I Worked a $1 vs $1000 Restaurant
Michelle Khare
0:00 Over 9 million Americans work in the food service industry.
0:04 And if you're one of them, you know that the job can be a little intense.
0:08 What are you?
0:09 An idiot sandwich.
0:10 It's part of the American landscape and a global icon.
0:13 Biggest, most successful, most powerful [music] fast food chain in the world.
0:18 This week, I'm stepping into the kitchen of a McDonald's,
0:20 the restaurant that has employed 1 in eight Americans.
0:23 And this was the same job that my dad had when he first immigrated to America.
0:29 Do you guys honor [music] the secret menu here?
0:30 We can't really talk about the secret menu, but I'm not stopping there.
0:34 After that, I'll be entering one of the most prestigious kitchens in America
0:38 to [music] see if I can survive working for a Michelin star restaurant.
0:42 The health inspector here.
0:44 So, I'm going to have to break away.
0:45 So, health department's here.
0:47 Try to buckle this up.
0:47 All right.
0:48 Good evening, guys.
0:54 We are currently on route to the McDonald's I am going to be working at today.
0:58 Now, because this video is not sponsored by McDonald's or Mansky,
1:02 each restaurant is only letting us come in for one single day
1:06 because we would be way too disruptive to their actual business otherwise.
1:11 Now, I know this is not going to be the full
1:12 experience or even the level of detail that I would have loved.
1:16 But I [music] am really,
1:18 really excited to get a small taste of what
1:21 my dad experienced when he first got to America.
1:24 Everybody say hi to Michelle, guys.
1:27 Hi.
1:27 So, this is the service area where you're going to be training some stations.
1:32 Okay.
1:32 My name is David Smith.
1:34 My first job, I worked at McDonald's.
1:37 This one I started when I was 15 years old and uh 21 years later,
1:41 I'm running one of the restaurants.
1:43 Are you excited?
1:44 Yes, I'm excited.
1:45 I've never gotten to see behind the scenes in the kitchen.
1:48 This is so cool.
1:49 Over the last several decades,
1:51 McDonald's has meticulously designed every inch
1:54 of their kitchen to maximize [music] speed and efficiency.
1:56 And they thought of everything.
1:58 Sauce guns throughout the whole process of making it.
2:05 Wow.
2:05 And these are all heated.
2:07 Okay.
2:08 Cuz I touched it and I thought it was burning my Oh, no.
2:10 It's not going to burn you,
2:11 but it's going to keep the burgers and sandwiches nice and hot.
2:15 Wow.
2:14 Yes.
2:14 You come back this way.
2:16 So, the top two things that we sell in this restaurant is fries and Coke.
2:20 These three tanks is Coke syrup.
2:23 I thought you were going to say this is like the heating and cooling.
2:25 No, no, no.
2:25 This is Coke, Coke syrup, Coke syrup.
2:28 And all the other flavors are here.
2:29 They're all bag in the box.
2:30 Diet Coke, Sprite, and all that.
2:31 So, you're telling me when you guys are getting drinks at the front?
2:35 It's actually coming all the way to the back.
2:38 All the way pushed into the front.
2:39 Yes.
2:39 And it's ingenuity like their internal soft drink plumbing
2:42 and patented sauce guns that enables McDonald's to be ridiculously efficient.
2:47 Something I've noticed is that [music]
2:49 obviously we're here with our camera crew.
2:52 And even though we're here with all of these people,
2:55 the traffic of everything has just beautifully
2:57 been redirected all the way around us.
3:00 It's kind of like a symphony.
3:01 I mean, the synchronization that you will
3:03 see in my kitchen is everybody's hard work,
3:07 years of practice, training.
3:09 McDonald's does not stop.
3:10 Everything today is normal operations.
3:13 Michelle is going to be working a full shift [music] at McDonald's.
3:16 All right.
3:16 She's going to be in the kitchen cooking burgers.
3:19 She's going to be in the fry station cooking fries.
3:21 1,500 orders today, guys.
3:24 Maybe more.
3:25 I don't know.
3:26 Might call the whole city to come.
3:27 I don't know.
3:28 [laughter] My first task of the day is to man the drive-thru window,
3:34 which [music] is notoriously difficult because not only
3:36 are you taking orders and interfacing with customers,
3:38 [music] but you are also responsible for making all of the soft drinks,
3:42 coffee, ice cream, and smoothies that are ordered.
3:46 Hi, my name is Ivonne.
3:48 Nice to meet you.
3:48 Nice to meet you.
3:49 You're ready for this?
3:50 Oh my god.
3:51 Yeah.
3:51 Yeah.
3:52 Okay.
3:52 So, I'll take one and then I'll learn from
3:55 Yes.
3:55 Okay.
3:56 Hi.
3:56 What can I get from you?
3:58 A what?
4:00 Cheeseburger was
4:03 cheeseburger was a what?
4:08 Yeah, you can hear families argue in the car over what they want to eat.
4:13 I need a number one.
4:17 A burger of the cheeseburger.
4:19 We need cheese.
4:21 What is it?
4:22 Pickles.
4:23 Hold on.
4:25 Cheese.
4:24 Cheese.
4:24 Pickles and onions.
4:26 The cheese [music] pickles and lettuce.
4:27 Cheese pickles open and lettuce, please.
4:29 Okay, so you want a number seven instead of the number one.
4:33 Um, yes.
4:34 And while keeping track of what can sometimes be a long and confusing order,
4:39 you are also simultaneously prepping for a different order.
4:43 So, you're taking one order,
4:44 but the one you're fulfilling is the [music] one up there.
4:47 Yes, cuz you always want to be ahead of the orders.
4:51 Wow.
4:51 Then I'm also going to order a kids meal.
