Spontaneous Cuisine

Spontaneous means acting out in complete surprise, but can this be applied to restaurant cooking?

Many trends come and go in the restaurant industry, and I believe this type of cuisine can become a fashionable way of making serious income and profit (of course, if handled the right way).

Imagine a restaurant where you have no written menus as we all know it, perhaps a piece of paper on your table with the main ingredients with prices like the catch of the day, or some steaks or any specialty meat, or a live display so you can ask for a special cooking method, with your choice of sauce or seasoning, that can be frightening at the beginning as you normally know what to expect out of a restaurant and their food, but at the same time you feel yourself in total control of what you’re asking, and you know that everything is prepared a la minute with the very freshest ingredients at a fair and reasonable price. I always recommend an open kitchen, as this type of cooking is very dynamic and worth seeing it.

On the operational side is very exciting about handling this kind of cuisine, first your Chef, has to posses a wide imagination, as he will translate it to the waiting staff, as they are the ones that can recommend the right cooking method, the term, the garnishes and if applicable, the sauces, and most of all, timing on the preparation, and that is a monumental task, as they are very limited in time and need to be concise and precise.

There are some steps in order for you to have a successful day of operations and it all starts with purchasing the right ingredients:

--Start very early in the morning as the earliest you arrive to the fish market, the best and cheaper ingredients you’ll get, don’t be shy on checking for quality, touch, smell, taste, feel and observe. If it was swimming in the morning, you can’t miss on your choices.

--Browse through the fruits and vegetables (remember that in season, you can buy very cheap), pick only the best. Look for fresh herbs; this will add a very special touch to your cooking.

--You need to be a curious person at your local butcher, don’t be afraid on trying new ingredients; your Clients will most appreciate it. Ask for specialties, you will be amazed on how many sausages you can find.

--Hand made cheeses are much appreciated and many times expensive, choose wisely, don’t overwhelm basic flavors with an intense cheese.

--Be aware that magic is just an illusion, if you buy low quality ingredients, you can’t turn them into high quality dishes (not even with witchcraft), but you can completely ruin best quality ingredients with a bad preparation.

Now it’s time for your Chef to smoke a couple of New York City size cigars (smoking can produce cancer!!!) and come up with creative ideas on how to turn those ingredients into award-winning dishes, but keep it simple, as spontaneous cooking is not about long hours of preparation, it’s about bringing the true flavors on each ingredient with the proper cooking method while your Clients are waiting.

Pros on spontaneous cuisine

==You need less refrigeration space, as you won’t cook in advance for the next day and everything needs to be daily purchased.

It’s for sure a new, trendy, fashionable and even sexy experience for your Clients.

==You can save on menus printing.

==Your whole staff reacts promptly, as each dish is a whole new experience.

==Your operational costs can be lowered dramatically and can be transferred to your retail price.

==Once your Client has tasted and liked it, they will be back for a new experience (every day can become a memorable experience).

==You are using extremely fresh and seasonal ingredients in order to offer the best of the best to your Customers.

==Your whole staff gets very creative and can result in an empowered situation to problem solving.

==Very profitable (if managed with common sense and hard work).

==Easy to advertise and market.

==Gives you a head start on selling wines and you can get sponsorship from wineries.

==High end cuisine at affordable prices.

==Your Clientele won’t get bored of the same old dishes.

==If you do it right, your concept will not perish.



Cons

--Tough administrative process.

--Very dynamic on purchases, and you’ll need to back you up with proper cash flow.

--Very high expectations from your Clients, as they will continue attending your restaurant for exciting new methods and ingredients.

--You will need for a well trained and knowledgeable staff that can be more expensive.

--There are some moments where imagination can decrease (but if you use magazines, books, internet and suggestions, you will not suffer from this).



At the end, I totally recommend this new trend if you are expecting a fast return on your investment.



Feel free to send me an e-mail with any doubt chefcalderitas@hotmail.com