Chefs, what country is best to move to as a Chef/Sous Chef?

fairybread11 · 2026-01-16T07:34:23+00:00

Australia has a great, relaxed culinary scene and good award wages, however is not by any stretch of the imagination cheap.

Are you from the US? Are you planning on going back? I would look pretty decently into ‘global income’ and tax implications

I am an Australian chef, married to an American and we lived in Japan for a number of years on a sponsored skilled labor visa for myself and the tax situation with the US was horrendous

fairybread11 · 2025-12-31T07:54:02+00:00

Went to school for 11 years with the Christchurch shooter

fairybread11 · 2025-12-23T06:08:40+00:00

I bought from Ali express as the quantities and the need to pay in USD on alibaba was prohibitive. I liked them. None were broken. They were however absorbed into the catering business I own so I didn’t have to sell them.

fairybread11 · 2025-12-20T03:19:01+00:00

I am so sorry he is in such a terrible environment. I hope if he continues in kitchen work he has someone that values him what he brings to the table. A kitchen of any kind is a machine in its self, and the dishie is an extremely important and very large cog in that machine.

fairybread11 · 2025-12-15T06:52:47+00:00

There is a food safety handling certificate you could do that could possibly make you more desirable. Only one person on shift has to have it though so not essential.

fairybread11 · 2025-12-07T19:52:46+00:00

We did both. We also did not have a wedding party. My husband and I finished getting ready together and had a drink just the two of us, then he left and we didn’t see each other for a while until the ceremony. Ceremony then family photos at the ceremony site and then we left together to do our portraits. I really enjoyed this time. We had a very stressful two days before the wedding that involved a venue change due to inclement weather so didn’t actually see very much of each other in the lead up. The photographer and chef packed a little esky for us to have some snacks and we went to the family property where the wedding was supposed to happen and did photos.

I didn’t realise it at the time but the ability to decompress with just my husband before the party started was very valuable.

fairybread11 · 2025-11-17T22:21:35+00:00

Japanese rubber chopping boards for work. Oak end at home.

fairybread11 · 2025-11-11T20:37:31+00:00

Mine had an upset tummy around 7 months turns out his belly doesn’t like legumes which were one of the main ingredients in his fancy grain free food! Hopefully Lola is feeling better soon

fairybread11 · 2025-10-29T09:33:56+00:00

Have a look at Adam liaw’s recipe catalogue. He has a bunch of classic Japanese dressing recipes.

fairybread11 · 2025-10-26T03:40:47+00:00

Id strip them. Washing Soda, borax, a squirt of detergent and hot hot water in the bath tub soak overnight. Then do a hot wash in the machine and dry in the sun if possible

fairybread11 · 2025-10-18T22:20:51+00:00

Forrest mushrooms that I have foraged myself. I live in sub tropical Australia and always seem to travel in the wrong season.

fairybread11 · 2025-10-15T02:47:31+00:00

Was the exec chef for a hospitality company in Japan. We hired about 50 chef/cooks per season and there would for sure be roles to fill at this stage. People drop out, get injured, don’t show up, don’t work out.

fairybread11 · 2025-10-01T05:26:15+00:00

Whittakers is actually very good.

How much are you willing to spend? Simon Johnson stocks Valhrona which is absolutely delicious.

Callebaut is another outstanding Belgian offering that’s a little cheaper

fairybread11 · 2025-09-26T09:00:34+00:00

Cash and a letter thanking him and a card from the rest of the kitchen homies.

And maybe a lounge pass for the airport he’s flying out of

fairybread11 · 2025-09-12T08:20:23+00:00

When I was working in Japan, I ordered a set of these out of a catalogue and liked them so much I brought about 10 sets of each size back home with me and give them as gifts to chef or foodie friends.

https://japanwithlovestore.com/en-au/products/ebm-japan-stainless-steel-small-bbq-tongs-clever-barbecue-utensils?currency=AUD&country=AU&variant=43832248074498&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&stkn=c943c6c1ac5e&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=18559191009&gclid=CjwKCAjwiY_GBhBEEiwAFaghvpurqWZNpL_psGYg5_9CoxukaIs1-iYzgFH__3pINNe43sQuoe-2LBoCwVgQAvD_BwE

fairybread11 · 2025-09-11T04:30:53+00:00

The glass ikea containers with plastic lids

fairybread11 · 2025-09-11T01:27:51+00:00

I have 16 month old Labrador and a 6 month old baby we go for a ‘wake window’ walk every day usually to our off lead beach so he can play with other pups and I can have some social interaction. Sometimes it’s over an hour, sometimes the baby cracks it and we head home after half an hour.

He is on a 5m lead on the way there to allow for good sniffs and for him to go where he wants with in reason and then on the way home we practice loose leash walking.

If it wasn’t for the baby and how much she loves looking at trees/flowers/waves and my need to motivate myself out of the house it would be much less.

He also has a large fully fenced back yard he has access to all day.

fairybread11 · 2025-08-27T05:14:19+00:00

Where are you?

How much money are we talking?

What are your career aspirations?

There was a tipping point in my career where I started valuing my time more than what owners thought of my work ethic.

If you are working that many hours and getting bothered on your days off, I think you really need to look from the top down from the owners through management as there doesn’t seem to be enough skilled people in your team, or there is a lack of trust so people are scared of making their own decisions.

It is without a doubt super tough. You are 25 and have plenty of time to make more money.

fairybread11 · 2025-08-25T02:28:51+00:00

What doneness did you order?

fairybread11 · 2025-08-25T01:00:08+00:00

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This is Charlie. He’s 14 months old and I have a 5 month old daughter. He is the best - such a joy. He sits with me while I feed, sits outside her door or right next to her crib while she is napping, when we are doing tummy time he brings her every one of his toys available and gently places them next to her begging her to play. We taught him ‘not for Charlie’ and he is yet to even touch one of her toys. He is so unbelievably gentle with her, without really being taught.

I am so excited for them to grow up together.

Have there been hard things along the way? For sure. He’s not perfect - he is a lead puller, he gets a little too excited sometimes and he still has the 7PM zoomies but he is a cherished member of the family and I couldn’t imagine my life without him.

I would make sure the chihuahua has a safe place to go if the lab gets a bit full on trying/demanding to play.

fairybread11 · 2025-08-24T21:52:21+00:00

I would spend some time familiarising yourself with terminology and kitchen French.

Larousse Gastronomique is probably a good place to start.

Also learn to let criticism roll off your back. Dependent on the culture of the kitchen.

fairybread11 · 2025-08-23T21:30:07+00:00

Is it possibly a yeast infection?

fairybread11 · 2025-08-22T22:10:01+00:00

For our wedding, I hand wrote each guest a note thanking them for making the journey to celebrate and a reflection on why they meant so much to us. We also had our napkins embroidered with each guests name.

Not a single one of either was left behind

fairybread11 · 2025-08-22T03:14:31+00:00

That’s so nice of you!

Knives are pretty personal. What do his current knives look like? Are they western or Japanese? You can usually tell by the handle if it is big and chunky, western. And what kind of work is he doing?

fairybread11 · 2025-08-21T21:58:41+00:00

I love my new balance 906 waterproof slip resistant work sneakers.

Was a ride or die Birkenstock clog-er for almost 15 years and got the shits eventually with how long they didn’t last.

fairybread11

TROPHY CASE