4:54 the six piece chicken nugget, the double cheeseburger, medium fries.
4:59 Ivons is doing such a good job
5:01 managing and changing their minds and adding things.
5:04 And she's so personable and lovely, too.
5:07 All right.
5:08 Does this look correct on the screen?
5:13 Yes.
5:11 Awesome.
5:11 Drive around.
5:12 See you soon.
5:18 Wow.
5:18 We That was a crazy one.
5:21 Wow.
5:23 Hello.
5:22 Hey.
5:23 Hey, how are you guys doing?
5:25 Oh, it's a long one.
5:26 No question.
5:28 Don't mind me.
5:28 It's my first day.
5:30 It's so intense to be having a full conversation with a complete stranger.
5:33 You can't even see.
5:34 [music] Yavon handled it all so gracefully.
5:36 That's just something I haven't really thought too much about
5:39 when I go to McDonald's is that this is a place
5:43 where people come as a family and to relax and having
5:47 to show up and bring your best self every time.
5:50 Thank you.
5:51 You guys enjoy the rest of your day.
5:52 too much.
5:54 The way you are multitasking, doing all of this, it's really inspiring.
5:58 Thank you.
5:59 Thank you.
5:59 And you've been doing this for 5 years.
6:01 5 years.
6:01 Yes.
6:01 I start here working as a crew member.
6:03 So, the opportunity to grow now I'm a ship manager.
6:07 So, that's another thing that I She going up.
6:09 Yes.
6:09 Yes.
6:10 The
6:10 better watch out,
6:12 right?
6:12 I'm going to be the next runner.
6:14 But with the lunch rush rapidly approaching,
6:16 it was time for me to learn how to assemble
6:18 one of the [music] most iconic burgers in the world.
6:22 beef patty, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles,
6:24 onions, [music] and a sesame seed bun.
6:25 McDonald's Big Mac.
6:26 Seven great ingredients working together to make one great taste.
6:29 [music]
6:29 And Big Macs have had the same
6:31 seven ingredient recipe since launching nationally in 1968.
6:35 And that recipe begins with two beef patties.
6:38 Michelle, this is the grill area.
6:40 We're going to be cooking two grill products today,
6:42 which is going to be the 10 to1 meats.
6:44 And so those are the thin ones.
6:45 The thin ones.
6:46 Yes.
6:46 Oh my god.
6:47 Speed is key.
6:49 So, we're It's always fast fastpaced environment over here.
6:53 You're going to grab the little meat patties.
6:55 Two, three, four, five.
6:56 You're going to do six.
6:57 Yes.
6:57 And a run.
6:58 Another one.
6:59 Yes.
6:59 And the last one.
7:01 Awesome.
7:00 So, the flat top, it cooks from the bottom and then
7:03 it goes down and it cooks from the top, too.
7:05 I'm going to give this to you.
7:06 This is a secret blend of spices.
7:08 I love secrets.
7:10 Three.
7:10 Four.
7:10 Five.
7:11 Six.
7:12 Grab this one again.
7:13 I don't think that one got one.
7:15 Awesome.
7:15 All right.
7:15 And then we're going to put onions in all six.
7:18 Perfect.
7:19 Now, spatulas.
7:20 We're going to stack them.
7:22 Yeah.
7:22 Get all the way down there.
7:24 Yes.
7:25 Beautiful.
7:26 [music] And then we are going to put it put it up here.
7:28 If you turn around, it's like an assembly line.
7:31 There's a lot of things going on here.
7:33 You're going to be in the line today and I need you fast.
7:36 The sandwich [music] needs to be neat.
7:38 The sandwich needs to be properly prepared.
7:40 You got that?
7:42 Yeah.
7:41 So, you grab the Big Mac buns.
7:43 We have specific names for [music] each one.
7:45 This is the crown.
7:46 This is the heel and this is the club.
7:49 So, we're going to toast it first.
7:50 You can see that there are markings that says crown, heel, and club.
7:54 And that's where we place.
7:55 So, they all each have a different type of toasting.
7:58 Uh the other way.
8:00 I already messed it up.
8:02 Disappeared.
8:01 What did I do?
8:02 See how that turned out?
8:05 Yeah.
8:04 So, you toasted this part and not that part.
8:07 Okay.
8:07 That was bad.
8:08 Bad.
8:09 I'm going to give you another one.
8:10 So, it's going to be this way.
8:11 Because the restaurant is only allowing us in [music] for one
8:14 brief day so we don't mess up their operation any further.
8:18 I'm only getting a really really brief taste
8:20 about what it really takes to do this job.
8:23 Well, oh, is that bad?
8:25 That's perfect.
8:25 You're good.
8:26 And when I see [music] people like
8:27 David and Ivonne totally excelling in their position,
8:32 it makes me realize [music] how much there
8:34 is to hospitality and service at every level.
8:38 It's [music] a lot of varied skill sets that I don't feel like anyone,
8:43 myself included, ever appreciates.
8:45 Like, you're never really thinking about what is
8:47 happening to make your meal come to the door.
8:52 Oh no, I just broke the box.
8:54 Oh my goodness.
8:55 The last step.
8:56 I was so excited.
8:57 Fortunately, we have a lot of boxes.
9:00 Yes.
9:00 So, that is a Big Mac you made.
9:04 Yay.
9:04 Yes.
9:04 After learning the grill and assembly stations,
9:06 I still needed to conquer what the general consensus on Reddit
9:10 says is the most demanding and chaotic position, the fry station.
9:15 Michelle is going to be in the fry station cooking French fries is a big thing,
9:19 which I think she's going to have a little pressure put on her.
9:23 It's very, very busy restaurant and we sell a lot of French fries.
9:26 Every single order usually has a fry order.
