mia442•19d ago

Debate: Does mise en place matter more for prep or service?

I've worked in three kitchens over 5 years, and last month my sous chef swore that skipping mise for service saves time, but my old chef from 3 years ago in Chicago said it ruins the flow. Which side do you lean on when the rush hits?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_phoenix19d ago

Oh great, the mise en place debate is like arguing whether a sharp knife is optional. Your Chicago chef had it right, mise is what stops service from turning into a literal dumpster fire. Skipping prep time to save a few minutes just means you'll spend the whole rush hunting for garlic or throwing towels around like a maniac. I've seen that play out and it's basically a slow motion train wreck with extra salt.

lisa_ross1618d ago

is it actually that deep though? like yeah having your stuff set up is nice and all but i've worked rushes where we literally ran out of the prep we did and had to wing it and nobody died lol. mise is a tool not a religion. if your flow gets ruined by missing a shallot you probably have bigger problems than prep time.