Several weeks ago I wrote about how I know Ben Walanka, a contestant on this year's Hell's Kitchen.
It was surreal, I was seeing ads on TV for the show and I kept thinking, "Man, that guy's face in the background really looks like Ben from the Club at the Symphony Center that I worked with a few times..."
So, when the show came on one night I flipped over and sure enough, it actually WAS Ben from the Club! Crazy. Ben made it to the final four and went home this week - Ben, if you're reading this, I was sad to see you go! I hope it was great entertainment and that it'll give you a boost in your career.
It is SO strange to watch someone I actually know on a reality TV show. I would just shake my head the whole time I watched because it felt so surreal. I know Gordon Ramsey (Hell's Kitchen's head chef) is intentionally sensational with his yelling and anger, but I found the insane pressure of their kitchen to actually be completely realistic to what the busiest part of the kitchen rush looks like. I felt like I was just watching a Friday night rush in Ben's kitchen rather than watching TV, which is just weird. Ben has such a fun, easy-going personality, and I absolutely think half of his snarky comments and attitude were put on because he was playing to what the audience of Hell's Kitchen is looking for. Smart contestant!
Some of the comments Ben made I have actually heard him make in person, and the look of shock and horror when he realized a horrible mistake was just made (by him or one of the other contestants) were so familiar. One little mistake can turn an evening's service into a disaster, particularly if the mistake is made to a big-shot guest (and at the Club at the Symphony center, everyone is a big-shot).
Hell's Kitchen's depiction of the egos of the chefs and the military-like ranking and required submission are also pretty accurate. The world of fine-dining kitchens is crazy, people. Hell's Kitchen really isn't about the food at all, it's about the pressure of the kitchen. In that respect, it's right on.
Here's an interview with Ben from a little earlier in the show.
PS - a friend of mine and some blog entries about the show both made the very valid point that it's very strange that so many chefs smoke. It dulls your taste buds, so it seems like a ridiculous thing to do. However, just about EVERY chef I know smokes - I think partly because of the pressure of the kitchen. It's almost a nervous habit.
Showing posts with label Hell's Kitchen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hell's Kitchen. Show all posts
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Ben Walanka on Hell's Kitchen
Having discovered that I actually know one of the chefs on Hell's Kitchen this season, I sat down to watch the show last night. Oh man, it brought back so many memories. My friend Kelley (who is quite the chef herself) is right to note that Hells Kitchen is more about the drama and cussing then about the actual cooking. Gordon Ramsey's character (and I do think it's a character) is absolutely ridiculous. However, I do think the show reflects the reality of the intensity, drama, and social order of the kitchens of high class dining establishments.
In some ways a chef's world is like the military. You can start out with no training and work your way up by working hard and being disciplined and ambitious. A head chef is an unquestionable authority. When he gives out an order, it is meant to be obeyed immediately, and anything he says is usually responded to with a military-like barked response, "Yes CHEF!"
Here are my brief thoughts:
- Chefs lead a crazy life with crazy hours, intense pressure, and lots of competition
- Chefs typically have a HUGE ego.
- A kitchen is just as dramatic as a hospital emergency room or a trading floor in a stock exchange.
- I loved working the culinary industry. I thrived on the craziness and the sense of community.
A chef's life is strange. When dinner service starts there are several hours of non-stop chaos in the kitchen. Some food can be prepped ahead of time, but most of it must be cooked to order and it must be perfect to meet the standards of a high-class establishment. A few minutes too long in the oven and the meat will be over cooked. If a chef runs to get the meat out of the oven and leves his vegetables sauteeing on the stove, they might burn. Even putting the food on the plate must be perfect - presentation is crucial and yet must be done in seconds.
Not only do they keep moving for hours in the steamy heat of a kitchen, they are also responding to the constantly barked requests of the servers, the hostess, and the head chef. Often dishes are returned to the kitchen and have to be re-done, which is usually where a night in the kitchen can turn into a disaster. The head chef's reputation rides on the actions of the rest of his chefs, so the line cooks and sous chefs are under intense pressure to perform perfectly. All it takes is one bad review to bring down the reputation of an entire restaurant.