9:29 We're just going to have to keep up with the rush here.
9:31 There they go.
9:32 Yeah, there you go.
9:33 Hey, they're going to keep going.
9:35 I'm going to grab a basket of fries.
9:38 They are heavy.
9:39 Drop it in.
9:41 Very good.
9:41 And then I want you to press a button.
9:45 It's very important that it cooks all the way throughout.
9:48 3 minutes and 10 seconds.
9:50 Something's beeping.
9:51 Both are beeping.
9:51 So, I'm going to show you.
9:53 We're going to press the pull where it says pull.
9:55 Good.
9:56 We're going to bring it up.
10:00 Yeah.
10:01 Very good.
10:01 And then we're just going to lightly shake it off.
10:05 And I'm going to unload it here.
10:07 And you can go and do yours.
10:09 Yes.
10:10 Very good.
10:10 At this point, you grab our acu salter.
10:14 Acu salter.
10:15 Cuz it accurately salts it.
10:17 Oh,
10:17 I don't come up with these names, but it's actually pretty clever.
10:19 So, go ahead.
10:20 Does it automatically stop?
10:22 Wa.
10:22 Put it down here.
10:23 How does it know?
10:25 It's secret.
10:26 It's a secret.
10:27 Secret.
10:27 Okay.
10:28 Do you guys honor the secret menu here?
10:30 We We can't really talk about the secret menu.
10:34 It's confidential.
10:35 Yes, we do.
10:36 We do honor the secret menu.
10:38 There is like a procedure for every single thing here.
10:41 There is not one thing that we do that doesn't have a procedure.
10:44 We're going to need some large and then some child size as well.
10:46 Okay,
10:51 that's okay.
10:52 Oh, do you need fries?
10:53 Are you waiting on us?
10:54 Wait, which one do you need?
10:57 Okay, sorry.
11:00 I didn't realize everyone was waiting.
11:01 You guys should have said something.
11:03 As the volume of orders increases, it's clear that Lunch Rush is upon us.
11:07 So, for my final challenge, I will be working on the line
11:11 fulfilling orders for the entire [music] lunch service.
11:13 And given that David has received many awards for his management,
11:17 my performance today is crucial in order to not only meet his expectations,
11:20 [music] but also the expectations of the dozens of customers in line right now.
11:26 Okay, follow me.
11:27 Let's go.
11:28 We're going to need the 10 to one meat.
11:29 Okay.
11:29 We're going to need two runs of those, please.
11:31 So, that's going to be six in one and six in the other.
11:34 Lay it two-handed.
11:35 Perfect.
11:35 Yes.
11:36 Good.
11:36 Place it nicely.
11:37 That's good.
11:38 Take off your Oh, the cowbell went off.
11:39 Oh, now there's a cowbell.
11:40 Now we have to do the quarter pounder.
11:44 Put it right in the middle there.
11:46 Awesome.
11:47 Now, that's going in.
11:48 Okay.
11:48 Now, I'm over here.
11:49 You're on track.
11:50 You're on track.
11:51 Yes.
11:51 Okay.
11:52 We are not getting behind right now.
11:53 You're actually keeping up.
11:54 So, after this, we're going to need to jump on the line.
11:56 Okay.
11:57 We're going to make some Big Macs there.
11:59 How many Big Macs do you guys need?
12:01 Three Big Macs.
12:02 Although the crew typically works together as a team from various stations,
12:06 having only one day to work in the kitchen,
12:08 I wanted to take on the challenge of covering all the stations all on my own.
12:13 All right, they need three Big Macs.
12:15 Okay, freaking out.
12:16 Oh, gloves first.
12:17 Oh my.
12:18 Yeah, that's right.
12:18 That's okay.
12:19 We can still make it.
12:20 This feels like the bear.
12:21 I know we're going to the Michelin restaurant tomorrow, but this is the bear.
12:24 Now, three Big Mac buns in.
12:26 Remember the placement?
12:28 Yep.
12:28 We're good.
12:29 Nope, that's not it.
12:30 Grab three more.
12:31 Okay.
12:31 Yeah, there you go.
12:32 All right, I can do this.
12:33 I can do this.
12:34 Okay, round.
12:38 I'm not trying to rush you, but you need to be a little bit faster, please.
12:42 For the sake of our customers.
12:45 Okay, that's okay.
12:51 It's all right.
12:51 Keep going to the next one.
12:52 We can we can remake that.
12:54 Okay.
12:54 So, continue with this.
12:55 A trash can right there.
12:59 Good.
13:00 Good.
13:01 All right.
13:02 You're still good on time.
13:03 You're still good [music] on time.
13:04 Take all the time you need.
13:05 As long as it's done in the next 10 seconds.
13:06 Okay.
13:08 Great.
13:08 Perfect.
13:09 Do I look panicked?
13:10 Can everyone tell us?
13:11 Just a little bit.
13:12 Now, we're forgetting something.
13:15 Yes.
13:15 We go back.
13:16 Yep.
13:16 Oh, disaster.
13:18 Okay.
13:18 So, what you want to do is just take this, go over there.
13:21 Now, there's a little drawer down here that you
13:22 just pull out and then you scoop everything in.
13:24 Scoop everything in.
13:25 Yes.
13:26 Oh my gosh.
13:27 Accident drawer.
13:28 Yeah, it's an accident drawer.
13:30 And then we do have to double back and make two more Big Macs.
13:33 That's okay, guys.
13:34 We're going to be a little late.
13:35 There was disaster that happened.
13:36 I'm so sorry.
13:38 There you go.
13:39 Now, send it in.
13:40 Very good.
13:41 We need two more, man.
13:42 Let's make this happen.
