Chef Gordon Ramsay Asks Restaurant-Goers Not to Order This One ‘Special’ Dish Which Is Often Repurposed
Star chef Gordon Ramsay’s name is synonymous with words like “food,” “gastronomy,” and most of all, “perfection.” He is well known to get down to the brass tacks and deconstruct any dish to its nitty-gritty until all the elements hampering its taste and texture are laid out bare on the table for cooks and chefs to work on. Having grasped the minutiae of his business for over three decades, Ramsay’s advice cannot be taken for granted. That’s why when he spoke to Town & Country magazine and advised people never to order one particular dish when they visit a restaurant, his suggestion spread like wildfire on the internet.
“Ask what yesterday’s soup du jour was before today’s special. It may be the case that it’s the soup du month,” said Ramsay. His advice reminds us of an episode of Kitchen Nightmares. In April 2013, the crew of Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares arrived at Prohibition Gastropub in Spokane, Washington State. As Ramsay took a table, he noticed how the bellydancer-turned-restaurant owner, Rishi Brown, donned a Britney Spears-style costume, a dress code unusual for a typical restauranteur.
Soon enough, he was greeted by a server named Candace. He asked her what was the “soup of the day.” She answered, “Jalapeno corn chowder.” When he asked what was the “soup of the day” the previous day. She gave the same answer. When he asked what was the “soup of the day” the previous week, her answer was just the same. Gordon pressed his lips and rubbed his forehead with clenched hands. He gave his order and then called Brown. He told her that the “soup of the day” was supposed to be a new, freshly made soup each day, and not the same soup for the entire week. Turned out that the former bellydancer had no idea what the “soup of the day” truly meant. Ramsay bluntly advised her to keep her belly separate from her business.
Although, a year later, when Ramsay visited the restaurant again, Brown had grasped the idea of “soup of the day.” However, so many restaurant owners and chefs may have yet to learn this noteworthy fact about this dish in their menu cards. Unknown to people who order this dish, they may be serving the “soup of the day” made with leftover ingredients or items that are not fresh. For instance, when Candace served Ramsay the “jalapeno corn chowder” supposed to be the soup of the day for the first time, he blurted out the remark, “That’s just slop horrible nasty gloop.”
So, just as Brown and Candace innocently believed, other restaurant chefs too may be serving the “soup of the day” as “soup of the week” or probably as “soup of the month.” There is no way to know that. Therefore, the onus goes to the customers and Ramsay’s tip triggered a sense of awareness among them, that this lack of knowledge could be a possibility.
In addition to not ordering this dish, Ramsay offered another valuable tip in his interview with the magazine. He suggested that customers take menu recommendations from servers. “It really depends on the restaurants, but servers tend to taste most of the dishes on the menu and can give you insight to what the chef has added or what locals love,” he said, and added, “Being on the road, I’ve gotten a lot of great recommendations from servers.” The idea is to be aware of how restaurant kitchens work because not all people working inside these kitchens are as aware and detailed as Ramsay.