How does one handle when Chef friend's food is gross?
So the other day, I went to a friend of a friend's restaurant out here in Philly. I won't name it for obvious reasons, but it's pretty popular. Anyway, I went in for lunch and he brings out a prized meal that has gotten him so popular out here in the city. I thanked him, (I mean it was free) but the chicken was raw in the middle, the biscuits were hard and the soup was like salt water. (and not the good kind)
Do I tell him about this? Or do I pretend like it didn't happen?
Has something similar happened to anyone one else?
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13 Comments:
Raw chicken???? Yes, you have to say something, that is a health issue.
If that's how things are going, soon enough the popularity will cease and the restaurant will fail. While it may be awkward, better to speak up and give the friend a chance to improve.
erinlovestoeat at 5:31PM on 05/01/09
You can be tactful in your comments, but honest.
erinlovestoeat at 5:32PM on 05/01/09
I would find a tactful way to tell him. I mean that wasn't a small mistake - personally I would not return to a restaurant that served me raw chicken. If mistakes like that are slipping by I am sure he would be grateful (in the long run) of your honesty.
radley24 at 6:01PM on 05/01/09
I would give it a second go around and see if it happens again (maybe the chef had an off day). If it does happen again then I would in a nice manor mention that you gave it 2 tries and in a respectful way mention the experience. Didn't your friend notice that the dishes were off?
pjracz10 at 6:17PM on 05/01/09
if it's your friend, please tell him. the truth is a gift. even if he's not receptive at first, you've got to let him know that it's in his best interest.
pooch at 6:42PM on 05/01/09
If he's not actually the one in the kitchen cooking all these things, he should be alerted that his kitchen staff are executing his food poorly. He'll thank you for letting him know.
producestories at 7:06PM on 05/01/09
Definately tell him about the raw chicken. You might mention that the soup was oversalted "to your taste" so that way you're not saying it was wrong, you're just saying that it wasn't what you prefer. He can taste it himself and decide whether it's correct to his taste or not. As far as biscuits, I don't know that I'd bother mentioning it, unless there was some special hoopla about the biscuits. And it kind of depends on why it was hard. baked wrong, stale, etc. It's possible they bake them during the day for the evening meal and the one you got was from the night before.
But the chicken -- yeah, that's a health risk.
Without knowing what sort of place this is, the person you know may not be personally cooking every item, and if people on the staff are serving raw chicken to guests, he needs to know about it so he can correct it. Or it could be a glitch in oven temp that he needs to know about. Or any number of things that he isn't aware of that could be easily corrected.
dbcurrie at 7:07PM on 05/01/09
So...I took the lovely advice of "yous guys" (thank you Brooklyn grammar) and I called up my chef friend and told him that I was taking a friend to the restaurant this weekend and just so he knows the chicken was raw the last time I went. He said to me, "I don't serve raw chicken" I couldn't help but laugh out loud on the phone and said if that's the case then I'll be ordering the water. He laughed and said he'll check into it.
Thank you foodie-wan-kenobi'es you saved me and my date from salmonella
philadooklyn at 7:17PM on 05/01/09
well, at least you told him.... sometimes people don't want to hear it... they're into their "dream restaurant" trip.....
and if he's doing the cooking, he needed to know. and if he's got an employee doing the cooking he needed to know.
well, have a great dinner! let us know how it turns out....
pooch at 7:28AM on 05/02/09
The chicken thing sounds very, very bad. Try to use as much tact as possible to alert him (he may not have done the cooking) to the state of the meal. Be positive for all things that are not a health risk.
Make sure that your feelings about what constitutes "raw" are to health standards before going foreward, however.
I have found that when I stir-fry chicken, it comes out (well-cooked) much more soft than in restos in the local area. One audience didn't appear to like it, though it was cooked throughout. Me, I was rejoicing over eating moist white meat, and practically doing knife-tricks with my cleaver in the kitchen in exuberance. But I think they were used to dry and hard "round-eye" chicken in a Chinese dish... at least the kind of Chinese dish the audience was expecting in the USA.
TikiPundit at 10:55PM on 05/02/09
Yep, please be sure you know what "raw chicken" is before you go calling in the authorities and potentially really damaging this chef. I know folks who think a little pink in pork equals poision, and that moist fish is deadly. Just sayin', since everyone nowadays is a food expert.
tmj529 at 1:31AM on 05/03/09
What a horrible experience and very sticky situation. There are a couple of ways to go about action...
Have another meal there. Order something else (or the same dish), make clear you intend to pay for it (so he doesn't think you're mooching). Examine it carefully and eat as though you were a restaurant reviewer. If the meal is much better, you were there on an "off day."
Discuss the problem with your friend (the chef's friend). Be honest and sincere so as to not sound "snotty."
A totally cowardly way out is to report him to the health department without addressing the problem with either the chef himself or your friend. If your second meal (option 1 above) is bad, you may need to report him to the board of health but at least you'll be armed with TWO bad experiences.
Good luck...
therealchiffonade at 5:09AM on 05/05/09
It can be tough to explain that Papi is sloppy...
I would second tmj529's comment that you be cautious in your comments. I've known people who freak out about food poisoning if their fish or chicken isn't dry as a bone, but then again, they don't have the sharpest tastebuds either.
KidPresentable at 3:04AM on 05/09/09