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Haven’t viewed Part 1 ? Go back,  Everything You Ever Wanted To Know about Hibachi Chef

Part Two – Step inside a Japanese Restaurant.

This part covers many equipments and takes you inside the kitchen. It should help you familiarize with the kitchen, and associated cooking equipments. This section also gives you some simple tips on how to do shows and  tricks which you can start learning today.

Points to note, i.e. before we go on:

In most cases, You will be provided a cart but nothing else.

You will need to buy equipments such as dress, cooking utensils, towels, etc.

Equipments you need to buy but not limited to are :

• Spatula 1 or 2 (I said 2, you will learn later why)
• Fork 1 or 2 (same comment as above)
• Steak Knife 1 or 2 (same comment as above)
• Plastic tubes one for each; Vegetable Oil, Teriyaki Sauce, Soy Sauce
• Salt Shaker (a large size one)
• Black Pepper  Shaker (large size)
• Dress (your dress, duh? the author for writing this!)
• Hat (a hibachi chef’s hat)
• Tie (a short type) that goes around your neck and doesn’t hang when you bend. Why ? You may need to bend at times when cooking at the table and you don’t want your tie to be touching everything.
• Personal  Towel, or large size Handkerchiefs (to wipe out your sweats or to use for other purpose while you are at work, i.e cooking)

Welcome to the World of SPATULA

Help me! I can’t spin my Spatula!

Almost every hibachi chef needs to spin the Spatula. They do it using their index finger. I said almost and I also used the word needs to. That’s because this is simple and hey,  everyone does it. Why not you ?

It’s impossible to see a chef that doesn’t do this trick.

People love to watch your tricks and this one is pretty popular. Customers go wow, How does he/she do? Kids love it.

Get a spatula that’s not too heavy or too long so it’s easy on your hands. Medium size Spatulas are easier to handle, cook,  and also to spin.

The fork as shown in the above picture is used as it is. But some Chefs prefer to bring the ends to a point by bending them to the center. You can do this by using a hammer. What’s the benefit ? Well, some chef claim, that if you have the edges together, you can shuffle foods faster such as shuffling the rice during. But what works for others may not work for you.

Fact Check – Spatula is the most used equipment of all. So, get a good one that will last long. Heavy one isn’t really the costly one, but stainless steel with a good handle is one. Price range is $30 to $75 per Spatula.

What comes as is, must be cut. Well, for some, and for others they can spin anything without doing nothing!!

On the above photo, see right where the (wooden) handle meets the metal part on the back side of the spatula, cut the wooden part a bit, just enough to fit-in your index finger. Don’t make it too big or too small. Now you should be able to spin the spatula easily. You just learned how to spin a spatula! Congratulations!

Now Practice a lot now, and as always Have fun.

If you are idle, don’t let that Spatula be idle. Play with it. Flip it. Make Spatula your best friend. If you want to do more tricks, that’s what you need to do. make Spatula your best friend.

3 Spatulas – just photo only–impossible.

Spatula’s Sharp Edges can be deadly. Roughen it!
Newly purchased spatulas have sharp edges. When you are spinning such objects, specially in front of customers, expect it to drop on the floor or fly!  You never know. It can hurt you or customers. So, be careful.

Do what most chefs do – make the edges rough and spin within a limit, don’t make it like Helicopter!!

Rub the edges against knife sharpener or any hard surface such as stone. Avoid spinning spatula close to the customers unless you are 100% sure it will never fly away from your hand.  Slow spin will do for your show. During practice, you can tape the edges to avoid cuts — you learned bicycle by breaking a few bones, you may not, but I did!

The Three and The Must have Tools – Spatula, Fork and a Steak Knife.

The above is yet another photo of the same. Just for you to watch it. See it, feel it. Because your new adventure begins with these tools. I would recommend that you get hold of 2 of each and carry with you. If one drops on the floor during your show or even while pushing a cart among customers/tables, you can use the other to cook.

Sauce Cups have all sorts of sizes just like We do.
Although this could have been removed from this photo essay, I thought you might enjoy it.

