By a 10-year NYC food blogger who’s eaten more 2 AM staff meals than hot dinners at home
Let’s get this out of the way: being an aspiring chef in New York City is a bit like trying to do ballet in a hurricane. It’s beautiful, it’s brutal, and no one’s holding the door open for you. But after a decade spent interviewing chefs, snooping in kitchens (with permission—mostly), and eating my way through the city’s most intense dining rooms, I’ve picked up more than a few lessons from the pros. Not just how they slice garlic so thin it vanishes in the pan, but how they run their kitchens with the discipline of a dojo and the heart of a garage band on the verge of making it. In this post, as part of our kitchen tips, I’ll delve into some of the most useful tips for aspiring chefs – acquired over a decade of blogging in NYC’s food scene 🙂
Here’s what I’ve learned—and what aspiring chefs really need to know if they want to make it in the city that never cleans its walk-in.
1. Aspiring Chefs, Learn to Love the Grind
The first time I sat down for a staff meal at Eleven Madison Park, I was shocked at how quiet it was. No ego. No “look at me” plating practice. Just chefs eating fast, heads down, preparing for a dinner service that would crush most mortals.
What separates NYC’s top kitchens from the rest isn’t magic—it’s repetition. It’s doing that same chiffonade cut until your knuckles bleed and your calluses have calluses. Aspiring chefs often want to jump straight to foie gras foam and tweezers. But the best chefs I’ve met swear by the grind. There’s a huge difference between culinary school vs. job training. It’s the daily discipline that builds greatness, like how jazz musicians practice scales until their fingers move without thinking.
Sure, it can be soul-sucking. It’s also the only way to get good.
2. Get the Gear That Works as Hard as You Do (Including a Proper Chef Coat)
Before I ever set foot behind the pass, I thought kitchen gear was mostly about aesthetics. You know—sleek knives, crisp whites, fancy aprons you could post on Instagram with #ChefLife. I figured as long as you had the skills, what you wore or used didn’t really matter. But that illusion shattered pretty quickly during my first shadow shift at a bustling Midtown bistro, when a chef tossed me a spare coat from the staff locker. It was two sizes too big, damp with someone else’s sweat, and smelled like old onions and regret. Let’s just say it didn’t exactly boost my confidence—or keep me cool under pressure.
Turns out, there’s solid data to back up what seasoned chefs have known for years. According to the experts at manelli, kitchen apparel isn’t just about appearances—it’s about performance and safety. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, kitchen workers experience one of the highest rates of burns and slips in the foodservice industry. Many of these injuries are preventable with proper gear, including flame-resistant coats, non-slip shoes, and cut-resistant gloves. And in a study published by the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, heat stress was shown to significantly reduce focus and physical performance in hot kitchen environments, especially when workers weren’t wearing breathable clothing.
It might sound vain, but gear matters. One thing I learned that day—and every day since—is that comfort is currency in the kitchen. When you’re moving nonstop for 12 to 16 hours, dodging fryer oil, and bending into oven doors that feel like portals to hell, your clothing is either working for you or against you. A well-fitting chef coat isn’t just about looking pro—it’s body armor. It protects you from burns, keeps you cool under the heat lamp, and earns respect from your peers. Trust me, no one takes the newbie in the floppy sleeves seriously.
Every chef I’ve shadowed had their holy trinity: their go-to coat, their favorite knife, and a pair of shoes they’d marry if state law allowed. They didn’t skimp on quality, because when you’re on your feet 14 hours a day and flames are licking your eyebrows, the right gear is your only friend. Invest in something breathable, easy to wash, and built to last through hell’s dinner service. Because in the war zone, that is a Friday night kitchen rush, you don’t want to be the one battling blisters, sweat stains, or sleeves catching fire.
3. Respect the Kitchen Hierarchy (or Get Burned)
I once saw a new line cook roll his eyes at the sous chef at Le Bernardin. He was gone by dessert.
The brigade system isn’t some outdated tradition—it’s survival. Every person in the kitchen has a role, and when someone skips steps or steps out of line, service breaks down like a soufflé in a thunderstorm. I’ve watched kitchens run smoother than a Swiss train because everyone respected the chain of command.
And yes, it means biting your tongue. A lot. But this structure teaches discipline, humility, and teamwork—skills that matter just as much as knowing when to pull a duck breast off the heat.
Pro tip: Say “Yes, Chef” even when you don’t agree. Especially then.
Watch this video by Janet’s Learning to learn more about kitchen hierarchy:
4. Simplicity Wins Every Time
At Cosme, one of NYC’s most mind-blowing modern Mexican restaurants, the menu is deceptively simple. A duck carnitas dish with only three main elements. But when I asked the chef what made it so perfect, he said: “Because we don’t mess with it.”
A lot of aspiring chefs fall into the trap of adding, adding, adding. More ingredients. More flourishes. More dots of sauce on the plate. But in NYC’s best kitchens, the goal is clarity. Simplicity is hard because there’s nowhere to hide.
You’ve got to trust your technique and let the ingredients speak. A plate should whisper, not scream.
We love this video by Fallow where a head chef tells how he started out cooking as a teenager to owning 3 restaurants. He explains if he could start over, what would he do differently?
5. Be a Sponge—and Not Just for the Dishes
I once spent three days shadowing the pastry team at Balthazar. I knew nothing about laminated doughs, but I left obsessed. Watching how each station operated was like watching a symphony in motion—each role essential, none more important than the next.
Great chefs are made by rotation. Pastry, garde manger, grill, sauté. Don’t chase titles—chase knowledge. The more you see, the more adaptable you become. When that dishwasher suddenly doesn’t show, and you can jump in without complaint? You’ve just become indispensable.
That kind of hustle opens doors faster than any résumé ever will.
6. Taste Trumps Trend
I’ve eaten at places with edible balloons, smoking cocktails, and dishes that look like art installations. But ask me what I remember most? The cacio e pepe at Via Carota. Three ingredients. One perfect memory.
Don’t chase trends. Don’t try to go viral. Chase flavor. Build recipes that people crave in their bones. That’s what NYC’s top chefs do—they create dishes that people dream about on the subway ride home.
Sure, plating matters. But if your food doesn’t taste amazing, all the visual dazzle in the world won’t save it.
7. It’s Not Just the Food. It’s the Vibe.
You know what else NYC chefs obsess over? Energy. I’ve walked into kitchens like Dirt Candy and felt like I was backstage at a punk show. High energy. Zero chaos. Every person in sync, every dish hitting the pass like clockwork.
Culture matters. Kitchens with toxic energy might produce great food, but they burn people out faster than an open salamander. The best chefs build teams, not kingdoms.
Aspiring chefs should look for kitchens where they feel seen, challenged, and safe to grow. That’s where careers are made.
Finally, watch this awesome video to get some secret tips on what it takes to make it in a Michelin-starred restaurant:
Final Thoughts (But Not a Summary, I Promise)
Ten years in, I’ve learned that NYC kitchens are like the city itself—unforgiving, magnificent, and absolutely alive. They’ll chew you up if you’re lazy or entitled. But if you show up ready to work, to sweat, to learn—these kitchens will teach you everything.
And aspiring chefs? You’re not just learning how to cook. You’re learning how to live under pressure and still make something beautiful.
If that’s not the heart of NYC, I don’t know what is.
Annie is an avid nature lover from rural Australia. After some international adventures, she settled in New York City.
