What do Restaurant Chefs Do?
Chefs are like the main cooks in a restaurant. They decide what yummy foods to make, like spaghetti or pancakes, and they make sure the food tastes good and is safe to eat. Think of them as kitchen superheroes who know how to mix, stir, and cook just right.
They also lead a team, a bit like a captain in a game. The chef tells helpers what to chop, what to stir, and when to put things in the oven. In the end, the chef makes the plate look nice and sends it out so people can enjoy a tasty meal.
Kitchen English
10 Realistic Dialogues for Restaurant Kitchen Professionals
For Adult English Learners Working in American Restaurant Kitchens
Each dialogue in this learning resource reflects a real situation you may encounter while working in an American restaurant kitchen. The conversations use authentic kitchen language, including common commands, safety phrases, and professional vocabulary.
How to practice:
1. Read the context before the dialogue to understand the situation.
2. Read the full dialogue once silently.
3. Practice reading it aloud with a partner — each person takes one role.
4. Study the vocabulary list at the end of each dialogue.
5. Try to use the new words in your own sentences.
Dialogue 1: Starting Your Shift
| Situation: A new cook arrives and checks in with the head chef. |
Dialogue
Head Chef (Marco): Good morning! You’re five minutes early — I like that. Did you review today’s menu?
Cook (Ana): Yes, Chef. We have the salmon special and the new pasta dish, right?
Head Chef (Marco): Correct. Your station is the grill today. Make sure it’s preheated by 10:30. Any questions about the prep list?
Cook (Ana): One question — how many portions of the salmon should I portion out before service?
Head Chef (Marco): Portion 30 to start. If we sell out before 7 p.m., let me know and I’ll pull more from the walk-in.
Cook (Ana): Understood, Chef. I’ll get started right away.
Key Vocabulary
| portion (v.) – to divide food into serving sizes |
| prep list – a written list of tasks to complete before service |
| walk-in – a large refrigerator you can walk inside |
| station – your assigned cooking area in the kitchen |
Practice Activity
Practice this dialogue with a partner. Then switch roles and try again without reading.
Dialogue 2: During Service — Getting Slammed
| Situation: The kitchen is very busy during dinner service. |
Dialogue
Expeditor (James): Order up! Table 7 — two steaks, one medium rare, one well done, and a chicken!
Cook (Luis): Heard! Steaks are on the grill. How long on that chicken, Chef?
Head Chef (Marco): Eight minutes. Luis, fire the chicken now so everything goes out together.
Cook (Luis): Firing the chicken! James, I need a heads-up when table 7 is ready for their entrées.
Expeditor (James): Table 7 is still on appetizers. You have about four minutes.
Cook (Luis): Copy that. Steaks are resting. I’ll plate at the two-minute mark.
Key Vocabulary
| fire (v.) – to start cooking an item right now |
| heard – a response meaning ‘I understood your order’ |
| expeditor – the person who calls out orders and organizes plates |
| entrée – the main course of a meal |
| resting – letting meat sit after cooking so it stays juicy |
Practice Activity
With a partner, change two lines of the dialogue using your own words. Practice your new version.
Dialogue 3: Communicating Temperatures
| Situation: A server relays a guest’s steak temperature preference. |
Dialogue
Server (Kim): Excuse me, Chef — table 4 sent back the steak. They said it’s too rare.
Head Chef (Marco): What temperature did they order?
Server (Kim): Medium. But this looks more like medium rare.
Head Chef (Marco): Luis, re-fire table 4’s steak to medium. Give it about two more minutes on the grill.
Cook (Luis): Yes, Chef. Should I start a fresh steak or finish this one?
Head Chef (Marco): Finish this one — it hasn’t been touched. Re-fire it and make it right. Apologize to the table.
Key Vocabulary
| sent back – when a guest returns food because it’s not correct |
| re-fire – to cook an item again or finish cooking it |
| medium rare / medium / well done – levels of how cooked a steak is |
| make it right – to correct a mistake and satisfy the guest |
Practice Activity
Can you think of a time when you sent back food or had a complaint at work? Share with your partner.
Dialogue 4: Food Safety and Hygiene
| Situation: A supervisor reminds the team about proper food handling. |
Dialogue
Supervisor (Dana): Stop — before you put that chicken on the cutting board, what do you need to do?
Cook (Miguel): Um… use a separate cutting board for raw poultry?
Supervisor (Dana): Exactly. And what color is the board for poultry in this kitchen?
Cook (Miguel): Yellow. Sorry, I forgot. I’ll switch it now.
Supervisor (Dana): It’s okay, but this is important. Cross-contamination can make guests very sick. Always label containers too — date and contents.
Cook (Miguel): Yes, I understand. I’ll label everything before I put it in the walk-in.
Key Vocabulary
| cross-contamination – when harmful bacteria spread from one food to another |
| raw poultry – uncooked chicken, turkey, or duck |
| label (v.) – to write the date and food name on a container |
| food safety – rules that prevent food from making people sick |
Practice Activity
Write three food safety rules from your own kitchen. Compare with a classmate.
Dialogue 5: Asking for Help with a Technique
| Situation: A cook asks the sous chef for help with a cooking method. |
Dialogue
Cook (Fatima): Chef, I’m not sure I’m deglazing the pan correctly. Can you show me?