13:44 Ooh, she left the grill dirty from the last time she did it.
13:47 Michelle, don't be alarmed, but we are a little bit behind.
13:50 Yeah, we're going to have to finish [music] cleaning this flat top grill.
13:55 Okay.
13:55 Yes.
13:55 As hard as you can.
13:56 Go all the way back if you can.
13:58 Very good.
14:00 And a fillet of fish.
14:02 Okay.
14:02 We can do that.
14:03 Perfect.
14:03 Now, we're going to circle [music] around
14:04 to the fish fillet before the customers gets pissed off.
14:07 How do I do that?
14:08 I will tell you how to do it.
14:09 Grab the buns.
14:11 It's going [music] to be a little hot.
14:12 Now, this one was the Big Mac sauce.
14:13 We're going to do tartar sauce.
14:15 This is the tartar sauce.
14:16 We're going to do one shot up here.
14:20 We need to redo it.
14:21 That's going to be too messy.
14:23 Yep.
14:23 Okay.
14:23 You didn't know your own strength on that one.
14:25 Do it correctly.
14:25 Sorry.
14:25 I didn't anticipate it to be so strong coming out.
14:29 You have to take every moment [music] just to breathe.
14:32 Take two.
14:32 Oh my god.
14:33 And they're waiting for this.
14:34 Not that one.
14:35 That's mayonnaise.
14:37 Oh, okay.
14:38 Keep going.
14:39 It's all right.
14:40 All right.
14:40 We're going to aim right in the middle.
14:47 Good.
14:48 Awesome.
14:48 And then we are going to take a piece of cheese.
14:50 And you're just only [music] going to use half.
14:52 Very good.
14:52 Come this way.
14:53 Grab one fish fillet patty.
14:55 You [music] are going to center it on the top bun.
14:58 Very good.
14:59 Close the box.
15:00 Flip it over.
15:03 Oh, look at you.
15:04 Okay.
15:04 Very nice.
15:06 Come this way.
15:06 Send it over.
15:07 Good.
15:08 And now we're going to be on the prize.
15:09 Okay.
15:10 So, go grab uh two baskets
15:13 and then press number one.
15:15 [music] And then number two right there.
15:20 They're going to grab a lot of fries right now.
15:22 I hate to rush you guys.
15:23 We do need to do it fast.
15:26 Okay.
15:25 Can I get one more small, please?
15:27 We need one small.
15:28 That needs to be done like now.
15:30 2 seconds ago.
15:31 Not that one.
15:32 That's a child size.
15:33 Small one is that one.
15:34 Very good.
15:34 Thank you.
15:35 There's many ways to do it.
15:36 That one's not one of them.
15:38 That one needs more.
15:39 That one needs more.
15:40 Okay, that we can sell that.
15:42 I allow that to be sold.
15:44 Here you go.
15:45 Thank you.
15:46 Honestly, this is a lot to manage.
15:49 There's beeping that tells you when to change the fries.
15:53 Shake.
15:53 We need to shake it.
15:57 Oh.
15:56 Oh, yes.
15:56 Yes.
15:56 You got to do it.
15:58 Drop what you're doing.
15:59 Make it happen.
16:00 There's customers.
16:01 There's people asking for things.
16:03 It is a lot.
16:05 This is crazy.
16:07 This get crazy.
16:09 I can't even like collect my thoughts and like commentate on what's going on.
16:14 You're fine.
16:14 Just keep going.
16:15 Focus.
16:15 Focus.
16:16 Oh my god, I'm so hot.
16:18 Customers are going to start revoling.
16:21 I cannot let Ivon down.
16:22 Ivon down.
16:23 Ivon is my large fries.
16:26 I'm sorry.
16:26 Customer is waiting.
16:27 Customer is waiting.
16:28 There you go.
16:29 Thank you.
16:29 Oh my god.
16:30 It's managing your station amidst the ecosystem of everything else.
16:35 That starts with the customer order and ends when
16:37 you hand the bag to them in their car.
16:40 How did I do?
16:41 You did very good.
16:42 I am telling the truth.
16:45 While I narrowly survived the [music] lunch rush,
16:48 it's clear I have an incredibly long way to go
16:50 to match the service of people like David and Ivon,
16:53 who over years of hard work have developed supreme skills of multitasking,
16:58 situational awareness, and genuine hospitality.
17:01 [music] David, you got to wish me luck tomorrow.
17:06 You know, my friend will do just fine.
17:08 Good luck.
17:08 I know.
17:09 We're going from the McDonald's to a Michelin [music] restaurant.
17:12 We'll be working at Mansky.
17:13 Okay.
17:14 And I am so glad that I spent today with you
17:16 because you were such a wonderful teacher and thank you so much.
17:20 I'm sure you'll do just fine tomorrow.
17:21 We'll see how this goes.
17:22 [laughter]
17:23 If McDonald's is a $1 sign restaurant,
17:26 then what is it like to work all the way
17:28 on the opposite end of the spectrum at a $4 sign restaurant?
17:32 Welcome to Mansky, known for its 10 course [music] tasting menu.
17:36 Miss one Michelin star, Mansky.
17:40 Chefs Walter Mansky and Margarita Mansky.
17:43 Mansky was awarded its first Michelin star less than one year after its opening.
17:48 Receiving a Michelin star is essentially like winning [music] a culinary Oscar.
17:52 But before it can even enter the kitchen,
17:55 our day actually begins at the local farmers market with the intention
17:59 of sourcing all of the ingredients needed to prep today's dishes.
18:02 This is actually going to be one of the garnishes on one of our soups tonight.
18:06 Smell that one.
18:08 Oh, and taste one of the flowers.
18:10 My name is Joe Garcia, executive chef of Bansky Restaurant.
