The line at Uchi – not the one to get in the door – is no place for the faint of heart, as Angelo soon learns. (Photo courtesy of Cultivate PR)
It was around 5 p.m. on May 21st that I received a return call from The Chef de Cuisine at Uchi, Kaz Edwards, regarding my request to stage at Uchi’s Houston location. He asked me when I was free, to which I quickly replied, ‘Whenever’. He said to come down tomorrow, and in a moment of pure happiness I obliged with a quick that’ll work.
After I hung up, I began to realize what I had just done. I pondered the reality that tomorrow for twelve straight hours between 11in the morning to 11 at night, I could very well be destroyed.
One nervous night of sleep later, here I was in the kitchen of Uchi, trying to not look like a fool.
My first task: Apple Chutney. A gastrique – which is basically a reduction of vinegar and sugar, finished with bruinosed apples, or apples cut into a 1/8th inch square.
It takes only a moment for the Sous Chef quickly brings me up to speed on where everything is in the kitchen, and I proceed to measure all my ingredients out for the chutney. After getting my reduction going, I move on to the apples.
As I am into my third attempt at creating 300 grams of brunoised apples for the apple chutney – less than a pound – I begin to question what I got myself into. I cut some more slabs of apple with the mandoline and keep to it with what is the most focus I have ever put into anything. With every push down on my knife I hold my breath, hoping not to be reprimanded.
“Don’t worry about it man, my first day here I was toast,” the line cook comforts me in my mess of apple scraps. Having ruined about six apples by now, I jokingly reply, “I owe y’all some apples.” We share a laugh, and I kept my head down.
After I finally got through the chutney we moved to other items on the daunting prep list. Next up would be pork katsu – fried pork belly. We took the belly, which had been cooked sous vide for 24 hours, and coated it in a simple panko-egg wash. After getting through the rest of the prep list, cleaning my station, and service starting I eagerly ask Kaz what he needs me to do next.
Tempura fried brie on top of a sweet potato chip, apple chutney, garnished with fresh apples and green tea salt at Uchi. The chutney went to good use. (Photo by Angelo Emiliani)
To my surprise, he asks to see me work the line. At this point, I’m sweating bullets. The only thing I’m thinking is, “Oh, great. The f—ing new guy is going to mess up service tonight.”
So I get behind the line. The fry cook has super long hair tied into a pony tail, oil burns cover his arms, and he is knocking out dishes while I timidly ask what he needs.
But luck was in my favor. I got to work with the coolest dude, Mika. As I got behind the line and everything got a lot warmer – it might have been the two giant vats of 375-degree oil. Mika told me to just watch for a bit, and later he would throw me into the action.
So that is exactly what I did, I made sure to mentally note what he was doing, and of course to ask as many questions as possible. He showed me how to plate every dish they were producing that night, and then he showed me how each dish was cooked. Once I had all the information he let me do the whole process myself. I was dropping brussel sprouts in the oil, getting my plates ready, and selling each plate with blind confidence to the Sous Chef.
I thought I killed it – in a good way. In my head I would like to think I didn’t slow anything down, but this cook was really good. I mean really good; his moves were swift, thoughtful, and every movement counted. His mise en place (colloquially referred to as meez, and is your organization of ingredients for service) was absolute perfection. Everything he needed to knock out six different dishes was either right in front of your face or in the lowboy right under you. Organization is key when cooking. Also being able to clean while you go is of the utmost importance.
All in all, it was the best experience of my life. I will be coming on as a permanent stage, and I really look forward to working at Uchi. The whole kitchen was nothing but a class act. Every single person was beyond nice, helped me out when I needed it, and didn’t rip my eyes out for fucking up a dish. They deserve all the respect they have gained, and I highly recommend visiting the restaurant.
Finally 11 o’clock hits, the last few remaining guests are receiving their desserts and the line cooks start working on their prep list for the next day. I leave Uchi exhausted, but knowing absolutely this is what I wanted.
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