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Before the S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2011 list was released, you could probably still call in for a reservation in Noma, but this is definitely not the case right now especially after the restaurant and its head chef once again landed the top spot of the list.  You will likely be competing with thousands of individuals seeking a reservation in the world’s top restaurant.

After nine years, the S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list has become the Oscars of the culinary world.  Aside from a Michelin star, this is one of the most sought after award of restaurateurs and chefs as well.  Even coming in the 50^th or even the 80^th has its benefits.  Business after the awards is crazy for restaurants that made it to the list.  Restaurateurs would find their restaurants packed with tourists from all over the country and often outside the country as well.

Of course, there are some people who believe that a spot in the list can be obtained by getting the right people to visit your restaurant.  Jonathan Gushue of Langdon Hall believes that he wasn’t able to do just this – and thus, his restaurant was bumped off the list.  He admits, however, that he his work cut out for him if he wants to get his restaurant back on the list.  Langdon Hall is located in Cambridge, Ontario.  It made the list last year, but it was bumped off the list this year.  Unfortunately, no Canadian restaurant made it to the list this year.

Of course, it is not just Canada that didn’t make the list.  There is a noticeable absence of Indian restaurants as well.  One can only conclude that it is Europe’s year.  It is the year for modernist cuisine.  Of course, Wasabi made it to the list.  It is located in India but it does not offer Indian cuisine.  Of course, Wasabi deserves its spot, but still why aren’t there any Indian restaurant that made it to the list?

Despite the seemingly huge importance of the list to restaurateurs, there are a lot of people who do not give much credit to the list.  A comment poster in Eater.com made a significant observation, “Let me get this straight — Momofuku Ssam Bar [No. 40] is better than all of the restaurants in Asia.”  If you think about it that poster definitely has a point.  Still, despite the many doubting Thomases in the culinary world, S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list remains to be one of – if not – the biggest events in the culinary world.  This is probably the only event where the best chefs in the world eagerly gather.

Noma won the ultimate distinction of being the world’s best restaurant for the second time in a row.  This two Michelin starred restaurant in Copenhagen is known for the chef’s unique – and even exotic – interpretation of Nordic food and cooking.  This honor is another nod to the continued excitement Noma’s food has created.

Checking out the top 10, one can conclude that Modernist Cuisine has dominated the list.  Apparently, France has nothing on molecular gastronomy.  It is not surprising why Spain has three restaurants that made it to the list while France only has one.  El Bulli, the restaurant that won the 1^st spot three times in a row before Noma grabbed the spot last year, took itself out of the running.  Unfortunately, El Bulli is closing down its doors to the public later this year.  If Modernist Cuisine dominated on the top, it is refreshing that Etxebarri made it to the 50^th spot.  If Modernist Cuisine is all about molecular gastronomy through high-end technology, this restaurant is all about going down the basics – starting with choosing just the right wood for the grill.  Of course, it is doubtful if it would have made the top 50 list if El Bulli was still in the running for a spot in the higher end of the list.

The same names of restaurants made it to the top 15.  This year, however, three new restaurants made it to the top 15.  It is not only Canada that is probably dismayed with the result.  Only 6 U.S. restaurants made it to the top 50 list this year when it used to have 8 restaurants in the list last year; although there are actually 15 restaurants that made it to the top 100 list.  France has 13 and United Kingdom has 10.  Looking at the list, however, one can only conclude that Europe dominated the list.

The S. Pellegrino list is one of the most influential culinary ranking systems.  Once a restaurant makes it to the list, it can expect its customers to grow in unimaginable number.  It can draw customers from across the globe.  It doesn’t matter if you fall in the 2^nd spot or the 83^rd spot.  This year, Tokyo’s Nihonryori RyuGin made the biggest jump from the 48^th spot last year to the 20^th spot this year.  In truth, the movement was quite wild.  Restaurant de l’Hotel de Ville of Switzerland fell from the 14^th spot to the 47^th spot this year.  It is not surprising why many people believe that the ranking is highly subjective.  Some people would say that if the judges were not able to visit your restaurant, it is highly doubtful if you would make it to the list.  Is it right to say then that marketing and restaurant packaging may play a role on the ranking system?  Still, we’d like to believe that this system is honourable and honest.  After all, it’s the Oscars of the culinary world!

Here is the list of restaurants that made it to S. Pellegrino World’s 100 Best Restaurants:

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The word “cuisine” is a commonly used word.  If you love food and cooking, you probably know what the word means and you can probably describe the different cuisines around the globe.  We have been featuring the different world cuisines.  Our last two recent posts on this topic covered the different regional cuisines of India.

But what is cuisine?  Wikipedia.com defines this as “a specific set of cooking traditions and practices, often associated with a specific culture.  It is often named after the region or place where its underlying culture is present.”  Since it is specific to a certain region, the ingredients used are those available locally and the religion can be a huge influence in the cuisines as well.

Although every country offers culinary treats unique only to its own, we can say that there are certain similarities to the influences, texture, ingredients and tastes of these different cuisines of the world depending on their geographic location.