18:13 What we try to do is is is give
18:15 the guests a true experience from start to finish.
18:18 The the flavor, it has to taste great.
18:19 There's no point in having beautiful equipment in the kitchen
18:22 [music] if the food is not going to match that.
18:25 We have a general idea of what's going to be available,
18:27 but they might surprise us with something.
18:29 So, you're also inspired by what's available.
18:31 Oh, yeah.
18:31 100%.
18:31 Wow.
18:32 Chef Joe and Chef Walter both have
18:34 amazing relationships with all the farmers here.
18:37 You can tell that they've known each other for years.
18:39 This is [music] Alex.
18:39 Alex.
18:40 Hi, Alex.
18:40 It's so nice to meet you.
18:41 I'm Michelle.
18:42 Nice to meet you, chef.
18:43 So, he specializes in the liquor potatoes.
18:44 You want to sample?
18:45 Take a bite.
18:46 Just take a bite of a potato.
18:47 [music] Can you do that?
18:48 Don't do that.
18:49 [laughter] What do you want?
18:51 Don't.
18:51 This is different.
18:52 Something different.
18:53 What's this one?
18:54 The Bonnie Melon.
18:56 Bonnie.
18:56 But try this.
18:57 Thank you.
18:59 Something different.
19:00 Oh my god.
19:04 Wow.
19:03 It's like a sour candy.
19:04 It's like a How do you do that?
19:07 It's magic.
19:09 I see a seafood dish.
19:12 Yeah.
19:11 Right.
19:11 With We're doing a dish with crab right now.
19:13 This would be perfect for that.
19:15 See?
19:15 Are you going to add that in now?
19:17 So, it's going on the menu.
19:20 Yeah.
19:19 So, really the cooking begins here and we're not even in the kitchen.
19:22 Yeah.
19:22 We come and we see what's best.
19:24 We taste it like this.
19:25 We [music] have good friends and then we say, "Okay,
19:28 this will work with whatever dish we're working on." and then put it on.
19:31 But you see, we're over here having snacks.
19:32 Chef Alder's doing all the real work over here.
19:34 What are we doing?
19:36 With the ingredients in hand,
19:37 it was time to head to Mansky to begin my training.
19:39 For my final challenge,
19:41 I will have to prepare three Michelin level dishes from the Mansky menu.
19:45 The [music] Norwegian king crab, the Japanese hamachi,
19:49 and the salted caramel chocolate cake.
19:52 And I will have to prepare all three during tonight's actual dinner service.
19:56 We will actually be open.
19:57 The doors will be open.
19:58 And there will be guests in the dining room while
20:00 she's going to be plating with us in the kitchen.
20:01 My job as the executive chef is to make sure that it looks right,
20:04 [music] that it's been prepared properly.
20:06 And then the final inspection will come from Chef Walter.
20:09 But before I go full Jeremy Ellen White from the Bear,
20:12 I need to [music] learn how to make the first dish, the Norwegian king crab.
20:16 And that lesson actually starts [music] in a freezer under a UV light.
20:20 Oh my god.
20:22 Here's a pair of tweezers.
20:23 What you want to look for here is anything that shines too brightly like this.
20:28 Yep.
20:29 So, right [music] there.
20:30 So, basically that's all the shell under the UV light.
20:33 It glows very differently.
20:34 It [music] stands out from the meat of the crab.
20:36 Wow.
20:37 This is so cool.
20:38 And this is to avoid a disaster at the table, right?
20:42 Yes, absolutely.
20:43 We're going to get this one.
20:44 Yeah, that looks like you got one.
20:45 Yeah,
20:46 this is one of those things that it's definitely a pain to do,
20:49 but this is the level that we've been trained
20:51 at, and this is the level that we know our guests expect.
20:53 We never know when a critic is coming,
20:55 so we always just have to make sure that we're firing on all cylinders.
21:00 And what [music] Vince is saying here is true.
21:02 Michelin inspectors are anonymous food critics that show
21:05 up to restaurants [music] using false identities,
21:07 and they secretly rate the quality and service to decide
21:10 if that restaurant is deserving of a Michelin [music] star.
21:13 And because the restaurant never knows when they might show up,
21:16 chefs like Vince have to treat every single [music]
21:18 guest as if they could be the secret Michelin inspector.
21:22 And little did I know that today of all days,
21:25 Mansky would in fact have an unannounced, unexpected visitor.
21:30 But before we get to that, [music] I still
21:32 need to learn how to complete the crab dish.
21:34 And I was told I would be learning
21:36 under the intense supervision of Chef Walter Mansky himself.
21:41 I'm Walter Mansky and I'm the chef owner of Mansky restaurant.
21:45 What I'm about to present you is a dish you'll be getting later tonight.
21:48 We have tomato panakot and then king crab that was live from Norway.
21:53 The other one we bought at the market today is these beautiful peaches,
21:56 corn flowers give it some freshness,
21:58 some color, fresh mustard flowers, smoked trout row,
22:03 and then to finish it off on top, dill.
22:07 There's so much detail in such a small dish.
22:11 What are you going to be looking for for success?
22:14 We're looking for a balance.
22:16 It should have freshness and flavor and soul.
22:19 You notice I put [music] five of each flower.
22:21 Odd numbers always looks better.
22:23 It's important not to cover everything up with the garnish.
22:26 So, you can see [music] everything top to bottom in the dish.
22:29 Okay.
22:30 Everything has to look like a beautiful picture.
22:33 Having seen the impact of delicacy and precision from Chef Walter,
22:36 I was excited to apply these learnings to my next course.
22:39 The salted caramel chocolate cake taught by chef Margarita Mansky,
22:44 one of the most renowned pastry chefs in [music] the country.
