‘Yes, Chef,’ you say? Restaurant workers have feelings about that | Food-wine News
As a young pastry cook at Eleven Madison Park in New York City, Genie Kwon grew accustomed to a kitchen tradition: Every time the chef shouted out an order, the other cooks responded in unison, “Oui, chef!” Or as you may have heard it on FX show “The Bear”: “Yes, chef!” Story continues below this ad For a long time, Kwon, who co-owns the Filipino restaurant Kasama in Chicago, associated the phrase with the unyielding hierarchy of the kitchen at Eleven Madison Park, known for its exacting vision of fine dining. That was until a few years ago, when she started hearing friends outside the industry using the phrase casually and, sometimes, sarcastically. Can you grab my jacket? Yes, chef! Pass the salt and pepper? Yes, chef! The term Kwon once uttered out of intimidation in the kitchen was now casual parlance among friends. You can credit the rise of the phrase in everyday language to shows like “The Bear” or movies like “The Menu,” which explore the underbelly of restaurant work and have stirred …