Liae Blog

Have you read part 1 and part two, if not, it’s important that you go back and read them.

Welcome to the Part 3 of Hibachi Chef Everything You Ever Wanted To Know

This will be a guide to helping you create your own show. Article can’t train you, you must practice on your own using what-ever materials you can get; videos, by watching order chef’s show, reading a few tips like this one.

Youtube is a great place to find tutorial videos. You can search there for Shows. If you are frustrated because you are seeing shows that are extremely fast and you can’t do it or you just don’t seem to be doing what they are doing, something is wrong : What ?

Each and Every show that a Hibachi Chef does has individual sequences which are combined to create the show. The way one starts and finishes can be unique. Trying to copy someone’s show will be a bit difficult than just creating your own. Have you seen someone spin a spatula then immediately do something out of the blue ? That’s because they have practiced in that manner. May be it will not work for you. Here are tips before I teach you how to do it:

• Relax. Don’t push yourself to the edge. Let your hand relax, fingers and all.
• Remember to tape the edges of spatula so when you are practicing you don’t get any cuts.
• Start slowly then speed-up. Don’t expect the show to be everything fast which would make you look like a top chef. That’s not true.
• If possible, aim to create a simple show that you can do without dropping spatula or fork. Once you are comfortable with that. Add more sequences to the mix.
• Try repeating the same sequence at least twice here and there.
• Don’t try to create a show that’s way too long. Usually shows last 30 to 45 minutes. Why ? Hungry people are waiting for meal on their plate and cooking fast means saving time every step of the way; once you land in front of the table (think of the time you have on hand to finish the table. Every second counts. Show should be a show but it shouldn’t kill your time.

A pick from youtube to show you just what i mean by sequences. Watch this video and read on. Don’t just jump to the conclusion and yell yet me saying, why can’t I copy this show ? Sure you can. But you might learn faster by creating your own unique show. You can re-watch the sequences here. This is done by someone who was learning just like you. So my video pick should be good one, what do you think ?

Let’s do a few sequences which we can do.

Before I write down here, note this:  When you are doing your show, NEVER EVER touch the cooking part of the equipment. You can touch the handles, that’s it. If you happen to touch other areas, your show is not a show. Period.

For creating a show, try it again and again and again unless you are pretty sure you got everything right.  Imagine this : If you are there in front of the customer and everything looks alright and out of the blue you catch your spatula in its  middle part!!! Customers will start putting the ask in their head– “is this chef new ?” Any doubt you give to customers can convert to complains. Even if you cooked perfectly, a customer can complain to the manager; simply because he/she thinks you are new.

Spinning The Spatula – everyone does this, why not you ? This trick is often called Helicopter Trick by many.

• Spin your spatula using your index finger. If it’s not spinning, go back  to the part two and read on about cutting the wood at the back. If it’s not spinning, try spinning by pointing your index finger upward not horizontally.  See photo below. Practice a lot. Once you can do vertically, try horizontally. It’s a bit difficult but you can do it.

Flipping the Spatula

• Flip it and catch it; Hold it, throw up in the air and catch it by the handle. Let it flip. You can do one flip, try doing two flips and catching it. This requires timing and practice.
• Fingers in the Play – use your fingers to flip spatula. Practice this. Just do it.
• Place your Spatula on the grill, now hold it there, then try flipping it either way and then catching it.
• Throw to another hand and catch it

Hand to Hand Spatula Movement

• Hold the Spatula by the handle pointing upward (use your thumb and index fingers to hold it), then let it lose, Spatula will go down easily, now flip your wrist and catch the spatula by the same hand or by the other hand.
• You can do many rotations by keeping your spatula on your hand, i.e. it never leaves your hand. Try using your thumb to push for rotation and use other fingers for flipping.

Rotating Fork

• Hold the fork on your left hand, push the handle by your thumb and let go all other fingers, when it comes back, catch it with the fingers.
• Hold it by the left hand then throw up an catch it.
• Put it on the grill. The using your spatula, catch it up in the air.
• Put it on the grill. Hit one end with a spatula and catch it. But be careful, don’t let it go out of  the table, it’s got sharp points.

A few tips ?

