“You never know what to expect.” Four keys for becoming a better line cook

When James Robinson first interviewed last November for a job at The Clubhouse restaurant in Oak Brook, IL, he had no formal experience on his resume. 

“With no experience, [the head chef] was reluctant to hire me,” Robinson, 38, tells LinkedIn. “But, I guess because I was so passionate about cooking, he said, ‘okay, I’ll give it to you, but it’s either sink or swim.’” 

Now, he’s one of the many culinary pros on LinkedIn who constantly share their best work in short posts. In March, one of those posts went viral.

“Four months ago, I did not even know what risotto was,” Robinson wrote, celebrating his step up from prep cook to line cook. “Extremely proud and excited about a future in culinary arts.”

Today, Robinson works at two different restaurants, The Clubhouse and an adjacent Rock Bottom franchise. In August, he’ll start classes at Joliet Junior College’s culinary arts program. The two jobs and upcoming enrollment in school are part of a plan to achieve what many line cooks hope for: becoming a top chef.

Here are the key lessons he says line cooks learn along the way:

Organization is key

In conversation with LinkedIn, Robinson repeatedly highlights the importance of habits beside sheer culinary talent. One subtlety he highlights? Cleanliness, a factor he says is important as co-workers watch a new line cook grow into a kitchen.   

“Always keep your station as clean as possible,” Robinson says. “Restaurants can get busy and it will seem like hell has broke loose, but always keep in mind you’re getting paid to be there, and if you hang in there eventually you will clock out and go home to your family until the next shift. Cooking skills is one thing. But they are truly watching to see if you are willing to clean your station and other people’s stations, which is optional, but recommended.”

Be prepared for anything

Sometimes, there’s an irony to working the kitchen, Robinson explains. There’ve been times when he’s expected a slow day that turned out to be busy, and vice versa. On Mother’s Day, for example, The Clubhouse expected a big turnout, and welcomed about 8,000 guests. 

On Father’s Day, he was told not to expect much commotion. Still, about 2,000 guests showed up. “That’s still busy,” he says, incredulously. Just when you let your guard down is when you have an unexpectedly busy shift, he further explained.  

“You never know what to expect. So if you go in focused on how to do things, how to do your station properly, before you walk in, or even doing it the night before, you are already in quick-thinking mode.”

Watch, learn and repeat 

One of Robinson’s most recent posts shared an accomplishment: ending a prep cook shift in under six hours. That's a big deal, he says, because the length of prep cooks' shifts is simply determined by how quickly they can finish their work.

“New personal record. Pastas, meats and seafood. Five hours,” Robinson wrote.

When asked what were the keys to him getting better, and faster, he pointed to a simple concept: Watching and learning from others and practicing what they do over and over.

“The Chef knows you are new. You WILL make mistakes,” Robinson said. “Watch the experienced cooks on how they cook. That’s the best way to learn how to cook, by watching the pros do it. Most likely they won’t tell you, but they can’t keep you from watching them.”

Focus on the most important opinion

It’s safe to say most workers, regardless of industry, would prefer a friendly environment at their jobs. That seems especially true for an environment like a restaurant, where both Robinson and other guests of The Hustle have said collaboration is key.

In the absence of the ideal workplace though, Robinson says he’s learned to keep focus on one thing.

“The only opinion that matters is the chef’s,” he says. “There will be jealousy, envy, gossip, other cooks may even take from your station, but as long as you are doing what the chef asks you to do, which is to cook to his standards and clean to meet sanitation requirements, your job is secure. Focus on the job, not making new friends.”

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