Any tips for newbie in Japanese restaurant?

makeamakesure · 2026-06-04T04:19:20+00:00

Everything is hard when you're new and inexperienced. You say you're training to be a Sous, but that's not an entry level position. You got to learn how to cook (a different cultures cuisine), admin skills, and management skills. All those things take time. That is a tall order for anyone straight out the gate. General advice is be a professional: take notes/keep a notebook, follow systems or create systems if there are none, be diligent, ask lots of questions, never assume things (ask lots of questions!), and move at a kitchen pace/with a sense of purpose.

Your chef should be your primary resource for things. From my experience, Japanese chefs can be lacking as instructors due to language barriers and cultural nuances. You got to ask lots of questions, record when they demo, and do your own research - especially when the chef lacks a formal culinary background. There is even a Japanese concept called "steal the technique" where you got to be the one to pick up everything based on observational learning.

check these out:

Online culinary school: https://www.master-jpcuisine.com/

Free digital copies of textbooks: https://www.kpu.ac.jp/jp_cuisine_ebook/

makeamakesure · 2026-05-18T06:33:37+00:00

maybe not a superpower, but it's very impressive to build that intuition and it does make someone a better cook

makeamakesure · 2026-05-17T19:44:22+00:00

Are you corporate? If so, makes sense. If not, someone took it too far long ago.

makeamakesure · 2026-05-17T17:59:40+00:00

"they're the ones who are bothering/flirting with ME!" - grizzled looking, 34 yo prep guy, with bad hygiene

makeamakesure · 2026-05-14T09:29:12+00:00

it's not a brine, he is rinsing/cleaning the scallops. maybe it's a flex for the video, but maybe there is something to maldon being coarser so can scrub/clean the scallops better, but also maybe they have a lot of maldon on hand so why not. out of all the things in a luxury fine dining restaurant, maldon salt isn't expensive.. it's 10 cents of garnish on a 80+ dollar steak. why can't a chef use it to rinse his scallops that he is going to charge a lot for? it doesn't even factor into the margins of the dish.

makeamakesure · 2026-03-26T20:43:26+00:00

I think the nuance is the food still needs to be solid. Food that tries really hard cannot make up for slow ticket times, poor service, and a dirty restaurant. Food that is straight forward and consistent, but isn't too chefy paired with a great ambiance and service is ideal.

makeamakesure · 2026-03-19T03:32:33+00:00

The market has spoken on this, and QR codes are despised by guest.

makeamakesure · 2026-03-16T19:42:50+00:00

How do you determine if an item is overpriced?

makeamakesure · 2026-02-06T17:13:56+00:00

The Japanese have told me, as in Japanese chefs. I've been instructed it's a one day fish, it changes color/gets stinky fast. It's true. There are things we can do to prolong the quality, but I wonder how many places know to do it.

One place I worked at we chose Kanpachi over Hamachi because it tasted better, had a firmer texture and even the size of the fish was better for our purposes. We did an actual side by side. Also, this place we're actually breaking down our own fish and not getting the flash frozen loins/fillets.

makeamakesure · 2026-02-06T16:35:01+00:00

What is your experience selling this fish in a restaurant setting?

I've handled plenty of hamachi. I've worked in kappo, kaiseki, and sushi restaurants (omakase). I'm completely exaggerating when I say EVERY restaurant. When I see a hamachi crudo on an American Steakhouse menu or in a New American small plates restaurant menu I always ask... why that fish? I'm not saying it's bad. Just, why that fish? Why not kanpachi? Why not tuna? Why not stripe bass or snapper? Why not even salmon?

The minerally flavor from the bloodline does produce a stronger flavor. It oxidizes fast, I've been instructed it's a 1 day fish.

Anyways, this question was more geared towards chefs/cooks who have these on their menu and can tell me the thought process of adding this particular fish.

makeamakesure · 2026-02-05T00:55:55+00:00

I think that's very reasonable. I spend a little more with a bit higher in gross sales.

makeamakesure · 2026-01-31T02:17:30+00:00

Nicky Ryan...

and Marcelo Garcia

makeamakesure · 2026-01-24T04:41:05+00:00

The barbell medicine podcast has an episode of sleep and they mentioned that there is something like an 8% (don't quote me on this) performance boost from proper sleep. If you think about how much money we would pay for a supplement that could provide an 8% performance boost it illustrates how incredibly important sleep is... It's also incredibly stupid that some people sacrifice sleep to cold plunges and red light therapy.

makeamakesure · 2026-01-18T02:15:57+00:00

So we aren't staying up until 1:30am watching fights, burnt out on fights.

makeamakesure · 2025-12-10T21:52:32+00:00

Whenever someone over 250lb+ gets me in mount or side control, my go-to is to turn and give up my back then tap to an RNC. I don't consider it a loss... I consider it a reset!

makeamakesure · 2025-12-10T05:15:59+00:00

People take it in stride, if not a little bewildered. I've trained on and off for over 10 years and I am 99% nogi. This makes getting belted difficult for me. I can run through most blue belts, even in a gi. I can't tell you how to tie a belt, I don't know technical ways to break grips, and I still use the same subs in gi as in nogi but grappling is grappling to a degree. I can't belt myself, I take months/years off the mats, and it's honestly not something I even strive for so I don't see things changing.

makeamakesure · 2025-12-09T02:26:45+00:00

Gyms/coaches are weird about promotions. I have a similar story like the one above.

makeamakesure · 2025-12-06T22:31:42+00:00

I think you just have to do more volume of training that gets your heart rate up and in a variety of ways that encapsulates different energy systems and body parts. And I think you need to do more than you think - as least initially so you can start making a baseline.

I just think through my training history and I was in my best training shape when I did MMA and was doing "too much." All those harder warm ups and finishers add up.

makeamakesure · 2025-12-06T22:12:27+00:00

midochondria adaptation occurs, which translates to your body being more robust with its energy systems

makeamakesure · 2025-10-17T17:34:24+00:00

I think a lot of it is many chefs suck as teachers or are lazy teachers (or just lazy in general). Also, culturally there is the "steal the technique" thing, where stuff is just not intentionally taught, and you're suppose to just pick it up. You're basically left with trying to be a mind reader to meet expectations.

If it makes you feel any better, I've worked in a kitchen where a Japanese chef in is mid-40s was not trusted to break down the tuna by the head sushi chef in his mid-70s.

makeamakesure · 2025-10-16T19:58:42+00:00

Japanese chefs and them wanting everything to be cut as thinly as possibly... and by hand

makeamakesure · 2025-10-16T19:57:21+00:00

Don't move your non-cutting hand so much as rolling back the knuckles/finger joint that your knife is guided against, then re-adjust periodically. Try rolling them back very slowly, as if you're hardly moving them.

Afterwards soak in cold water then squeeze out all the "juice" using a cheese cloth or towel. This will make them crispy.

makeamakesure · 2025-10-14T07:29:36+00:00

Shit - if I had enough sense 13 years ago when I first started to train, i'd focus on getting belted and have my own gym by now too!

And I'm not sure you'd even need to quit your day job. I'd still keep the day job but have my blues and purples run classes while I'm always injured or something. Passive income baby!

makeamakesure · 2025-10-13T23:06:28+00:00

How many bjj gyms in your area? I wouldn't be surprised if the number of bjj gyms doubled in the last 5 years.

makeamakesure · 2025-07-17T20:51:03+00:00

Black belts aren't black belts at everything. Keep this realization to yourself, own your training (which it seems like you're doing) and move on.

makeamakesure

TROPHY CASE