• A good show should be using both hands. If you are spinning spatula by right hand, do the same with fork on the other hand. Don’t keep your hands idle.
• Practice is the key to a perfect show. Practice at home, during off hours and so on.
• Use both hands. Don’t do a trick with one hand and keep the other one idle.
• Don’t drop it.
• Don’t make it any longer than a minute. 30 Seconds would be enough.
• Don’t scream or say, “look at that, look at” , “can you do that?” A comedian won’t laugh, make others laugh. You are a stunt man, don’t say a word about stunt! Let the people observe you and make their decision whether you are a pro or just a baby chef! Smile while you are doing the show, that’s good enough.
• If you know, that your restaurant had a shortage of a chef, and you were on a table that had been waiting for an hour, it would be better if you apologize on behalf of the restaurant, smile, cook, then perhaps do a show. Hungry bellies won’t give a penny to your show at first.
• Follow rules of the owners. Some restaurants don’t do fires. If so, don’t do it.
• Once you have created your own show. Stick with it. Practice and follow with it. As you gain more control. It will come naturally

Egg Show

• This requires a lot of practice like any other show. To start with, buy a golf ball so you don’t cost a restaruant. Throw it up in the air and try to catch it by the spatula. Keep on practicing until you don’t hear any sound of the golf ball hitting the spatula — which means you are catching the egg perfectly (it wouldn’t break) What’s really happening on this show? Right after you have thrown the egg, bring your spatula about half way up or down then go down together with the egg. Gravity is in play here, when both your spatula and eggs are going down at two different speed. Egg is going faster but your spatula is going slow. With practice you can easily match the speed and your egg will land on your spatula without any impact
• Breaking the egg. This also requires a lot of practice. Usually egg goes up and you hold the spatula in vertical position where one side sits on the grill and the other waits for the eggs to arrive and break on it. Keep on trying with golf ball for this practice, then try with the real one– eggs. If you get tried with golf balls, buy the real eggs, they are pretty cheap at Walmart.In this trick, Egg falls down with a great force, breaks open and sticks on the edge of spatula. Just take egg shell off the spatula, hurray the egg content is on the grill already. This is a great trick, you shouldn’t miss it. Anything that might help you do this? When you are throwing the egg, ensure the egg is not spinning. It’s easier if the egg comes down side-wise

An image that shows what we meant by this trick. Hope this comes in handy. Also watch some videos which I have picked, they are at the bottom of this post.

• Spinning the Egg. Place an egg on the grill, then, with your index finger, start spinning it, then throw up and down and reveal to the customer on the other side of the spatula’s surface or on the same surface. The egg would still be spinning. Customers would be going WOW. They will love it. If you can do the egg jump trick, this shouldn’t be heard at all. The only thing is, make sure you catch at the middle part of the spatula not near the end or else the egg will fall down.
• You can drop the egg into your hat. Requires practice, Dont’ bend forward to act like you don’t know. Practice and it will go where it’s suppose to. Confidence often is the key to getting things right. For support, chefs use napkins etc inside the hat so egg wont’ break into your hat.
• Catch the egg by your pocket. This is easy to do and it’s fun for everyone to watch you doing things to please customers. When to do ? During Egg Tricks. Catch one into your pocket or ask a customer if they would like to catch it. Your question could bring some giggles on the table– all in all, it’s adding to your Entertainment points.

Making a Volcano

Stack onion rings one after another towards the edge but at a good enough hot surface. Stack them using your spatula and fork, not by your hands. Be sure every stack covers the other one. Pour down oil first. Wait for a while, then pour either Vodka or lemon extract, then light the fire as soon as you can. Keep your face away, don’t pour too much Vodka and never look down to see what’s inside then light it – dummy me for writing but I had seen a chef who burned his mustache while he was practicing this technique. He was saying, “How much is there? let me look inside!”

Once you the fire comes out of the Volcano, don’t rush or act like a superstar. Start moving the Volcano towards the center but gently by pushing the entire thing using your spatula. Jut slide it. As it gets hotter and hotter, the content inside burns faster; bigger fire, then, slowly fumes come out. After everything, some chef even add soy sauce to let it pour out. If this ain’t making anyone unhappy and it is keeping the grill clean, do it!

