A Real Survival Guide for Kitchen Newcomers

Learn Your Knife. Like, Really Learn It
Mise en Place Isn’t Just Fancy French
You Don’t Know Everything
Speed Comes Later Focus on Doing It Right First
Respect Goes Both Ways
You’ll Screw Up. Own It
Look After Yourself Too

By Ekim Chef,

When I first walked into a real kitchen, I thought I had a clue. I’d done some serving, watched way too many cooking shows, and figured I could hold my own. I was wrong.

It was loud, hot, intense and totally different from what I expected. But I also found something real in there: purpose, adrenaline, and a team that works like a weird, chaotic family.

So if you’re just starting out in the kitchen, here’s what I wish someone had told me.

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1. Learn Your Knife. Like, Really Learn It.

Your knife is your best friend (or worst enemy if you’re careless). Learn how to hold it, how to chop without fear, and keep it sharp. A dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one trust me, I’ve got the scars to prove it.

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2. Mise en Place Isn’t Just Fancy French

This just means “everything in its place,” but it’s more than that. Before service, get everything ready your ingredients, your tools, even your mindset. When the tickets start flying in, you won’t have time to think. You’ll just do. And if you’ve done your prep right, you’ll be okay.

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3. You Don’t Know Everything (and That’s Okay)

Even if you’ve cooked at home for years, this is different. You’re going to mess up. You’re going to get corrected. Don’t take it personally. Listen, learn, and keep showing up. That’s how you grow.

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4. Speed Comes Later Focus on Doing It Right First

You’ll feel slow at first. Everyone does. But don’t cut corners to keep up. Do it right even if it takes a little longer. The speed will come. Consistency matters more than racing.

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5. Respect Goes Both Ways

Respect the people around you the head chef, the porter, the dishwasher. Everyone plays a part in keeping things moving. Kitchens work best when there’s mutual respect, no matter your role.

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6. You’ll Screw Up. Own It.

You’ll drop stuff. You’ll burn something. You might even serve it by accident (hopefully not). When it happens, admit it and fix it. Trying to hide mistakes only makes things worse.

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7. Look After Yourself Too

Drink water. Grab a bite when you can. Take five minutes to breathe if you’re overwhelmed. This job is physically and mentally tough don’t run yourself into the ground trying to prove something.

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One Last Thing

Starting out in the kitchen is scary. It’s messy. It’s stressful. But if you stick with it, it becomes something special. You learn to work with your hands, your head, and your heart.

Every great chef started somewhere usually right where you are now.

And just a heads-up in the beginning, when orders start coming in one after another, it might feel like everything’s crashing down on you. That’s totally normal. It can trigger this uncomfortable feeling like you’re not enough like you can’t keep up, or you’re failing somehow.

Here’s the truth: even after years in the kitchen, that feeling never fully disappears. It just gets quieter. You learn to handle it. The chaos, the pressure, the heat it’s always there. But one day, you’ll realize you’re not just in the chaos you’re running the kitchen. You’re the one keeping it all together.

Delays, mistakes, pressure they’re still part of the job. But now, they’re under your control. What once overwhelmed you becomes something you can manage. That shift happens without you even noticing it’s just experience doing its job.

Remember: you only have two hands. Don’t expect to do everything at once. With time and repetition, your speed and confidence will grow. Trust the process, and give yourself some grace.

Ekim Chef.