Had a line cook tell me mise en place is overrated and it got me thinking

So last Wednesday, this kid fresh out of culinary school says he doesn't bother with mise because it's just "extra dishes." I laughed it off at first, but then I watched him work a dinner rush without it. He was faster than half my seasoned guys who spend 30 minutes prepping everything before service. Now I'm wondering if we overdo the whole prep thing sometimes just because that's how we were taught. Has anyone else seen a cook skip the traditional setup and still kill it?

2 comments

2 Comments

rubybarnes9h ago

30 minutes of mise prep and the new guy still beat them? Sounds like some of your guys are just slow on the line.

robinson.matthew12h ago

Man, that "extra dishes" line hit me because I've definitely seen some cooks who work clean and fast without all the prepped containers. It makes you wonder if we're just doing it out of habit sometimes.