This can be seen in the language and the jargon applied in everyday communications within the kitchen, which may not be easily understood by most people in general, but inversely easier for the crew. Steven is closer to Bourdain that Bourdain’s wife is to him.īourdain explains the uniqueness of the restaurant kitchen.

He works at any station, seeing the importance of helping out wherever he can. Steven is known for pretty food preparations and having multiple ways of having them prepared. Bourdain can have a lot of things within the kitchen done with Steven’s help. Steven is one person who could get close to anyone and had a good understanding of everything that was going on in the kitchen, as well as the lives of others. From then on, any new opportunities arising would lead to the two stringing each other along.

Later, they became good workmates, or partners, in the kitchen with Bourdain as chef and Steven as sous-chef. Supper Club was their first meeting point Bourdain was not impressed with Steven’s bad behavior and the way he spoke at times, which led him to be ousted three or so times. He tells of the travel adventures that they had, where he would pull him along whenever an opportunity arises. By the time he is sitting down for a drink, it is already 1 a.m., while he is supposed to be at work by 7:30 a.m.īourdain explains the close relationship he shares with his sous chef, Steven, for the last five or six years.

Bourdain does not make it out of the restaurant by 10 p.m. Food preparation is going well, a few meals are returned, and changes are made. As is the norm on Friday night, the rush has kicked in, and orders stream into the kitchen. Later on, preparations kick off and another tasting for the evening waiters is conducted. Service during lunch hour goes on well, and he has to go to the market with the boss, picks up a few things to help prepare the dinner menu. It is a rush during lunch hour and running out of tomatoes is not an option at this point. The preparations are done for serving lunch and the dinner specials. Bourdain, together with his team, takes on food preparations for the menu list of the day. He has to wait for the supplies to be delivered, attend meetings then take the waiters through tasting before serving. He has to get to work in good time, go through the previous night’s activities and updates, and complaints. This means that there is a lot to be done. In the new restaurant he is working at, Bourdain is the head chef, and it is a Friday.

Kitchen confidential chapters