22:48 Chef Margarita Lorenzana Mansky was
22:50 recently recognized as [music] the outstanding
22:52 pastry chef or baker at the 2023 James Beard Awards.
22:56 Very honored, very humbled, very excited when I heard about that.
22:59 It was a great win [music] for everybody.
23:01 Thank you for having us.
23:02 I've heard so much about your pastries
23:05 and won so many awards for your incredible work.
23:08 I am very excited to taste this, but of course
23:10 we're here to learn how to make it.
23:12 Today, Michelle will be making a salted caramel chocolate cake.
23:16 In this bag, we have the caramel chocolate ganache.
23:19 You're just going to build kind of like a fort.
23:22 You want to hold it here, and that's for control.
23:26 And [music] then just squeeze.
23:29 Thank you.
23:29 Okay, so here.
23:33 Yeah, hold it [music] like you're gripping.
23:34 Yeah, like that.
23:35 Perfect.
23:39 Yeah, perfect.
23:40 After that, this is our salted caramel.
23:43 You're just going to That was in the middle.
23:45 Fill that center.
23:46 Okay.
23:46 Caramel.
23:48 What do you [music] think makes a dessert Michelin level?
23:51 Attention to detail is very important.
23:54 Elevating it.
23:55 People come here a lot of times to celebrate a special occasion.
23:58 So, at the end of the meal, this is like a surprise gift to give them.
24:02 Happy birthday or anniversary.
24:04 Comes with a nice card from all of us.
24:06 at the restaurant.
24:07 You all sign a card.
24:09 Yes, we do.
24:10 That is so kind.
24:12 My gosh.
24:13 With that, we cover it with another top and then we're going to, you know,
24:18 pipe it, make it look nice, make it look like a birthday cake.
24:21 The challenges that Michelle will probably have
24:24 is to get a consistent, you know,
24:27 piping of the icing all around the cake, on top of the cake.
24:30 [music] Yeah, that that's not bad.
24:33 And then obviously the smoothening of the cake [music] is super important.
24:37 You know, if it's not smooth, you're going to see all the imperfections
24:40 cuz the objective that it's perfectly smooth across.
24:44 Yes.
24:46 Yep.
24:49 Instead of going so many times, [music] just give it like one clean.
24:54 Yeah.
24:54 Oh, no.
24:56 [laughter] And then the last step would be piping the rosettes on top,
25:01 getting a consistent size and evenly spaced rosettes.
25:06 Tonight I am going to attempt to remake this [music] for Chef
25:09 Walter and I've got to nail it because dessert is the final impressions.
25:14 I have to nail the dessert.
25:16 Oh no.
25:27 [laughter] This is Michelin level.
25:28 This is Michelle.
25:30 Yeah, that's a good one.
25:34 [laughter] And for my third and final dish,
25:36 I will have to learn how to prepare Mansk's Japanese hamachi dish.
25:41 And [music] that actually starts with the very melons
25:43 that we bought this morning at the farmers market.
25:46 All right.
25:46 So, we're going to cut these little planks
25:47 like [music] this about a/4 of an inch thick.
25:50 And what we're going to end up doing with these planks is we're
25:53 then going to take a punch in the shape of a mission star [laughter]
25:58 and we're going to punch them.
25:59 So then we'll have our little punches.
26:02 Each dish will have three of these.
26:04 So you and I are going to go ahead and slice these guys.
26:07 To [music] be truly truly consistent,
26:08 you would do it on the deli slicer, but we're here to be craftsmen.
26:11 We're here to learn a craft.
26:12 That's why we do things this way.
26:15 It's okay.
26:16 Just grab another one.
26:18 I am so sorry.
26:20 This is one of the bears you get yelled at right now.
26:21 Right.
26:22 You want me washing dishes?
26:24 Would you like to?
26:24 Some of the best chefs in the world have started at dishwashers.
26:27 Did you?
26:28 No.
26:28 I I started at McDonald's.
26:30 You started at McDonald's?
26:32 Yeah.
26:32 That was my first job.
26:33 No way.
26:34 My first job was at McDonald's.
26:36 I was 15 years old.
26:37 I was a cashier, but I always had my eye on what was going on in the kitchen.
26:41 Within a couple weeks,
26:41 I was making the Big Macs and doing all that stuff in the back,
26:44 and I really enjoyed it.
26:45 What are the similarities?
26:47 Are there any honestly you know what McDonald's is a phenomenal sort of model
26:51 for training and consistency which is everything that we do here
26:55 really remarkable honestly common denominator in any successful
26:58 enterprise [music] of any kind is teamwork so
27:01 it really comes down to that just teamwork
27:03 and a culture where people know that they're there
27:06 for a reason just like with an orchestra
27:09 everybody has their role [music] where the chef is
27:11 the conductor but all together as one they form
27:14 one sound one experience McDonald's does that really Well,
27:16 and I feel like that's what I try to do with my team here.
27:21 Okay.
27:21 Let me grab a punch for these.
27:28 So, you're now going to use the knife.
27:29 [music] Yeah.
27:32 Most inspectors downstairs.
27:34 Great.
27:34 What What does that mean?
27:35 The health inspector.
27:36 So, I'm going to have to break away.
27:37 Okay.
27:38 Yeah.
27:39 Isaac, put these down though.
27:40 Sess health department's here.
27:43 Let's try to buckle this up.
27:44 Get rid of towels.
27:47 Literally 30 minutes before doors open to the public,
27:50 the health inspector made an unexpected visit,
27:53 which is crazy because restaurants in California are usually only inspected
27:57 at a [music] frequency of 1 to three times a year.
28:00 Is there anything I can do to help?
28:02 It was then an all hands on deck mad
28:05 scramble to prepare the kitchen for the inspector's arrival.
