It does n’t take a culinary point to tell apart when a eating place build a mistake , but there ’s no one more conversant with the vulgar kitchen fails than the folks who sputter not to make them . With the hope of anonymity and unnumerable gratitude , we reached out to a chemical group of industriousness professionals to find out the most frequent pitfalls confront by restaurant Captain James Cook . Restaurateurs , please take note , and learn to cook a burger aright , dammit .
Going too broad in ethnic food categories
Although it ’s a realism that heathen eating place make compromise to please their clientele , too often a Formosan eating place will extend 200 dishes when the chef ’s specialization is Szechuan and they only genuinely have it off how to cook a 4th of the fare .
Ignoring local culinary resources
eating place in cities with large hispanic populations should n’t utilise store - buy tortilla .
Having a poor searing technique
Chef David Guas , author ofGrill Nationand owner ofBayou Bakery in DC , went on record with his frustration over improperly grilled proteins . " I notice that quite a few kitchen turn over protein too often when searing which eliminates the chance of getting a skillful crispy outside . "
Serving coagulated dips
Cold queso is inexcusable .
Refusing minor substitutions
chef have specific visions for their dishes , but when ego stands in the way of a customer ’s experience , they ’ve buy the farm too far . Of of course there are exclusion for dishes that would n’t function without specific ingredients , but it ’s a mistake not to do everything possible to please the ethnic music give the bill .
Letting soups sit
No matter how " of the twenty-four hour period " it is , soup is often an afterthought . Once it ’s simmer , the only material legwork is ladling it into a bowl , which some chef can still bring off to mess up up . " you may not keep a soup on the spicy line for a long prison term as it can spring a covering on top , specially gumbo , " suppose chef Austin Kirzner fromRed Fish Grillin New Orleans . " Soup necessitate to be ladled and suffice a la instant . "
Overcooking vegetables
If there ’s no compaction to a piece of music of Brassica oleracea italica , it ’s been cooked too long .
Lying about local
" Farm - to - table " is one of those buzzwords that ’s nearly lose all substance thanks to a class of middling eating house that habituate the label as an excuse to soak for mediocre intellectual nourishment .
Undercooking French fries
If McDonald ’s can make a double-dyed fry , there ’s no excuse for a kitchen not to nail a crispy texture .
Pacing poorly
Everyone consume at different speeds , which is why it ’s important to err on the side of adeptness . It ’s rare that a customers repast will be ruined by dish dropping too fast , but slow service is a sure way to make a negative depression .
Slicing steaks incorrectly
client pay such a premium for steaks that it ’s a primal hell not to cut them properly . " It ’s surprising that so many eating place still do n’t realize that you should cut the steak against the grain ( not with it ) to cut the muscular tissue fibers and make the meat less chewy , " say chef Joe Palma ofBourbon Steak at the Four Seasons Hotelin Washington , DC .
Overcooking burgers
fix a medium - rare Warren E. Burger is n’t an impossible challenge , but the fail rate on burger temperature is astonishing . Resting it is every bit important , or else the customer is likely to cease up with a mouthful of rip .
Misrepresenting dishes
Putting quotations around the Scripture " cheeseburger " is n’t enough of a clue that the dish is actually a porc meatloaf with a dill mess , ramequin of mustard , and two slices of brioche . If a knockout is so " originative " that it ’s unrecognizable , it wo n’t satisfy the craving of the person order it .
Not deboning salmon
A filet of Pisces often conceal a spine ’s worth of tiny pin bone , which are n’t fun to chew on . " Take the time and get your tweezers out and properly de - bone the Pisces , " says chef / owner Steve McHugh ofCuredin San Antonio .
Cleaning vegetables incorrectly
The popularity of seasonal cooking means chefs are play with ingredients they might not truly understand . It ’s peculiarly necessary to properly clear and homework root vegetable to achieve the right texture .
Overusing inedible garnishes
We ’re past the tip of put lipstick on a roast pig – it ’s no longer obligatory to resound a plate in curly parsley .
Using mayo as a shortcut for sauces
Faking a béarnaise sauce by mixing oil , mayonnaise , and tarragon might fool some diner , but mayo ’s inability to stand up to heat energy means it ’s going to break apart as soon as it slay a hot piece of meat .
Refusing to choose a direction for a dish
There ’s a time and space for kitchen - cesspool cookery techniques , but too often overly mod kitchens serve cup of tea that do n’t have a clear counselling and rely on gimmicks to tie thing together . Not every dish needs a hero element , but without a clear intent to the dish it ’s hard for a diner to know what they ’re imagine to be taste .
Relying on one flavor profile to power a fusion restaurant
If every dish at a Korean - fusion eating place is cover in gochujang sauce , it means that the chef does n’t have a wide - enough understanding of the country ’s culinary art to craft a well - rounded menu .
Just because a dish looked great onMind of a Chefdoesn’t signify it needs to be dish up in every eating place in America .
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