Behind the Kitchen Door: Restaurant Secrets

What could be better? Many things could be better, especially if you know what actually goes on in the restaurant’s kitchen. Keep reading to find out why, or stop reading right now and just go out to eat. It’s your choice. 

The problem is that those darn eggs may make you very ill. Raw eggs contain Salmonella, which causes severe stomach problems. The only way to kill Salmonella in eggs is to cook them thoroughly. That’s a  problem for Hollandaise lovers. Even the famous Anthony Bourdain stays away from Hollandaise sauce; he considers it dangerous.

At the end of the night, when the restaurant workers are cleaning up, one worker may be assigned to pour the leftover ketchup into other ketchup bottles. It doesn’t sound very hygienic, although it may be a significant cost-saving for the owner.  

Add a little sauce and a little cheese, and you have a dish the restaurant guests will love. They’ll never know that the chicken wasn’t precisely cooked to perfection beforehand.  

Scientists tell us that tap water may contain contaminants that can harm your health over time. So a wise investment is a water filter, which saves the environment since you won’t keep purchasing those wasteful plastic bottles.  

Restaurant workers speaking out on Reddit have criticized this practice. They feel that the customers should not be fed leftovers, only freshly made food prepared that day. So maybe skip the soup next time you go out.   

Children, pregnant women, and older people are especially at risk if they eat sprouts raw. The solution is simple – cook the sprouts to kill the bacteria. Make sure to ask about this when you order raw sprouts in a restaurant.

Keep the hot foods hot and the cold foods cold – those are the rules, but in some buffet restaurants, there needs to be more supervision to ensure that the food is always safe. Also, as at any restaurant, check your utensils to make sure they look and feel clean.

You may opt for a special salad from the menu that the chef prepares fresh for each order rather than a house salad that has been sitting around for hours.  

While it seems to be a delicious and classy dish to order in a fancy restaurant, think again. You can make this in the comfort of your home and spend a lot less compared to what you’d pay in a restaurant. 

While it is fun to order delicious juices from restaurants, it’s just as enjoyable to make your own at home. If you don’t want to invest in a juicer, just make sure the place you purchase your juice from is clean. You can even ask if they wash the fruit before juicing it – just try to be tactful about it so you don’t offend anyone!

Bread baskets are usually the home for the bread on the table. However, more hands have touched this basket than you think. In addition to your waiter and the people at your table, that basket could have collected bacteria from many other diners since the last time it was washed.

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) doesn’t endorse eating these types of cheeses unless they are labeled as having been made with pasteurized milk. This is because, according to their studies, cheeses made with raw milk are 50-160% more likely to have Listeria.

It is good to know that we can use doggy bags to avoid wasting food. However, this practice is not safe all the time. Just be aware that food quality doesn’t last long in these containers. Also, be sure to reheat the food again once you go home before placing it into your refrigerator. In this way, you can eliminate any bacteria that may have been sitting on your food.

Though it has high Japanese standards, not all of it is created equally due to some mislabeling. If you come across a low price Kobe beef, think twice. Certified Kobe beef only comes from Japan, so when you factor in the high farming standards, high-quality of the beef, plus the shipping costs, it should be expensive.

Complications of diabetes are no joke. They include kidney failure, a weakened immune system, eye damage, cardiovascular disease, and more. In the restaurant, when you are ordering this, you don’t really know how much sugar is being added. So, if you love tea, it’s better to purchase your favorite variety and make it at home.

Though we support any efforts to avoid waste, it’s also important to note that you are more vulnerable to foodborne illness when you are eating past-their-prime foods. This is not to say that all restaurants use this strategy but, it is a common practice in the industry.

The United States Department of Agriculture advises heating ground beef or pork to a minimum temperature of 160 Fahrenheit to kill the bacteria effectively. When you’re getting ready to order your next burger, be sure to ask the waiter for medium, not medium-rare. 

This may be a shocking truth for vegetarians, but it’s important to know. The good news is, not all restaurants are like this. For you to be sure the dish served is authentic, stick to your trusted places that specialize in these kinds of dishes. Other ways include asking what ingredients are in the dish and how it is prepared.

In Bourdain’s words, “I never order fish on Monday, unless I’m eating at a four-star restaurant where I know they are buying their fish directly from the source. I know how old most seafood is on Monday – about four to five days old!” 

This fact is supported by Dr. Duc Vugia, head of the Infectious Disease Branch at the California Department of Public Health. She explained, “Eating raw oysters is dangerous for certain groups of people because some raw oysters contain bacteria or viruses that can cause disease. A bacterium called Vibrio vulnificus that is in some oysters can cause severe illness and death in people with certain underlying medical conditions.”

