“”Koreans who are accustomed to spicy and salty food cannot sense the subtle taste. You don’t come out.””
That’s what Phil Kaufman said. Leo Kang was frustrated, but he said he couldn’t give up on this place because he knew there was no greater chef than him. He recklessly said that he would come to work without pay. Even after just cleaning for a month, Koffman kicked it like a trash can and asked, ‘Why are you here?
The ordeal that Leo Kang went through in the kitchen was harsh. There are many interesting anecdotes.
Leo Kang has worked under some of the best chefs, but those chefs are usually famous for being vicious. I told him to put the pan away, but if he forgot to do so, he would throw a pan full of oil, or he would throw an egg at my head for not making the right chocolate mousse. One by one. His teacher, Piel Korman, also added more, never less.
One time, Leo Kang came down with the flu. Tears and snot were flowing and I felt like I was going to collapse at any moment from the high fever. Piel Kaufman came up to me and asked me why I was doing that. When he said it was because he had a cold, Koffman told him to straighten his shoulders and then violently punched Leo Kang in the stomach with his fist. I was out of breath and the sky turned yellow. Then he said,
“”My fist hurts.
“”My fist hurts more!””
“”Then it’s not a fatal disease, so run!””
Pierre Kaufmann, the infamous ant bastard
Another time, 15 minutes before service, I was busy organizing the refrigerator when Pierre Koffman asked if I was done yet. Yes, it’s not done yet and I said I’d finish it quickly. Coffman told him to go underground and get a fish, and Leo Kang came up with the fish. But when I came up, I saw that a 4L oil tank had been turned over and stuck in the refrigerator. There were 5 minutes left and I was in tears. Orders were flooding in, dishes had to be made, and I was trying to clean out the refrigerator, so it was hectic. And when I looked to the side, I saw Piel Kaufmann watching, waving his legs. Koffman overthrew it. It was a harsh lesson to do things in advance.
Leo Kang, who worked 18 to 20 hours a day like this, would be exhausted when he returned home. One day, I came home from work at 1 a.m. and thought, ‘I worked really hard today,’ so I grabbed a can of beer. Then I lost consciousness for a moment, and suddenly an alarm rang. It’s already morning. The beer was left unopened, with only the can open.
career
Sous Chef, La Ten Claire (Pierre Kaufman), London
London Sketch Pierre Garnier Sous Chef
London Gordon Ramsay Sous Chef
Dubai head chef Gordon Ramsay
Banyan Tree Hotel Executive Chef
