During service
Follow the chef's calls: peel, chop, fry, plate up — fast.
Key words
Read these before you listen: you will hear most of them.
il serviziothe service (lunch or dinner)
Durante il servizio non si parla al telefono.
Masculine. In a restaurant il servizio is the stretch of time when guests are eating; prima del servizio is when you prep. On a bill, servizio is a service charge.
la comandathe order ticket
Porta subito la comanda in cucina.
Feminine. The slip, paper or digital, that carries a table's order to the kitchen. Kitchen and floor say it a hundred times a night.
scongelareto defrost / to thaw
Il pesce si scongela in frigo, non sul piano di lavoro.
Regular -are verb; the opposite is congelare, to freeze. Once thawed, food should not go back in the freezer.
sbucciareto peel
Sbuccia le patate e mettile in acqua fredda.
Regular -are verb, from la buccia, the peel or skin. Il pelapatate is the peeler.
tagliareto cut / to chop
Taglia le cipolle a fettine sottili.
Regular -are verb. Tagliare a cubetti is to dice, a fettine to slice, a pezzi to chop into pieces. Cutting yourself is tagliarsi.
la friggitricethe deep fryer
L'olio della friggitrice si cambia ogni due giorni.
Feminine, plural le friggitrici, from friggere, to fry (fritto, fried). An air fryer is una friggitrice ad aria.
impiattareto plate up
Impiatta il risotto e aggiungi il prezzemolo sopra.
Regular -are verb, from piatto. Kitchen jargon you will hear from every chef, rarely at home.
sbrigarsito hurry up
Sbrigati, il tavolo nove aspetta!
Reflexive: mi sbrigo, sbrigati!, sbrighiamoci! Less rude than it sounds in a busy kitchen; dai, veloce! means the same.
Listen: Durante il servizio
Friday night service: the chef calls out the orders and the kitchen assistant keeps up. 5 questions; finishing them completes this step.
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