This dark secret also comes from Anthony Bourdain, who states, “I won’t eat in a restaurant with filthy bathrooms. This isn’t a hard call. They let you see the bathrooms. If the restaurant can’t be bothered to replace the puck in the urinal or keep the toilets and floors clean, then just imagine what their refrigeration and workspaces look like.” Okay, Anthony, duly noted!

E.Coli and other germs can be killed when exposed to temperatures of 160 Fahrenheit or more, so your favorite pizza should definitely be safe. However, handling the raw dough should be done correctly and carefully. Always be sure to wash your hands before you do anything in terms of your food.

Though you may love the ingredient you want to sub in, it can compromise the taste and texture of the dish. You may find you cannot fully enjoy your meal because you feel like there’s something wrong with it.

He added that, “By ordering something you can make, you make it impossible to have that thrill of a surprise that a great, unexpected dish can create.” There are so many amazing dishes all around the world. By ordering them more often, you’ll be able to widen your horizons.

While it seems to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience to eat something luxurious, you may be surprised that these fancy treats can be prepared at home. With the right amount of patience and a good background in cooking, you can create these luxurious dishes on your own. You may spend a little more, but at least you won’t be paying for a tiny serving.

With so many people making so many demands on the kitchen, it might be worth arranging with your significant other to celebrate the romantic holiday on a different day. That way, you won’t have to deal with the crowds.

When the steak is processed to medium or medium-rare, the tasty juice has not evaporated yet, and the texture can be chewed well and cut easily. Some diners go for well-done because of safety purposes. We understand the reason, but it’s better to go to a trusted place and order your steak medium or medium-rare. 

With more alcohol flooding your system, it is most likely that you will order additional food, and perhaps even a dessert, after a couple of diet cocktails. This is, in fact, a method some restaurants use to get people to order more.

The problem is, value meals encourage you to consume more than you would if you simply selected the individual items you wanted. It’s good to have some days of enjoying unhealthy food, but healthy choices generally equate to a longer life, so balance is essential. 

Lemons are often managed with bare hands, even while they are sliced. This is hardly hygienic. Bartenders who are up at the counter might take every precaution possible because they are being watched, but who knows what goes on with drinks prepared out in the kitchen. 

Remember that study we mentioned in the last slide? Many of those contaminated lemons were found behind the bar. If a bartender is handling garnishes with their bare hands and also handling cash, that’s a recipe for bacterial disaster! So, it may be best to avoid fruit garnishes next time you go for a drink.

Some restaurants offer big portions of pasta, and in America, you’ll almost always exceed the recommended intake of grains if you order this dish. The workaround? Ask for a half portion. You’ll be surprised at how filling it is. Plus, you save money on your meal! 

We know how tempting it is to drink sugary drinks, especially during hot summer days, and extra especially if there are free refills. To avoid that unhealthy lifestyle, opt for plain soda water instead. It gives you the same refreshing mouthfeel without the calories. 

Aside from that, the salsa and chips combo is not as healthy as you think. Many people don’t count this appetizer when estimating their daily food intake. So, if you’re wondering why you aren’t getting fitter, this could be the hidden cause.

While it’s an easy way to count your drinks, the sugar content in this one glass is about the same as a soda but double the calories due to the alcohol content. This is starting to sound like something that should be a rare treat!

Neil Hammerschlag, a marine ecologist and professor, said that “As top predators, sharks bio-accumulate toxins in their tissues via the food web from the prey they eat.” These top predators tend to have the highest accumulation of heavy metals in their bodies, making them a poor food choice for humans. 

The CSPI disclosed that this creation has a dangerous effect as it contains 5,000 milligrams of salt, which is more than three times the recommended daily amount.

If you’re really craving a creamy soup, it’s much better to top it off with a salad or a side of vegetables rather than a heavy main dish. This way, you can at least have a balanced meal. 

It has been said that color is a simple way to evaluate your meal because foods that are naturally pigmented are high in minerals and vitamins. This gives you an easy trick for determining whether the food that you are eating is good for you or not. If your plate is colorful, you’re on the right track. If it looks like the image above, you may need to do some adjusting! 

Yes, you can see lettuce, carrots, cabbage, and other veggies in there. However, this doesn’t change the fact that the buffalo chicken salad is a nightmare for your body to digest. Of course, there’s also no denying that it packs a lot of delicious flavor!