Stack`um and carry to the table otherwise, servers may have these ready on the table. Following image shows a few samples of sauce cups for customers.

Scrapper and Towels

You will be using these a lot. Rule is simple. Clean grill, Clean cooking is among the arts of Hibachi Chef. Leave the grill exactly the way you would like to find it next time.  Keep it clean from start to finish. Don’t expect the next chef to clean your grill. Leave a grill dirty, manager will be mad, so will the next chef, and customers may getup and leave seeing a dirty grill.

The above photo is of a scrapper and a towel. To avoid excessive cleaning, its best to pour sugary sauce such as the Teriyaki sauce away from the center, then you could slowly bring the mess to the center then back to side. Use scrapper, water and towel to clean the grill. Sauce that has sugar will leave a mark on the grill, it’s sticky and its difficult to clean, that’s way pour sauce a bit further from the center then bring the cooking item towards the center, then back again.

Water, Hot, and Oil – a Trouble in the mix

What happens if the HOT grill has OIL, and you poured down water to rinse it before cooking ? Expect some oil burn on customers’ faces and everywhere and your job may be in danger.  Get rid off oil from the grill if you need to pour down water to clean. Use Scrapper and Towel for this purpose.

Lemons : What’s the taste of sea food without a touch of lemon ?

Lemon is used for cooking meals but don’t use it too much though. Keep your ears wide open or write it down who wants what…- “No LEMON ON MINE!!”, a customer could be screaming ! – be respectful and never make any stupid suggestions such as this one — more lemon would make you lose weight! Don’t ever insult customers while cooking. Never!  Don’t use lemon on rice, noodles and vegetables. Use them on meat, also avoid using way too much on saltier items such as Crab Legs.

Photo from the kitchen

a lot happens in the kitchen such as preparing foods, making dressings and sauces. Chefs don’t need to do this unless you are in a slow restaurant. Head Chef will do the most of sauce creation part but you will need to be engaged in the process of preparing stuffs. It’s always good learn while you can.

Chicken from a frozen box, cut to sizes; then they are put back in the cooler.

A Boxful of Zucchinis, call`um Japanese French Fries. It’s ready to be grilled.

Now, Mushrooms have been cut to beautiful pieces,  ready for the grill.

Sweet Carrots

Some restaurants offer this item while others may offer ice-cream or even fried Bananas as part of Dessert Menu.  Sweet Carrots are usually served at the end but if someone has ordered Sweet Carrots as extras, cook it earlier. If there are babies, perhaps this is for them.  Let them eat first. Well, just use your common sense.  Carrots are precooked and kept in coolers; ready when you need them. They just need to be heated slightly prior to serving. That’s all. No need to add nothing here. Even butter is in it already.

Anything I should know more than that ?

• They have two kinds of carrots; sweet and the regular one.
• Regular carrot is cut into small pieces and are a part of the Vegetable Platter Menu. The vegetable order comes with all the vegetables found in the restaurant. Don’t you mix the sweet carrot in your vegetable mix.

Enough about veges.
I’m Hungry ? You ? Let’s Grab a plate right now!

The plates – stack`um on your cart, carry them and soon you will see your cart.  This looks like a very small table and nobody seems to be allergic to sea-food here, look at that jumbo shrimp on the same plate. It’s best to keep meats on a separate tray, who knows, server might have forgotten to write down if someone is allergic to certain things ? a professional chef will never assume.

Plates and more... Wow, more plates but not food yet. I’m really hungry man! Usually, one would carry rice, the other meat, vegetables and so on… well. Don’t worry you don’t have to carry so many of them. how about 3 to 4 ? Also don’t worry about making the meal ready by yourself. Kitchen helper will do this. Your job ? Ensure everything is there to cook,  you have enough meal, check the order sheet, and push the cart. Yes, don’t forget to bring your cooking utensil. A pro won’t rush back to the kitchen to grab his Spatula!

