Overheard a line cook say they never taste the food before it goes out

I mean, it was at a place in Chicago, and the guy just said 'it looks right' and sent it. Idk, maybe it's just me but that seems like the most basic rule you learn day one. Has anyone else run into this lately?

4 comments

4 Comments

olivercraig1mo ago

Honestly, depends on the dish. For something they've made a thousand times, like dropping fries or plating a simple burger, visual check is probably fine. Tasting every single thing would slow the line to a crawl during a rush.

brian_taylor151mo ago

Yeah, my cooking is so bad I'd need to taste every fry just to be sure.

fiona_kim9710d ago

Wait, how do you visually check seasoning on a burger though? Like even if they've made it a thousand times, salt and pepper amounts can vary with the batch of meat or just how distracted they are. I've definitely had burgers from busy places that looked perfect but were totally underseasoned because someone forgot to hit the right amount that day. Sauces and soups especially you gotta taste, even if it's just a quick dip of a spoon, because ingredient batches change and that can throw off the whole balance. A rushed line doesn't mean you skip the quality check, it means you train people to taste faster and smarter.

fox.julia1mo ago

That's a huge red flag honestly. Even on a slammed line you gotta do a quick check for seasoning, especially with sauces or soups. Visual only works for stuff like toast or maybe fries like olivercraig said, but even then. Brian_taylor15, if the cooks aren't tasting, that's probably why your food is hit or miss. Places get lazy and then everyone gets a bland or salty plate.