For instance, there are many countries in Africa and each of these countries has their own respective culinary specialties.  In general, however, African cuisine highly reflects that of local traditions, but it cannot be denied that their cuisine is already influenced by European and Asian cooking.  Africa, however, is a huge continent.

Not surprisingly, the cuisine of every country offers its own unique ingredients as well as its own unique method of cooking.  There are many kinds of African cuisines among which include South African cuisine, East African cuisine, Egyptian cuisine and Moroccan cuisine.

Asia is another huge continent and Asian cuisines have a lot to offer.  Every country has something unique to offer.  The style, taste, technique, ingredients and food preparation vary from one country to another.  These things root down to the culture and people themselves/

Basically, however, the cuisines can be roughly classified into four – East Asian cuisine, Southeast Asian cuisine, Central Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine.  East Asian cuisine, for instance, include cuisines of China, Korea and Japan.  Although the cuisines of these countries are unique on their own, it cannot be denied that there are certain similarities in ingredients, cooking preparation and cooking style.  The same thing can be said for Central, Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines.

In truth, the same thing can be said of European cuisine which includes cuisines of European countries and Russia.  Of course, these cuisines are also referred to sometimes as Western cuisine, loose term which basically includes not only European cuisine but also North American and South American cuisines.  The term “Western cuisine” is a use as opposed to the term “Asian cuisine”.

European cuisines are varied as well, but there are some similarities in their ingredients, food preparation or cooking style.  European cuisines include Northern European cuisine, Western European, Eastern European and Southern European cuisine.  On the other hand, we also have the Mediterranean cuisine which includes Greek, Turkish, Italian, Sicilian, Portuguese and Spanish cuisines.

Spanish cuisine is actually one of the most influential cuisines in the world.  It can be found in various countries regardless of geography, culture and climate.  This particular cuisine has influenced a lot of culture and many of Spanish recipes have been embraced by many countries as part of their own respective cuisines.  Basically, one Spanish recipe can have numerous versions.  Not surprisingly, there are variations of Spanish recipes and there are literally thousands of Spanish recipes these days.

Australian cuisine includes the cuisine of Palau, Samoa, Tonga, New Zealand, Mariana and mainland Australia.  Similar to Asian and European cuisine, Australian cuisines are similar in food preparation, ingredients and cooking technique.  However, each of these cuisines has something unique to offer, a taste unique to the locality.

The same thing can be said of the cuisines of the New World or the American cuisine.  This is highly influenced by the cuisines of the countries from where the immigrants who now reside in America came from.  European cuisine is a huge influence and has been adopted largely or to a lesser degree.  Spaghetti and meatballs, for instance, is a staple dinner of any average American family.  Accordingly, ingredients and cooking techniques have also been adopted by American chefs and cooks.  Ironically, some of the world’s best chefs preparing French, Italian or Spanish food are actually Americans.

Cuisines of America include that of Canada, United States, South America and Latin America.  The United States cuisine dates back to the colonial period.  Native Americans had already their own style and method of cooking, but the country’s cuisine changed with the introduction of European cooking styles and techniques.  Latin America cuisine embraces influences from all across the globe.  History and colonization play a huge role in the changes and development of Latin American cuisine.  This cuisine includes that of Costa Rica, Guatemala, Hondura and Panama.

Caribbean cuisine offers a fusion of various cuisines which include British, Spanish, African, Indian, America, French and Dutch.  This is the result of the colonization of the Caribbean islands by people from all over the globe.  Caribbean cuisine is the result of this fusion and it offers styles that are now unique only to the region.  A favorite ingredient of Caribbean cuisine is seafood which is not surprising considering its geographic location.  This cuisine includes that of Dominican Republic, Curacao, Antigua, Haiti and Puerto Rico.

These are just a few of what we have covered.  We have also written articles Jewish cuisine, fusion cuisine, vegetarian cuisine amongst others.  But if we are asked what the best cuisine in the world is?  We wouldn’t say European, Australian or Asian.  No, we cannot say that because we believe that the best food in the world is food shared with family and friends.  It truly doesn’t matter what cuisine it is.

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For chefs who have the passion for whipping up delectable dishes and, at the same time, the love for traveling to exotic and faraway places, then being a cruise ship chef is the perfect job for you.  Not only will this give you the opportunity to showcase your cooking talents, but this will also give you the wonderful opportunity to explore new places during your days off.  Furthermore, this can also be a big step for you to gain more experience working in a professional kitchen or, in the case of ships, galley.

What You Need to be a Cruise Ship Chef?

Of course, passion for cooking and love for traveling are not enough to make you a cruise ship chef.  In fact, like regular chefs who are working in land-based professional kitchens, you also need to have the talent and the experience of working with food.  This includes preparing and planning the menus and dishes, purchasing and organizing the food products and ingredients, inventorying of the stocks, and, of course, preparing and cooking the dishes, etc.

Many cruise ships tend to hire chefs who have undergone formal culinary training.  They prefer chefs who hold degrees and have proper qualifications, and they also take a look at the work experience of the chef before hiring him or her as a member of the galley.