Plastic Tubes – You can’t break`um but if you do, your dress will be ruined. Reasons to use plastic ? You guessed it write. Security. Plastic never breaks and never hurts anyone. Be sure the cap is tight otherwise you will pour down more than necessary sauce and you will ruin someone’s meal or even a birthday-dude or gal’s dress!

Squeeze and they will flow. Oil, Soy and Teriyaki Sauce Tubes are seen on this picture.

More For The Eyes

Some More Equipments: from right to left clockwise you see below, Hat 1 (I’ve no clue what the reading is there, on top is a jar with water, you use it to clean the grill and also to cool grill off if its hot. I love cups, there are four sauce cups in the middle again. Carry more than the people on the table. Who knows, everyone wants all of the sauces you are bringing.

Cups in this photo are only to reminder to you to carry more.

At the bottom, from left to right, a nice plastic case that puts all the tubes together, the next is a Ginger sauce in a container with a spoon, next sauce (white one) is the Shrimp sauce.

Here is that famous Shrimp sauce photo once again, click to view.

You would be carrying it along with Ginger sauce (see it in the above photo).

Now,  Click on the image to view this giant shrimp sauce.

Hats

About the Hibachi Chef Hat. Different restaurants have different rules and some don’t follow at all.  Don’t be surprised if a customer asks you a question like this one,

“Does the different hats mean anything ? I see the other guy wearing yellow one?” Yes and No. In some restaurant, top chefs might have a different hat than the others or all might just have their own styles. There is no such thing as one being better just by wearing a fancy hat, everyone knows including the customer but who knows what kinds of chefs are in a restaurant; beginner chef; chef; or a head chef ?

I’ve no clue what the Japanese letters mean on those hats. But I am told they usually mean something good like Bless You etc. But, if I had to wear one, I would have one that says “Smile with me” both in English and in Japanese. What do you think ?

It’s good to know – Salad Dressings

While you are the cook, why know what servers have to. If you just agreed to what I wrote, You will never be a pro. Trust me on this one. Top chefs know ins and about about Japanese Restaurant.

Customers can ask anything, salad dressing is not exception. Customers will judge you not only by your cooking skills but your lack of knowledge.  Wanna be a pro, learn everything. Embrace everything that’s around you.

Dressings – Thousand Island, Ranch, Shrimp and Ginger Dressings.

Above picture we have, four dressings commonly offered in a Japanese Restaurant. From left to right are Thousand Island, Ranch, Shrimp and Ginger Dressing. Two are American, and Two are Japanese, this will balance the ones who want American dressing. Some restaurants may carry more dressings than these to make sure customers get what they want. Other dressings include French, Italian, Honey Mustard, and Caesar.

Tips and — a few  Facts should we say ?

• Remember, the Ginger Dressing for Salad is not the same as Ginger Sauce you would give to the customer at the  table. Both are prepared differently and have different ingredients. Ginger Dressing brighter in color, sweeter than Ginger Sauce.
• Always check that you have taken the Ginger Sauce not the Ginger Dressing.
• A lot of customers don’t like this sauce. Since we’re focusing on America, should we say, Most Americans don’t like this sauce because it doesn’t have sugar in it? I could be wrong. I believe the entire food industry of America has made the tongues go for sweeter and saltier stuffs more than anything else. Are cookies in America sweeter than in Asia ? (I love American cookies though and I am hooked). Speaking of this sauce, it’s made of Ginger which is really good for health. Yes, you, the CHEF. (what ?) Yes, you! You too start taking this one with your meal.

3 important Shakers - Salt, Sesame Seeds, Pepper.

From left to right, salt, the seed and Pepper.  Some restaurants may use a bit of MSG (mono-sodium glutamate) mixed with salt or have MSG its own shaker or don’t use it at all.

Some chefs love theses shakers so much, they have extras with nothing in them. You could carry an empty one and shake it on someone’s plate!!! Make some people laugh or giggle. What-ever you can do entertain the table, do it.

Shakers Holes and Blocks – What the F ?

These shakers have way too many and big holes. As a Chef, your tendency would be to shake them long as in a disco.  Shaking these even for a few seconds on top of food can result for extremely salty or spicy or nasty food. Is that what you want to do as a pro ?

