Being a chef can’t be an easy job! Not that we ever thought it was. But just to get some confirmation in any case, we spoke to Chef Kelvin Cheung of Ellipsis (raise your hand if you brunch there every other Sunday) and he let us in on 10 very unexpected things you learn when you’re a chef. So before you go thinking you could be the next Masterchef, tell us, how good are you at these things?
1. You Learn To Work Under High Pressure
“Stressful situations are expected and you learn to work with a mean old drunkard chef like me beating you and screaming while trying to complete all the orders”
2. You learn how to make things work regardless of how f*cked up and terrible a place you’re in
“Cooking for 300 people with no lights and only one burner working – done it!”
3. You learn how far you can actually push the human body mentally and physically
“I mean drinking after working 18 hour shifts and working after drinking 18 double Jamesons”
4. You learn how to be an EMT/nurse
“You can pretty much clean, patch, seal almost all forms of injuries, cuts, burns so the person can funtion, even if its just taping an open wound or searing it on a hot pan.”
5. You learn how to make the tastiest food out of leftovers and scraps…. literally
“3 minute asparagus soup without any asparagus”
But that’s not all, you also learn these special skills…
6. You finally realise that you have the skill and knowledge to actually kill clean and cook almost all living things.
7. You know exactly how much bacon and meat you can consume before passing out.
8. You now have the ability to stretch your pay check enough to pay rent, mortgage, for cigarettes and alcohol then worry about food
9. You know how to dress like a teenager and wear the same shirt everyday, and make it cool just because you’re a chef.
10. And most importantly, you learn how to get drunk in under an hour!
Thinking about becoming a chef? Do you really have it in you?