On Hell's Kitchen last night Ben got in trouble multiple times with Gordon Ramsey, and watching their interchanges made me giggle. Gordon would be like, "Get over here you fat f***, what have you done with this? I don't want to ever see anything like this again!" Then Ben would reply, "Yes chef! I'm sorry chef! I messed up, it will never happen again Chef!" Gordon Ramsey may be unusually uncouth for a head chef, but the strict chain of authority and Ben's response is absolutely realistic. I had to laugh because I have stood five feet from Ben and heard the exact things come out of his mouth before.
Ben was one in a string of chefs that ran our members-only Club at the Symphony Center in Chicago. It was only open on Symphony nights, so the chef was on loan from the fine-dining restaurant downstairs. It was crazy because everyone arrived just in time to have dinner right before attending the Symphony, so there was intense pressure to be done on time. Not only that, but these are the rich and famous - a veritable who's who of Chicago's big shots. They expected their food to be perfect, and there was intense criticism when anything went wrong. Because of that, the head chef from the restaurant downstairs would often come up to make sure everything was running smoothly. When it wasn't... he was PISSED. He didn't blow up like Ramsey, but he did bark orders and let his displeasure be known. Ben would bark his apologies and move to barking orders to his own subordinates. When it was finally over he would settle back into his jovial, easy-going self. He is a bit of a loud-mouth, though, so I really am not surprised to find him on tv as quite a controversial character. I hope he stays on for a while, it's fun watching someone you actually know!
In some ways a chef's world is like the military. You can start out with no training and work your way up by working hard and being disciplined and ambitious. A head chef is an unquestionable authority. When he gives out an order, it is meant to be obeyed immediately, and anything he says is usually responded to with a military-like barked response, "Yes CHEF!"
Here are my brief thoughts:
- Chefs lead a crazy life with crazy hours, intense pressure, and lots of competition
- Chefs typically have a HUGE ego.
- A kitchen is just as dramatic as a hospital emergency room or a trading floor in a stock exchange.
- I loved working the culinary industry. I thrived on the craziness and the sense of community.
A chef's life is strange. When dinner service starts there are several hours of non-stop chaos in the kitchen. Some food can be prepped ahead of time, but most of it must be cooked to order and it must be perfect to meet the standards of a high-class establishment. A few minutes too long in the oven and the meat will be over cooked. If a chef runs to get the meat out of the oven and leves his vegetables sauteeing on the stove, they might burn. Even putting the food on the plate must be perfect - presentation is crucial and yet must be done in seconds.
Not only do they keep moving for hours in the steamy heat of a kitchen, they are also responding to the constantly barked requests of the servers, the hostess, and the head chef. Often dishes are returned to the kitchen and have to be re-done, which is usually where a night in the kitchen can turn into a disaster. The head chef's reputation rides on the actions of the rest of his chefs, so the line cooks and sous chefs are under intense pressure to perform perfectly. All it takes is one bad review to bring down the reputation of an entire restaurant.
On Hell's Kitchen last night Ben got in trouble multiple times with Gordon Ramsey, and watching their interchanges made me giggle. Gordon would be like, "Get over here you fat f***, what have you done with this? I don't want to ever see anything like this again!" Then Ben would reply, "Yes chef! I'm sorry chef! I messed up, it will never happen again Chef!" Gordon Ramsey may be unusually uncouth for a head chef, but the strict chain of authority and Ben's response is absolutely realistic. I had to laugh because I have stood five feet from Ben and heard the exact things come out of his mouth before.
Ben was one in a string of chefs that ran our members-only Club at the Symphony Center in Chicago. It was only open on Symphony nights, so the chef was on loan from the fine-dining restaurant downstairs. It was crazy because everyone arrived just in time to have dinner right before attending the Symphony, so there was intense pressure to be done on time. Not only that, but these are the rich and famous - a veritable who's who of Chicago's big shots. They expected their food to be perfect, and there was intense criticism when anything went wrong. Because of that, the head chef from the restaurant downstairs would often come up to make sure everything was running smoothly. When it wasn't... he was PISSED. He didn't blow up like Ramsey, but he did bark orders and let his displeasure be known. Ben would bark his apologies and move to barking orders to his own subordinates. When it was finally over he would settle back into his jovial, easy-going self. He is a bit of a loud-mouth, though, so I really am not surprised to find him on tv as quite a controversial character. I hope he stays on for a while, it's fun watching someone you actually know!
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