Block holes using ducktape or just shake it at a lover angle (say about 1o to 20 degree instead of the 90 degree from your hand!!) Just tape half of the holes or add large grains such as rice or shake a little. It’s upto you to ensure that you do not add too much of salt or pepper to the food.  Unhappy chef won’t last long in a Japanese Restaurant. Shake and dance or do what you can while you are doing this.

Mixed Photos and hey I see Strange Tube Here..  The photo needs to be flagged!!!

Eggs and and all

Break eggs as you please, but you can do more, throw them up and break them at the edge of a spatula vertically. Practice and you can do this easily. You can also do the ups and down egg jump thing without breaking the egg. Also you can rotate the  egg using your hand and then start throwing the egg up by your spatula then catching it, continue doing this trick, you can then reveal the rotated egg on the other side of the spatula (the back end) With practice you can do this easily. What else can you do with egg ? Well, you can spin it as well with practice.

There is another easy trick that’s often used. Create one plastic tube with no sauce on it. Act as if it has some special sauce and give to the customer. There comes out a whole bunches of sauce but it is nothing more than a thread. Customer will be shocked, others will giggle and it’s all fun. Kids love it and you are engaging in the Entertainment aspect. When you are doing this just act serious and they think you are really giving them a sauce to try.

Unless it’s the #1 Japanese Hibachi Restaurant of the nation, sea foods arrive frozen. Expect the kitchen helper to help you bring the thawed items such as fish, scallops, crab legs, lobsters. You might ask, how do they thaw it ? Just by running cold water. Don’t let them use hot water or use microwave, that will spoil everything and the Chef would be blamed for it. Restaurant managers know this, and thawing isn’t in your job description, but it’s good to know.

Vegetable Mix on Rice – a very pretty sight.

Well, here is the basic plate. Vegetable is good for health and it looks great on rice. Doesn’t it ? Look at those colorful peas and carrots on rice. I’m already hungry guys, how about you ?

While you’re cooking other foods, some  customers are eating the rice you’ve just given to them. With your sleepy eyes,  you notice someone is fishing for these peas and carrots for he/she hates any kinds of vegetables. How will you deal with an order where 1 out 8 does not want any vegetable at all– not even on rice ? Put the peas and carrots on a separate container, cook the rice for that 1 person, then dump the container on rice and cook for the others.  You are done. Take it easy is what I am referring here. Don’t get mad at customers or the servers for bringing in such an order. Try your best to please customers.

Restaurants always strive to please customers and I do like the description or should I say copyright phrase, “Have it your way!” You like burgers ?

If customers can’t have their food their way, they would be at home cooking in their own kitchen. You are a chef, cooking right in-front of their nose, what are you there for ? To just show off your Hibachi Show and cook everything the way you want ? No way! You are there to cook, and cook the way customers want. Period. Pros will leave no stone unturned to please customers.

On the plate, as shown on the above picture. There is something missing or should I say not missing.

Some restaurants add a mixture on top of the rice. The mix would include, salt, sugar, pepper etc hoping it would save some time for the chef or chef might forget to add them when he is cooking at the grill. I’ve found that rice does taste good with sugar or perhaps should I say, every single Americanized foods tend to have sugar.  Rice with peas and carrots and a bit of sugar plus add the sugary Shrimp Sauce, we just have the killer meal which becomes highly addictive. Believe me.

Oh, did I mention addition of soy sauce on rice too ?
Double wows for the taste. Believe me. Also egg is added to the rice depending on whether customers want them or not.

Rice Fact Check – If there is already a mixture on top of your rice, to add salt etc, use your common sense when cooking so your meal isn’t salty.

Soy Sauce. – There would be no Hibachi if it wasn’t for Soya.

Kikkoman is a reputed brand and is widely used in Japanese restaurants as the choice for Soy Sauce. They purchase in gallons and then the chefs and servers use them through a tap to fill in their individual containers. You would be filling yours using giants like that one.

