Learning “Yes, Chef” + Fav sushi bite + Lingonberry iced matcha
*sometimes* I miss working in the restaurant
Left to right: Slow Burn dinner at Octavia / First day at Octavia / Chef friends!
Once I realized I wanted to step more than a toe into the culinary world, I knew I had to get more training. I looked into different culinary schools, talked to a few chefs, and considered leaving tech to work full time in a kitchen. After having a truly incredible meal from a Slow Burn x Octavia collaboration, I learned they were hiring for line cooks. I decided to reach out and met with their CDC, Chef Nico. He graciously hired me as a part time line cook (something I know isn’t always preferred that I’m really grateful for) and I started a few weeks later. I still laugh thinking about walking to the restaurant with my chefs knife in my purse before I had a cover for it. Always be prepared in SF I guess?!
Being 36 years old and in a new work environment in a different industry is an absolute trip haha. First and foremost, I was there as an employee, but I also was very eager to learn. I had such a fun and supportive team at the garde manger station. I was queen of oyster shucking, among other things, but whenever there was a slight lull, Chef Poh taught me his precision way to cut chives, taste different herbs, and other tricks. Then, Chef Sun would nicely remind me to do everything 5x faster. If you’re not doing a controlled speed walk, what are you even doing?
This might not seem like a big deal to most people, and I’m not claiming to be over here having some top chef experience, but to me it was really pivotal. I loved the rush of dinner service, became a perfectionist at prep and service timing. Everyone at Octavia was so friendly and worked so hard - I have so much respect for chefs working in restaurants.
One night, I had meticulously prepared a huge dessert order and sent it upstairs to expo to get distributed out. It’s the height of the dinner service and the chef received everything and yelled down to us “We’re short two desserts!”. My project management tech brain could not compute. I had 100% made them, I sent them up - I should probably argue my point, right? So I did jus that. Patiently, Chef said “I have no idea what happened to them, but I don’t have them, and I need them now.” This is the moment I realized I might still have a very small authority issue haha as I yelled back up “Are you SURE?!” in front of the whole kitchen. Thankfully, he almost started laughing and said “Yes…I’m sure..”! It took me few more tries, but finally I was “Yes, chef”-ing away and my authority issue settled down (for the moment).
Here’s my plug for anyone reading this that wants to get into the food industry - definitely try to work at a restaurant or bakery, even part-time. You learn so much in a short period of time and get a real glimpse of what this chaotic and stressful (but fun) world is all about.
Now, moving on! I have a hot take on sushi in San Francisco. I haven’t been that impressed since I moved here a few years ago from Denver, CO. That’s right, I am still hanging on to Sushi Den, my favorite spot from Chef Toshi in South Denver. Their firecracker roll has an actual hold on me.
I can’t say I’ve tried my hardest to find the best sushi in SF, but I’ve eaten at over a dozen spots by now and I’m always wanting a little more. That changed when I finally checked out Ebisu last night. Ebisu is on 9th Ave in the Inner Sunset and has been family owned for over 40 years. The fish selection is super special, and incredibly fresh. Sit at the sushi bar and order lots of specials that you have no idea about - you won’t be disappointed. My favorite bite had to be Kinmedai or Golden Snapper. Get a few of those guys - do it!
*This is not a photo from my experience at the restaurant - you should probably sue me, but it was so good I forgot to take a picture!
All right, we’ve made it to the last section of today’s newsletter - super secret special Swede-ish recipe ONLY for Substack readers (all 35 of you - thank you SO much).
Recently, I had a delicious iced matcha latte with strawberry puree and couldn’t stop thinking about it. The only thing was that the puree was a little on the sweet side. It dawned on me that I had pounds of frozen wild lingonberries from Northwest Wild Foods in my freezer, so I made a lingonberry puree that came together in minutes and took this combo on a spin.
What’s also fun, is that you can order lingonberry jam (Darbo is my preferred choice) from Whole Foods or Amazon and make this into an iced matcha latte lingonberry “jam” drink if you don’t want to order the lingonberries.
Iced Matcha Latte with Lingonberry Puree
Makes 1 serving
Ingredients
8 oz milk of choice (I used almond)
1 tsp ceremonial grade matcha
½ lb frozen lingonberries
OR - if skipping this, 1 tbs storebought lingonberry jam**
½ teaspoon cornstarch dissolved into a small amount of hot water to avoid clumping
¼ cup fresh orange juice
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ cup sugar (can add more to taste)
Pinch salt
Instructions
Combine lingonberries, cornstarch slurry, orange juice, cinnamon, sugar, and salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil on medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add more sugar if needed.
Let cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks
Blend matcha into a small amount of milk using a wooden whisk (or you can blend in a blender for 30 seconds if you’re not picky about preparation) and mix with the remainder of the milk
Pour over a glass filled with ice
Add a spoonful or two of lingonberry jam (fresh or store-bought)
Snap a cute picture because the color combo is so fun!
Mix well and enjoy!
Thanks for reading, see ya next week! 🍓