Well, we know Sonny is tasting his food tonite.
Sonny is well into his NGD, his Bocuse-inspired dinner, and doing extremely well. He is happy, everyone is happy. It is not everyday that Filipino food gets reinterpreted to a higher level. It is mainly found in the home kitchens. It is going over really well.
All kidding aside, I am extremely proud of you Sonny. If good luck is when preparation meets opportunity, you have certainly prepared for tonite. I am most impressed with the time you put into making your dinner the best it can be. To really magnify this, this is your first Next Generation Dinner so it really sets the bar for everyone else at a higher level, especially first-timers, but it can be done. The work you put in really shows on the plate, and the ease in which everyone is working for you tonite is a credit to you as you practiced these dishes during service, days before tonite. One guest, Mrs. Sugita on table 75, said "The entire Filipino community should be here to witness what Sonny has done with Filipino ingredients; he has elevated them to star status; unbelievable." ----I think that sums it up. Great job Sonny, I am really proud of you.
The Next Generation Dinners at the King St. restaurant and the Winez and Grindz Dinners at the Pineapple Room are meant to feature our next generation of cooks. To be able to do one requires going through a process. The first step is to prepare a menu -- usually a five-course sampling -- with a theme in mind. We go over it and discuss the menu, making sure the proteins are well-balanced, that they are not repeating ingredients nor cooking methods, that there is variety, dollar value, and something interesting that will sell. Last but not least, they learn how to "write up" the dishes and menu.
Once approved, they prepare each dish, one at a time. The team critiques it, we make suggestions, and it usually requires the cook to go back and make the necessary adjustments. This might take two, three, four or more times before it finally gets the ok, and they do this with each dish. In the meantime, it's good for them to discuss the dessert with the pastry team and go through the same process.
When all of the dishes are done, we take pictures and write the dish's final wording. By this time, we have already picked a date for the dinner and we try to give it as much publicity as possible. The cook is the star; the chef of the evening. The process of doing one of these dinners is so tedious that it's almost like a graduation of sorts, and usually the cook's family and friends come to dinner. If they are lucky, the media may pick up on it and do an interview or take pictures, or get a mention and have their name in the paper. At least they will have appeared on our eblast to all of our supporters.
It really is comforting to see all of our regulars that support our events each time we have them. They are supporting much more than just the restaurant. In this case, they are supporting our next generation.
Another lesson is supervision. On the night of their dinner, they usually do not work on the line, so they have to teach another cook how to prepare and plate the dish that they so painstakingly and lovingly created and nurtured along the way. They may experience frustration; they may be proud. I have seen many emotions. They get to experience what we chefs go through daily. And for those cooks aspiring to be chefs, it’s a good window into the life of a chef.
In the early days, to make a special menu item meant to put yourself on the line and subject yourself to criticism or judgement. One waitress didn’t like bell peppers, so she didn’t even want to try my dish at pre-service. I remember being bent out of shape over that and, now, I kind of laugh at myself about it. Eventually, I looked forward with great anticipation to see the faces on the waitstaff when they took their first bite, every time I put a dish out. When your food is different, you take chances. Back then, it was considered very different; today, different has a new meaning. What you have to do is challenge yourself all the time, to keep pushing it, and to keep trying to make things better.
Tonite, we are all proud of Sonny. For sure, one day, he will be a future chef that Hawaii can look forward to showcasing.
~AW