Soy Sauce Fact Check - When you are cooking, just remember how much salt you are adding to the food. A vertical drop of your salt shaker or a rain of Soy Sauce from your plastic tube contains a lot of salt.  Soy Sauce contains a lot of  SALT and of course that  awesome Soya Bean taste. A spoonful of Soy Sauce can have as much as 60% of your daily requirement for salt.  I’m not endorsing this brand or that, just letting you know about this product as a reference to learn here.  Generally speaking Soy Sauce has these ingredients : Water, Wheat, Soybeans and Salt. Yes, a lot of Salt.

More Butter More Better

Here, you see a butter (margarine) placed on top of sauce container. This photo is taken from a cart that’s ready to go to grill. If you don’t have a kitchen helper, you might need to do this, but don’t worry, its’ the easiest job in the kitchen. Stack bunches of margarine on top, use your hand and make this mountain.

When you are placing this on the table, you can tease kids saying, “Would you like some ice cream ?”  They will giggle. Pros will always find a place to put this mountain on the table giving more space for the customer who is next to it, or they will keep it on their cart. Placing this on table can crowd someone, making him/her uncomfortable. People like spacious table for they have a big plate, drink and some of them gotta show off their new phones such as the iPhone.

Now, let’s rap up this photo essay with our cart and finish it.

a Chef shows his trolley, which is ready to go to a grill. You are only seeing the top part from a front view angle. Trolley or Cart whatever name you call it, it contains 3 compartments, bottom one usually holds towels and the middle part holds the stacked trays containing foods, and the top compartment has the equipments for cooking.

Following is a top down view of another trolley. Here you can see, the butter has been used; perhaps this cart got busy. See again thee are five tubes, 1 looks like just a tube with water. It might come in handy to clean some areas, some chef use water tubes to clean smaller areas. But for best result, carry a water jar, so you have more water, and more the better.

Are you getting familiar with the world ? Everyone likes to  keep their body clean. Cart/trolley is your another body.  Keep it clean.

On the picture above, you can see a blue mat being used to provide support. No, owners won’t give you these. You can buy these in stores like Walmart. Provide support for your stuff so things don’t fall off.

Owner will you give you empty cart, the rest is upto you. If the wheels don’t work, no you don’t have to fix it. Your job; keep it clean and secure your stuff.

Closeup view of another cart. (I see a faked sauce here!)

The worst scenes can be made easily; just push your cart — whole rice is dumped on the floor, meat is flying somewhere and the butter is under your fancy boots! Things went ugly because things didn’t get support on a steel bus!!

Pros know how to secure their cart and nothing will fall from it unless someone knocks their trolley.

Here is another picture showing carts in the kitchen.

Carts in the Kitchen (on a very busy day)

Its your cart. So make it personal by doing what you can such as using plastic mats on the compartments, hanging something on the handles etc. Towels are needed to clean spatula and grill. Water is needed to clean the grill also, and also to cool-off the grill if it’s too hot to cook right away.

The water jar is there again as a reminder. Hot = Grill, a personal towel for you is a must. Carry with you. When you have to wipe your sweats from the face etc, wipe it away from the grill. It’s not the labor that’s making you sweat, it’s the heat. Cooking Hibachi is a piece of cake.

Follow part 3 and you will see why I’m saying all this.

Here is the table that’s waiting for you. But there are no customers here. You can see the grill is hot by looking in the middle.

Grill is waiting for you

Now, we know a bit of what’s going on in the kitchen, we have learned a few basic things on food items, entertainment, temperament and perhaps, just perhaps, we might be ready to cook. Are we ?

Lets learn about a few things such as the Show then we will push our carts and go cook for a table. It’s impossible to cook without doing a Hibachi Show. You have just arrived at the table and you start cooking without a show. People think you are a beginner.

Continue reading Part 3 (Hibachi Show, how to do it ?)

I’m proof-reading many articles that follow the main, so some articles may not be available. I will try my best to finish by this Friday.

Comment on what you have learned etc, Subscribe, I would greatly appreciate. Also feel free to ask questions.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6