Had a line cook tell me mise en place is overrated and I laughed at first

I was working a Friday dinner rush near Portland last week and my new guy kept skipping his prep. He said he works better on the fly and mise en place just slows him down. I was ready to write him up but then I watched him handle a 50-cover walk-in without breaking a sweat. He never missed a ticket and his station was cleaner than mine at the end. Am I wrong for letting him keep doing it his way or is there a line somewhere?

3 comments

3 Comments

bennett.harper5d ago

Fifty covers isn't that crazy for a walk in though. If he was doing 150 I'd be more impressed.

leehall5d ago

You said fifty covers isn't that crazy, but I read a piece from a chef last month that said the real test isn't the count but the chaos. A quiet fifty can be easy, but a rushed fifty with mods and allergies and a broken dishwasher is a different beast entirely. I think if your guy can keep his station clean and his head on straight when the tickets are flying, that's worth something. Maybe mise en place is just a tool, not a religion.

michaelgrant5d ago

That fifty cover test sounds about right, it's like how some mechanics can rebuild an engine with tools scattered everywhere while others need everything laid out perfect. There's always that one guy who breaks the standard way of doing things and makes you wonder if the system is for helping people or just making everyone do it the same.