“All shellfish now has to go through UV filtration for 48 hours before we can even think of serving it,” Outlaw explains. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.įALSE This old saying is a relic of the days when summer algal blooms could cause a bit of an issue. For more information see our Privacy Policy. Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. In the Middle East, for instance, you’d never be served just the one dish – rices, sauces, breads and dips all come on the side as a matter of course – so they tend to have longer menus, because that’s the way they’ve always done it.”īut it does depend on whether the restaurant is busy, Hartnett says: “Quite apart from the fact that many places with long menus buy a lot of it in ready-made, judge them by how many bums they have on seats – if it’s relatively empty, you have to wonder how they can possibly keep on top of all that stock.” TRUE and FALSE “In western cooking, I’d say that’s very true,” Madi says, “but you can’t put many other cuisines into the same bracket. “Few restaurants have the capacity to open and discard multiple bottles based on the whims of your taste.” Places with long menus are always terrible “You’re not being poured the wine to pass judgment on whether or not you like it, though,” Keeling adds. “You’re tasting to see if it’s corked or oxidised, and not every restaurant is skilled or scrupulous enough to keep its wine in perfect condition.” In some very wine-focused establishments, the sommelier might even discreetly take away the open bottle and check it’s OK on your behalf, so don’t complain when they return and there’s a very small sip missing. You don’t need to try the wine when you’re offered it – just let them pourįALSE “Always try the wine if it’s offered to you,” says self-confessed grape nerd Dan Keeling, wine merchant and co-owner of Noble Rot’s three wine bars and restaurants in London. “If need be, call a carpenter and ask them to make you one.” “There’s always a way to fit a guest in.” That might involve asking them to wait while table four finishes their pudding, or to come back in an hour, but the job’s all about getting them a table any which way. It’s not that places without stars are necessarily inconsistent, it’s just that you can be confident that a place with a star is 99.99% going to be bang on the money every single time.” You can’t get a table at a fully booked restaurantįALSE “I never turned anyone away, ever,” Sirieix insists. “That’s not to say I don’t respect them – the work and sacrifice those guys put in is monumental, but you could say the same about the industry as a whole.”Įven Hartnett, holder of a star herself, kind of concurs: “More than anything, Michelin indicates a particular level of consistency, as well as a certain style of dining. Madi agrees: “The front of house deal with guests face-to-face, and know them much better than us lot back in the kitchen, so I’m happy to take my lead from them.” Michelin stars are an indicator of qualityįALSE “No chuffing way,” Madi says. After all, they’re paying for it.” That’s not to say you can’t try to steer them, but it’s ultimately their decision, not the cook’s: “I mean, I can’t talk – I like ice in my wine, which gives most sommeliers a fit of the vapours.” “If a guest wants meat well done rather than medium, just give it to them, irrespective of your own opinion. People aren’t in this industry to be abused.”Īt the end of the day, says Angela Hartnett, chef and owner of Michelin-starred Murano and three Cafe Muranos in London, it’s more about being candid with yourself: “I’d guess this is 90% true: ask if you maybe screwed up, and the answer is yes, probably.” The chef is always rightįALSE “You’re kidding me, right?” laughs Hartnett. Don’t get me wrong, if something’s over- or undercooked, or cold when it’s meant to be hot, it’s 100% fine to complain, but finger-clicking rudeness is way out of order. “They mostly don’t have a flying clue how kitchens or costs work, either. “How can the customer be right when it comes to how we choose to serve a dish?” asks the chef and co-owner of The Parkers Arms near Clitheroe, Lancashire, recently named the UK’s best gastropub. Stosie Madi, however, disagrees, at least to an extent.
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