise by a certain age?

[@justinkhanna]

Totally arbitrary, and I think I'd be doing a disservice if I actually put any numbers to this. I actually fell victim to getting paralyzed by this myself, after reading the age that Marco Pierre White got his stars. I also have talked about a chef named Stephen Harris that I got to work with at a guest chef dinner he did with us at Lysverket...he was in his 50's (I believe) when he changed careers! I think it's really easy to compare to others. It's also really easy to use outliers as "standards". It's even easier to look at someone who sacrificed a lot to "be somewhere" in their career, and not understand that you'd literally have to pay that same price to achieve their results. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's not realistic. Because if you put your health, relationships, hobbies, sleep, personal financial position, etc. "on hold" for a long enough time, you've got way more resources to deploy on whatever goal it is you have. But is it worth the trade off? For some, it absolutely is. I guess that's why I bring up "duration" instead of "age" in these videos. If you've been working somewhere for 5 years, does it matter if you're 23 or 33? Probably not. But if those 5 years had 90% of the learning in the first 2 years...maybe the tenure was more about optics than progress. And don't get me wrong, staying in a job you love is awesome...it doesn't always have to be "onto the next". And this is coming from someone who wanted nothing more than to be a sous chef in a fine dining kitchen by 24. I managed to achieve it, but it didn't really get me much...I basically just felt like I was plopped right down at the bottom of another mountain called "managing people". It's another reason I positioned my education company around the word "Repertoire". I'd rather have skill benchmarks that can be measured (and taught) rather than focus on titles or arbitrary checkpoints. And that's why we're starting with the question of: can you run a station with a perfect Station Score? IMO it's a much more impactful question that cuts through the noise and actually gives you a sense of how skilled someone is and how they're gonna be as a team mate. Not trying to call you out in this at all - I've just never really been asked this before and am sharing my top-of-mind thoughts on this topic! Always happy to continue chatting, thanks as always for watching 👊

[@jonathanfriedman7430]

@@justinkhanna this was a great response. It’s actually a response that I prefer. Thank you for taking the time to actually dive into it! I definitely fit into the mindset of learning before earning. I’ve spent some time learning at some different places, but they weren’t really fine dining, but different styles… local mom and pop road food, bougie country club, luxury dude ranch… but I did take some time to learn about the dining room, I bartended for a bit while studying WSET 3. I want to be very comfortable with my skills before being at a position where I might have to teach someone those skills

[@justinkhanna]

You gotta take TSD!

[@mrmeat4607]

I totally agree with your "tastes like butane" comment

[@kyleinokc]

Agree.

[@justinkhanna]

I’m not the only one!

[@trevonbrown7014]

I worked at eleven Madison, I can definitely confirm that they test to see if you squirm

[@justinkhanna]

Needed this confirmation 👊

[@vertgrip]

thank you for calling out the blow torch abusers

[@danielsong7724]

Torching is so overrated. I swear some people don't taste their food

[@justinkhanna]

Truuuue. Prioritizing looks too much 🔥

[@chefmdecamp]

God I'm so glad to hear someone else say that blowtorches are total BS.

[@StephenN.Parker]

Witness true excellent can change your life? That is totally just Richie right there in Ep 7...

[@justinkhanna]

100%

[@ToastKnight_]

Luca is so cool

[@hypertwink]

Yeah, I am not a chocolate & mint guy ugh

[@justinkhanna]

Saaaaaame

[@cybertronftw1]

For the price point you showed, sauce guns aren’t THAT fun

[@justinkhanna]

Hey, if the restaurant bought it for me to use, imma use it 🙌

[@GovernmentalCtrl]

Blow torch crème brûlée. Come on, man.

[@justinkhanna]

Except there's no fat in the sugar of créme brûlée to take on any of the flavor from the fuel source...unlike when you see people unnecessarily torching cheese, beef, fish, etc.

[@kristianpedersen1163]

shut up!!!

[@TechTokOffical]

This dude never shuts up does he. I get that it's a "explained" video but when u forget what the clip was even about or even who it's about it's time to move on

[@justinkhanna]

The yappisode

[@ToastKnight_]

Luca is so cool