28:08 And this inspection is crucial because getting anything
28:11 less than an A would jeopardize Mansky's Michelin star.
28:15 He's coming up.
28:15 He's coming up.
28:18 Go.
28:18 Go.
28:19 Our camera crew [music] basically got thrown upstairs to hide.
28:25 Yeah.
28:25 So downstairs is basically up here is masking.
28:28 [music] So they have separate entrances.
28:30 You guys are filming.
28:31 Yeah.
28:32 It makes it extra interesting.
28:34 They were asking me what kind of challenges do you face on a day-to-day basis?
28:37 Well, having the health department show up right before
28:39 service is a one of my personal favorites.
28:41 Will it take longer than 30 minutes?
28:42 We'll be open in 30 minutes.
28:44 Uh, maybe 20 minutes.
28:46 Just maybe 45 minutes.
28:48 Oh my god, that was crazy.
28:50 The health inspector just shows up 10 minutes before service.
28:53 They will show up unannounced.
28:55 Everything has to be in order.
28:58 There's so many licenses that we need to have
29:00 to make sure that we can operate the restaurant.
29:02 If they see something wrong, we could be downgraded.
29:06 Now you think Yeah.
29:12 So, how long have you worked here?
29:14 I've worked here [music] for a year and a half,
29:17 but with the Manskys, I've been with them for almost 4 years.
29:21 That's awesome.
29:22 [music]
29:23 Wow.
29:23 And so now you've been at Mansky for a year and a half.
29:26 Yeah.
29:27 Uh, Republic, Mansky, Pacific.
29:29 I've been retaining all three.
29:32 Yeah.
29:35 terrifying job.
29:37 We're all terrified.
29:41 But that's the reality for everyone.
29:43 We're just minutes away from opening and the health
29:45 inspector is still conducting his final evaluation.
29:48 But the show must go on and it's time for the nightly staff meeting.
29:52 All right.
29:52 Good evening, guys.
29:53 Every night, the restaurant does detailed research on every
29:56 single guest who will walk through those doors.
29:59 This includes their dietary restrictions, birthdays,
30:01 and any other details that would make a guest feel special.
30:05 Two guests will not eat lamb.
30:06 They will not eat gain, no oysters, no goat cheese, and they don't want cumin.
30:10 Anniversary and birthday being celebrated there.
30:13 Next 7:30, our last reservation.
30:15 Two people, no allergy.
30:16 A birthday.
30:17 Thank you.
30:18 Cool.
30:18 Sorry, I apologize.
30:19 I didn't introduce Michelle.
30:21 Michelle is going to be joining us in the kitchen.
30:23 Welcome, Michelle.
30:25 Thank you.
30:25 And despite the health inspector, it was time for the restaurant to open.
30:29 For my final [music] challenge,
30:30 I will have to prepare three dishes for Chef Walter to inspect,
30:34 and he will be the deciding factor if they
30:36 are worthy of going [music] out to a table.
30:38 But because of the health inspector's unexpected visit,
30:41 my hamachi lesson from earlier was cut short,
30:44 meaning I will have to learn the dish minutes before the judged attempt.
30:47 Here we are.
30:48 Showtime.
30:48 This is a mockup of Japanese hamachi.
30:50 I always wish I had these when I was
30:52 a little kid when I would go to sushi or something.
30:54 Oh, I thought you were going to say for eyebrows,
30:56 cuz that's what I would definitely [laughter] use them for.
30:58 So, the first thing we're going to do is you're going to dress it.
30:59 This is that chili oil that we spoke about earlier.
31:02 Few drops on each of that.
31:03 But this is gray sea salt.
31:05 It's a little I learned about the salt bay technique.
31:08 Yeah.
31:08 What is that?
31:10 Just evenly salting.
31:11 Yes.
31:11 Exactly.
31:11 So, you want to go up nice and high.
31:12 And then we're going to hit it with the lime zest.
31:14 We're going to grate.
31:14 It's a Japanese zestester.
31:16 What you want to do is you want to remove the green.
31:18 Just the green flesh.
31:19 None of the white.
31:20 The white [music] becomes very unpleasantly tart.
31:22 So just gently rub this on.
31:24 Then from there we will get you the [music] the sorbet.
31:26 So canel you start like this.
31:28 Oh, it's the away and back.
31:29 They did this in the bear.
31:32 Oh, we need to [music] do that too.
31:36 That's so pretty.
31:37 It's all about temperature control with your spoon.
31:40 Now with your wrist and extract it.
31:44 Look at that.
31:45 That's great.
31:46 Thank you, chef.
31:47 So, we're going to put the fish, sorbet, melons, and then the little herbs.
31:52 And remember, Chef Walter has very high expectations of both of us.
31:55 So, I'm counting on you.
31:57 Yes, chef.
31:58 Okay.
31:58 I got her kitchen to run.
31:59 So, I'll check in on you in a second.
32:01 Thank you, chef.
32:02 Cool.
32:03 [music] Okay.
32:05 Lime.
32:06 Lime was the first.
32:07 No, oil was the first thing.
32:10 Am I already doing it, Rocky?
32:12 No, I didn't say anything.
32:13 I'm going this way.
32:17 Okay.
32:17 I've literally never made anything like [music] this before.
32:20 Like, what is this?
32:28 Nice and high.
32:35 Way too much.
32:40 Okay, we don't have time.
32:41 We don't have time for this.
32:42 Okay, put this one in the middle.
32:46 Hi, shovels.
32:49 She's sneaking at me.
32:52 This is so stressful.
32:54 Oh my god.
32:56 Uh, everything is melting and it is not going well.
32:59 All right, Chef Joe.
33:00 Chef Walter, I'm ready to show you what you think about the presentation.
