How one Michelin starred chef deals with the enormous pressure
NYC’s The Langham Hotel had a Michelin star and was a well-known favourite of celebrities, such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Leonardo DiCaprio before 32-year-old chef Scott Schneider took over as head chef.
The restaurant, Ai Fiori, opened in 2010, with Schneider joining as a line cook in 2011 and he never thought he’d become head chef, let alone obtain the sought-after position in such a short timeline.
Schneider has retained the Michelin star status of the restaurant as he has been the head chef for a number of years. He spoke to 9Honey Kitchen about what to look out for in the reviewers who are in charge of handing out the stars.
"We don’t really know when the [Michelin guide reviewers] come in," Schneider explained.
However, there are a few details to look out for.
"Most of the time it's a French couple. They will usually order the tasting menu and they're usually looking at every little detail; under the tables, all the food, the menu, every tiny thing."
As Schneider was born in Ohio, went to a vocational culinary school and fell in love with food, he realised he needed a change of scenery.
"I just I figured if I wanted to work in some great kitchens, then this was where I needed to be. They don’t really have that where I'm from in Ohio," he chuckles.
"It's kind of surreal. I have family and friends that come from Ohio and they dine here and they're just blown away and say things like; 'you're the chef in this restaurant? Wow.' – sometimes you forget how wonderful it all is, and it helps you not to take it for granted."
However, Schneider doesn’t let the pressure get to him. The variety of his work keeps him engaged, and the people he works with aren’t bad either.
"This [Ai Fiori] is home. We have a good team, you know. We're evolving the menu and food all the time and you can't get bored in the kitchen. If you get bored, then there's a problem."
Each dish that goes out is a team effort, which Schneider is proud of.
"A lot of research goes into each dish, we taste and play around with flavours and ideas," he says, adding that this is really "the fun bit,” he explained.
"When we get to a point where we're happy with it, we'll have our peers taste it, all the sous chefs will talk about it, maybe it needs more acid or a different herb or whatever. Then once we all agree, that's when the dish happens. It's not just me. It’s a team."