Isekai Izakaya "Gen" - Vol. 11 Ch. 64 - Onion Gratin Soup

[MangaDex]

 

[EchoGirl]

i like the smell of caramelized onions but i don't think i could enjoy an onion soup versus garlic but given the concept of this shop it'd be ideal for them to be a weekends only kinda thing (tho i'm not sure if they've solved the issue of 'converting' the coins or so for stuff to buy or whatever unless they're also somehow having an izakaya in their 'real world'/Japan as well)

 

[Bladist]

Just propose already.

 

[Tds-PdV]

Could also have told him: “A sickly cook/restaurant owner reflects poorly on the restaurant. So go rest.”

Or

“Customers won’t enjoy eating food cooked/prepared by someone who is clearly unhealthy.”

That way he will be reminded that resting and being healthy is part of the job (cause I’m sure he knows these stuff).

 

[Liar]

I hate the workaholic trope.

 

[JosebaZilarte]

I hate the workaholic trope.

Sadly, it is an important reminder in a system that promotes overwork.

 

[vermillion]

Holy shit, is that actual progress in their relationship???

 

[IvanDFakkov]

Just get married already.

 

[BusWindow]

KISS GODAMNIT!!

 

[eviljackspicer]

I've seen this recipe completely bastardized by the restaurant industry. I had to make it myself to have a taste for myself.

 

[Kisato]

Now kith

 

[brndndss]

what was she trying to imply with "after that..."? boning?

 

[Saury]

French onion soup takes a lot of time and uses a ton of onions (when made properly), but it tastes fantastic!

I've seen this recipe completely bastardized by the restaurant industry. I had to make it myself to have a taste for myself.

Amen to that.

 

[HaikenEdge]

I hate the workaholic trope.

I think it's in the nature of a lot of head chefs to be workaholics. As Anthony Bourdain is attributed for saying,

"Few people have been in the restaurant industry as long as I have and are fit for anything else. Most of us who have been in it for a while are damaged in some way or another."

There's a reason why the Gordon Ramsay screaming asshole chef trope is a thing: head chefs, by their very nature, tend to be control freaks who want things done in very specific ways, and while a good restaurant is typically properly staffed, Gen doesn't seem to be. There's Shotaro, the head chef, and Arielle the prep cook/kitchen helper—she hasn't been shown cooking anything at Gen (I just went back to check the chapters since her introduction and she's only shown cutting and peeling vegetables at Gen, which is very basic prep work and not really enough to take that much pressure off the chefs), unlike Hans at Nobu, who has is definitely being trained as a full on chef, hence being allowed to develop his own dishes—working full time, and then Sohei drops in from time to time, but for a busy restaurant like Gen, that's probably really not enough bodies given the wide variety of dishes served there. Cooks and chefs have to work like they've got 10 more things to do because they typically do; the prepping and cooking is non-stop, and anything the cooks don't get done fall on the head chef, who typically ends up working more than any of the back-of-house staff unless they're a celebrity chef who leaves running the kitchen to the sous chef—in which case the work falls to the sous chef—because the buck stops with them. This is especially true for a diligent, non-confrontational head chef like Shotaro, who seems to be the type to take on more work than to foist it off on to others. Given how busy they seem to be, Gen needs Sohei to work full-time, and then they still need to get an actual line cook to even out the workload of making everything from scratch, but I think the nature of it being an isekai restaurant makes that task difficult.

Here's a personal anecdote about the nature of how overworked head chefs can be: one of the head chefs I worked under had a cardiac episode in the middle of a dinner rush because he worked too much, drank too much and didn't eat or sleep enough, which is pretty typical of head chefs (the bad life habits, not the cardiac episode). He was back working the very next day, because the restaurant couldn't really afford for him to take a day off. Restaurant work is nonstop, even at restaurants that close at least day a week—even those restaurants have to do prep and inventory and other things during the days when they don't have service—and Gen seems to be a restaurant that's open 7 days a week. In fact, that's probably why Sohei had shuttered Gen in the first place, because he himself was overworked; it may even have contributed to his distant relationship with his wife—who he clearly loves and clearly loves him back—because working at a restaurant can be pretty all-consuming, especially when you're in a position of responsibility.

 

[CountryMage]

i like the smell of caramelized onions but i don't think i could enjoy an onion soup versus garlic but given the concept of this shop it'd be ideal for them to be a weekends only kinda thing (tho i'm not sure if they've solved the issue of 'converting' the coins or so for stuff to buy or whatever unless they're also somehow having an izakaya in their 'real world'/Japan as well)

The foxes run a pawn shop, and there are supernatural tricks involved in making sure that they only sell otherworldly currency there.

 

[KDChronos]

 

[fight2live]

awww so sweet

 

[Wolvenworks]

All the “overworked Japanese” trope reminds me: aren’t the Americans just as bad? I heard that most of them don’t take leaves even if they could.

 

[Wizardrone]

I hate the workaholic trope.

Japanese so no surprises here!

 

[EchoGirl]

I hate the workaholic trope.

Usually the isekai trope (tho i guess this is a bit diff from the average isekai) is the overworked office user trying to get away from it lol (although i'd think being an adventurer and hunting monsters would be even 'worse' than some naggy boss versus the other slice of life stuff where they also cook as a hobby/bring some of their cuisine to it)

All the “overworked Japanese” trope reminds me: aren’t the Americans just as bad? I heard that most of them don’t take leaves even if they could.

I mean other than sleeping in or living in a relatively 'nice' place, even if you can take a week off work, doesn't mean that there's necessarily enough 'vacation' money to travel or so versus just like maybe a local beach, pollution aside. Or like you "Have" to take a week off in some periods of the work year as opposed to 'saving it' so you can like, not go to work for 2 months straight but i imagine not many ppl have jobs that flexible or give you that much freedom (or the job says that they'll let you take some time off but it's very strict or so, esp ppl using up 'sick/vacation days' to like see a doctor or so with more serious issues)

Even tho it'd be ideal to like have a full month or two off if you wanted to visit another country (even around christmas you'd get like maybe 2 and a half weeks depending on where you work though going to the airport then sounds like a nightmare lol) versus waiting to retire