Making a Fire

• Ensure the grill is hot an that you have told everyone to pull back their chairs.
• Put oil in the center. Make a smiling face or anything you like using the oil. (don’t make something rude or vulgar stuffs)
• At the right or left, which would be near your end, put some oil and pour down Lemon Extract or Vodka, light it. If it doesn’t burn, the surface lacks enough heat or you haven’t used enough of Vodka or the Extract. Once you have a small fire at the end, slowly pour the Vodka or Lemon Extract in a line starting from the fire. It should create one heck of a fire.
• WARNING! - always be careful with fire. Ensure the grill is not EXTREMELY HOT.
• Before making fire, make sure the container that holds Vodka or Lemon Extract is secure, i.e. Check the container’s cap. If you squeeze, is there possibility that you will pour down everything on the grill and create a disaster ? Even the most secure caps can be loosen by heat if the container remains very close to the grill or etc. Most caps of plastic bottles or so called tubes tend to expand due to heat. Pay special attention when you are making fire; use as little as possible Vodka, create fire closer to you than closer to the customer.

Faked Sauce

• This has been discussed on part two go there to learn to create your own. This is easy to do and harmless. Be sure to keep the container clean by watching it regularly. Ask if anyone would like to try a special sauce you created today and it’s awesome. Convince someone to try it and give them the sauce cup and pour it…. but no sauce but a thread goes off the table. Customer would be scared and worried about sauce being all over the dress. This will create some laughter on the table

Faked Shaker

• Part two also covered this. See that section, a link is on this page. From your empty Salt shaker, jump your hand right on top a plate and start shaking– customer will be puzzled, giggled, amazed, it’s all part of the entertainment. Want to do more to the plate, make it as messy as you can, by giving egg shells etc. See more below..

Make Someone’s Plate as Dirty As Possible

• Before you do this, learn by yourself if you have a table that’s got friendly customers. Otherwise, some may not like what you are doing.
• Break egg and put it on his/her plate and season the plate with all kinds of sauces, and, let everyone laugh as you smile and say, “your meal is ready mam/sir! or even birthday Girl!” Should I add more Teriyaki Sauce ?
• Don’t worry, waiter will be there to replace the plate, it’s all good if the customers are laughing and having a good time. But, what if you did this to an angry customer who didn’t understand your purpose and he/shelf felt humiliated in-front of others? You probably wouldn’t create such a scenario. I’ve probably already told this before time and again. Please. Always know your customers before you cook or do extra shows. A face alone can tell a whole lot about a person, so know it before you act. When you are checking orders did any customers not talk to you. When you asked a customer how the steak was to be cooked? the customer didn’t reply, do you see bunches of customers just sad? Have your customers been waiting for a long time ? A professional chef will never assume anything; but he will try to learn everything about his table, which would include the moods of his customers and how long they have been waiting on the table.

Talking

• Talk to customers. Making a joke. Learn some jokes over the internet, but never make dirty jokes etc.
• While talking, here is one you can do. A person has ordered Rare Steak. Just take it out of your cart and approach for the plate and say, “your steak is ready, could you forward your plate please!” I bet the friendly person will giggle and everyone will laugh.
• Do you spit a lot when talking ? Then talk away from the grill. Pro Hibachi Chef Knows what he is doing. Are you doing what they are doing ?

Goto,
Parts of this Article(s).. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
————————– This part shows Videos which you might like. If you are new and confused by watching lots of videos with extremely fast movements, my advice is to relax, and watch the video time and again. You can some download videos and reduce the frame rate to 60 etc that way you pick up faster. Here we, videos…..

a Egg Trick video – a pick from youtube

Another simple yet easy to do show by Andre. You can pick up a few tricks right from this simple video. Watch it.

For more info, click here ==>Hibachi Show Video Contest, Watch some videos here that might be of useful to you. Once you have created your show, why not share with others? I would prefer a show that has probably two parts, one part where you are doing everything in slow motion so the beginners would love it, the other part ? well – your show-ff!! LOL !!

See other parts to learn more. Just show isn’t enough. A professional Hibachi Chef takes the as an art and it really is. From the beginning to the end of this part I’ve tried my best to prove that point.