A chef warns diners to avoid ordering daily specials at restaurants due to potential freshness and quality concerns.
Dining out can be a delightful experience, with menus offering an intriguing array of dishes to choose from.
However, according to chef Dennis Chan, there is one particular item on the menu that diners should steer clear of, the chef’ special.
Chef reveals one menu item you should avoid ordering at restaurant
Chan, a Florida-based chef with a culinary arts degree from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, has shared his insider knowledge.
He recently took to social media to reveal his tips and insights.
Chan is a skilled chef who runs his own pan-Asian restaurant called Blue Bamboo.
He has learned a lot about how the food industry works.
He states customers should not order chef’s special at restaurant
In a TikTok video, Chan revealed that chefs themselves often avoid ordering certain teams when dining out.
For example, they may skip the steak, as they are confident in their own ability to prepare it.
Seafood is also a no-go, as chefs prefer to know the origin of the seafood to ensure its freshness and quality.
But the one menu item that chefs consistently avoid, according to Chan, is the chef’s special.
The reason behind this, he explains, is that the chef’s special is often a dish that the restaurant is trying to “get rid of.”
“We never order the chef’s special,” Chan stated bluntly.
“We know that the chef’s special is something that the chef has to get rid of.”
This news might surprise many diners. They may think that the chef’s special is a carefully chosen and recommended dish.
The chef’s special, Chan explains, is attempting to remove from the menu, either because it is not selling well or because the ingredients are about to expire.
By offering it as a special, the restaurant hopes to attract interest and use up leftover stock.
Social media reactions
On social media, people shared their thoughts about the chef’s advice.
Some agreed with his warning and said they had similar experiences with specials.
Others were skeptical and felt that specials could still be good if the restaurant was reputable.
Cooper’s Hawk in the Cincinnati area is one of my favorite restaurants.
And I can assure you, the chef’s special is usually the most awesome! One user suggested.
I’ve been in the business for over 30 years and never have I ever seen a chef use aging food to make the special. Ever.
Maybe this is true of diner-type restaurants, but it has never been my experience, the second user commented.
Sometimes the Chef’s Special is the best thing to order because of seasonal bounty or local flavor etc, the third user said.
Basically, just stay home and cook, another wrote.