However, if you do not have any formal training or work experience, for that matter, you can still work in a cruise ship’s galley.  You can apply for a kitchen staff post and work your way up the ladder.  You will start with washing dishes as well as cleaning duties first before you start helping with food preparation duties such as peeling fruits and vegetables or cutting food products.  This, however, differs from one cruise ship to another.

Difference Between a Land-Based Chef and a Cruise Ship Chef

In terms of the working environment, there is not much difference between working in a land-based restaurant kitchen and the cruise ship’s galley.  The hustle and bustle of the kitchen atmosphere is relatively the same, so you can expect to be very busy during its peak hours.  Aside from this, the areas of the galley are also divided into two, the hot and the cold galleys.  The hot galley is where you cook the food such as grilling and frying, and the cold galley is where you usually bake pastries and desserts.

The big difference between the two though is the period of time you will have to spend away from your loved ones.  You cannot just take the weekend off and drive home to be with your family, but you have to endure long months away from home.  These long periods of time away from your family can be very tough and lonely, so you really have to work hard at keeping loneliness at bay whenever you are aboard the cruise ship.

Perks of Working as a Cruise Ship Chef

Lonely it may be at times aboard the ship, but there are also a number of perks that you can enjoy as a cruise ship chef.

For one, you do have a day off.  You can spend it aboard the cruise ship and enjoy the variety of facilities that the ship has such as the gym and the pool, or you can spend your day off on land excursions at whatever port the cruise ship happened to be at, depending upon the cruise ship itinerary.

Two, there is, of course, the valuable working experience that you are sure to gain during your time as a cruise ship chef.  If you started out as a crew messman, which requires no experience, you just might be promoted to crew cook assistant.  From crew cook assistant, then there is the possibility of being promoted to cook trainee.  From cook trainee, you may be promoted to commis three or third cook, and from the third cook to second cook then to first cook then to demi chef de partie.  From demi chef de partie, you just might be promoted to chef de partie then to sous chef then to executive sous chef.  Who knows, you just might end up as the executive chef or the chef de cuisine someday.

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As a chef, it can be so difficult to stay positive at times, especially if you are very busy.  Not only do you have to deal with the hustle and bustle of the restaurant kitchen, but you also have to deal with the kitchen staff.  Aside from this, you also have to work behind the stoves, and the heat emanating from them can really put a damper on your already frayed nerves.  However, as a busy chef, you know that a bad mood can affect the dishes you cook, so you really have to work hard to stay positive.

Keep Busy to Stay Positive

It may be a bit confusing when people tell you that the best way to stay positive at all times is to keep busy.  After all, you are already very busy and the last thing that you need is to be even busier.  However, there is some truth to this though.

The things that will keep you busy outside of your regular chef duties are the things that will help you stay positive.  These are also the things that will give you something to look forward to at the end of your very busy schedule.  So if you are into some form of sports, then go ahead and enjoy it.  If you plan to spend some time with family and friends, then do so.  Anything that will distract you from your current worries, do them.  A break from the usual hustle and bustle of the restaurant kitchen will free and relax your mind and body, and it will also give you extra strength to face the coming week.

Do not mope around in your home, especially if you live alone, as this will only give you more time to worry about the coming week and stress you all the more.

A Different View to Stay Positive

Literally and figuratively, a different view can help you stay positive.

A very busy week can really stress you out, and if you carry that stress come your day off from work, you can expect to carry the stress when you show up for work on your next shift.  For this reason, a change of scenery will do you a lot of good.  You can take a small trip out of town with your loved one and stay at a small hotel somewhere.  You can spend the day enjoying the time with your loved one, getting to know the town, and eating at their favorite dining hotspots.  Not only will this be a good way to relieve stress, but this will also give you an inspiration for your new dishes.  This is the literal interpretation of “a different view to stay positive.”

As for the figurative interpretation, it may be very hard to do but changing the way you look at things is a big step to staying positive at all times.  Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of your profession as a chef, why not take the negative things and turn them into positive?  You can take each negative situation as something of a challenge, a stepping stone to becoming a better and more professional you perhaps.  After all, there are some worst things that can happen than what you are going through right now, and if you cannot even face your current worries and stresses, then how can you face the succeeding challenges?  For this reason, take the negative situations as challenges that will only strengthen and prepare you for bigger and far more difficult challenges.

In the same vein, you also have to change the way you look at people.  Some people may irritate you from time to time, but this does not mean that they are completely unlikable.  After all, you also have habits that irk people around you, but they do not hate you for it.  For this reason, put yourself in other people’s shoes and you just might start appreciating what you have and just might start looking at things in a more positive way.

Always Smile to Stay Positive

Nothing attracts a positive atmosphere than a positive attitude.  For this reason, smile.  When you walk through that door, give each person you meet a smile, and they will smile back at you.  A smile is very contagious, and if you always smile, people will smile with you.  In time, it will lessen the stress of the kitchen environment and make the day more bearable not only for yourself but for other kitchen staff as well.

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