33:03 Could this go to a table?
33:09 No.
33:09 Like I said, everybody's going to take pictures of this.
33:12 They take a picture of it.
33:14 It looks like things are out of place.
33:15 It's not flowing.
33:17 Wow, that looks so much better.
33:18 You make it look so naturally placed.
33:21 Would you like to taste it?
33:23 Is it worth tasting or you just like it?
33:30 I think you need to work on it.
33:32 So, is this [music] a fail?
33:33 This is a fail.
33:37 Thank you, chef.
33:37 I'll work on the next one.
33:39 All right.
33:39 Well, don't worry.
33:40 Joe, I uh apologized before and I'll apologize again.
33:44 Do you know how long it took me to earn a mission star?
33:46 How long?
33:47 23 years of cooking before [music] that mission
33:51 star was earned by the team that I lead.
33:53 So, it's okay.
33:54 So, we're going to set you up for the next course.
33:57 Everything is here.
33:59 Okay.
33:59 Make us proud.
34:00 Yes, chef.
34:01 Every single day that we're in here, and in [music] fact,
34:03 it's a it's a common term that we use in the kitchen.
34:05 It's a dance because it's a conerto where the chef
34:07 [music] is the conductor and then everybody else has their role.
34:10 So just like with an orchestra, everybody has their little role,
34:13 but all together as one, they form one sound, one experience.
34:19 Okay.
34:19 How are you feeling?
34:20 I'm feeling so much better about this one.
34:22 There you go.
34:23 I have one more color flower.
34:25 All right.
34:26 Good.
34:27 Let's call Chef.
34:27 [music] See what he thinks.
34:29 Yeah, Chef.
34:30 Hello, Chef Walter.
34:31 This is my second dish.
34:34 What do you think?
34:35 It's looking pretty good.
34:38 Does it have soul?
34:41 It does.
34:42 It looks good.
34:45 Would you send this to a table?
34:48 Actually, I would.
34:49 I would.
34:49 Looks good.
34:50 Are you serious?
34:51 Yeah.
34:51 Looks good.
34:54 Yay.
34:54 Lost one.
34:55 Got one.
34:55 You're on the right track.
34:56 I would love to get the next one.
34:57 So, next is the dessert.
34:59 All right.
35:00 Feeling confident going into the cake?
35:03 Yeah.
35:04 So, let's not make any uh poop looking
35:06 uh cake decorations and we should be good.
35:09 Yes, chef.
35:09 Here are your tools.
35:11 Have fun.
35:11 Yep.
35:12 Thank you, chef.
35:16 This is my last chance at redemption.
35:18 I've got to do this right.
35:19 [music] When you walk into McDonald's versus when
35:21 you walk into a Michelin star restaurant,
35:23 the expectation is a little bit different, but in the end, it's the same thing.
35:26 It's hospitality.
35:27 We try to make it as organic and simple
35:28 as possible so that it's not too sterile,
35:30 [music] too sort of regimented, but it's still presented in a beautiful way.
35:34 Trying to make it as smooth as possible.
35:37 I think this is actually already looking better than the first time I did it.
35:41 You have one [music] shot to make one party happy every single night.
35:44 And that's ultimately our goal.
35:45 What we try to do is is give
35:47 the guests a true [music] experience from start to finish.
35:50 And now is the hard part cuz you have
35:51 to make them all perfectly the same and perfectly even.
35:54 This requires so much focus and care.
35:57 God, I'm so stressed.
36:06 Damn, chefs.
36:07 I [music] am presenting my birthday cake.
36:10 [laughter] There's some like cake exposure on the side and some
36:17 dents on the bottom and the piping is a little uneven.
36:22 Not as consistent as it should be.
36:24 Would this go to a table at someone's birthday [music] at the Mansky restaurant?
36:29 I would have to say.
36:34 Sorry.
36:33 No.
36:34 [laughter] So, this is a fail.
36:36 It's not servable.
36:38 So, failed.
36:40 [laughter] We're going to get out of the way now.
36:44 Cool.
36:44 [laughter] Yeah.
36:46 If there's one thing I learned from Chef Joe,
36:48 it's that making a meal can be more than just for function.
36:53 It can be an art form to create a special moment or memory.
36:57 And this is achieved by not just [music] one,
37:00 but a team striving for excellence at every turn.
37:03 So, we have good news.
37:06 Yes.
37:06 Hey, we did it.
37:08 Has applying [music] colors.
37:09 It's a big deal.
37:10 Work hard for these things.
37:11 So, it's good when it works.
37:13 Yes.
37:13 Take care.
37:14 We did it.
37:15 The biggest surprise for me was discovering how alike
37:18 both McDonald's [music] and Mansky kind of actually were.
37:22 Both kitchens are like orchestras, just playing two different songs.
37:27 And though I won't be cooking professionally
37:29 in a Michelin rated kitchen anytime soon,
37:32 I am excited to take the [music] few lessons
37:33 I did learn and give a little something back.
37:36 This whole week, you've been so generous with us,
37:39 and so as a thank you, we wanted to present something to you.
37:44 [laughter] No way.
37:47 These are one of my favorite [music] things in the whole world.
37:51 Really?
37:51 Yeah.
37:51 Something that we try to do in the kitchen is really listen to our guests and if
37:54 we pick up on something that they [music] mention
37:56 and we can make something happen, we'll do it.
37:59 So, just very much in the spirit of hospitality,
38:01 like we were talking about earlier.
38:02 So, the fact that this was my first job and you're bringing
38:05 it all together shows that you have that mindset, which is great.
38:09 Thank you.
38:10 Thank you.
38:10 But where's my barbecue [music] sauce?
38:24 [music] [music]