Sous Chef (Rachel): Of course. First, make sure there’s some fat left in the pan and it’s hot. What liquid are you using?
Cook (Fatima): White wine, like the recipe says.
Sous Chef (Rachel): Perfect. Pour it in carefully — it will steam a lot. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom. Those are called fond, and they add incredible flavor.
Cook (Fatima): Oh, I see. So I shouldn’t throw those away?
Sous Chef (Rachel): Never! Fond is flavor. Let the wine reduce by half, then add your stock. You’ll have a beautiful sauce.
Key Vocabulary
| deglaze – to add liquid to a hot pan to loosen cooked bits |
| fond – the browned bits stuck to the bottom of a pan after cooking |
| reduce – to cook a liquid until it thickens and the volume decreases |
| sous chef – the second-in-command chef in a kitchen |
Practice Activity
Choose one cooking technique from the dialogue. Describe how you do it in your kitchen.
Dialogue 6: Receiving a Delivery
| Situation: A cook receives a food delivery and checks the items. |
Dialogue
Delivery Driver: Morning. I have a delivery for Chef Marco — produce and proteins.
Cook (Ana): I’ll sign for it. Let me check the invoice first.
Delivery Driver: Sure. It’s all on this sheet.
Cook (Ana): I count 20 pounds of chicken breast but the invoice says 25. And these tomatoes — some look overripe.
Delivery Driver: I can note the short count on chicken. The tomatoes — want me to take them back?
Cook (Ana): Yes, please. We can’t use overripe produce for our dishes. I’ll let the chef know and we’ll adjust the order.
Key Vocabulary
| invoice – a document listing items delivered and their cost |
| short count – when you receive less than the amount ordered |
| overripe – too soft or old; past the best time to use |
| proteins – meats, poultry, and seafood in kitchen vocabulary |
Practice Activity
Role-play receiving a delivery at your own restaurant. What would you check first?
Dialogue 7: Handling a Dietary Restriction
| Situation: A server informs the kitchen about a guest’s allergy. |
Dialogue
Server (Tom): Allergy alert — table 9 has a severe nut allergy. The guest ordered the pasta primavera.
Head Chef (Marco): Does our pasta primavera have nuts in it?
Cook (Luis): The pesto has pine nuts. Should I make it without?
Head Chef (Marco): Yes — make a clean batch of pesto without pine nuts. Use a sanitized pan and clean utensils. No cross-contact.
Cook (Luis): Understood. I’ll also make sure my hands are clean and I’ll plate it separately.
Head Chef (Marco): Good. Tom, let the guest know we’re accommodating their allergy and it will take an extra five minutes.
Key Vocabulary
| allergy alert – an urgent notice that a guest has a food allergy |
| cross-contact – when an allergen (like nuts) touches food that shouldn’t have it |
| accommodate – to adjust or change something to meet someone’s needs |
| sanitized – cleaned with a special solution to kill bacteria |
Practice Activity
Has a guest ever had a food allergy at your workplace? What happened? Share with the class.
Dialogue 8: Closing the Kitchen
| Situation: The team closes and cleans the kitchen at the end of the night. |
Dialogue
Head Chef (Marco): Great service tonight, everyone. Let’s start breakdown. Luis, you’re on grill and fryer. Ana, handle the cold station.
Cook (Luis): Chef, should I drain the fryer oil tonight or is it still good?
Head Chef (Marco): Check the color — if it’s dark brown, drain it. If it’s still clear yellow, filter it and it’s good for one more service.
Cook (Ana): What do I do with the leftover mise en place from the cold station?
Head Chef (Marco): Label everything, wrap it tightly, and put it in the walk-in. Anything that’s been out more than four hours — discard it.
Cook (Luis): The oil looks good. I’ll filter it. Everything else should be done in about 20 minutes.
Key Vocabulary
| breakdown – the process of cleaning and shutting down kitchen stations |
| mise en place – French term meaning ‘everything in its place’; ingredients prepared and ready |
| filter (v.) – to clean oil by removing food particles |
| discard – to throw away food that is no longer safe to use |
Practice Activity
Make a breakdown checklist for your station. What are the five most important steps?
Dialogue 9: Training a New Employee
| Situation: A cook teaches a new hire how to work the line. |
Dialogue
Cook (Carlos): Welcome! I’ll show you how we work the sauté station. First rule — always announce when you’re moving behind someone. Say ‘behind’ so nobody gets bumped.
New Hire (Sophie): Got it. Is there anything else I should call out?
Cook (Carlos): Yes — say ‘hot’ when you’re carrying a hot pan, and ‘sharp’ when you’re holding a knife while walking.
New Hire (Sophie): That makes sense. What about when an order comes in — how do I respond?
Cook (Carlos): Always say ‘heard’ or ‘yes, Chef.’ Never stay quiet — silence in the kitchen means no one knows if you got the message.
New Hire (Sophie): Heard! I think I’m ready to try. Can I watch you do the first ticket?
Key Vocabulary
| sauté station – the part of the kitchen where food is cooked quickly in a hot pan |
| the line – the row of cooking stations in a professional kitchen |
| ticket – a printed or digital order from a table |
| call out – to say something loudly so everyone can hear |
Practice Activity
Teach your partner three kitchen safety phrases from this dialogue. Quiz each other.
Dialogue 10: Solving a Problem During Service
| Situation: The kitchen runs out of an ingredient and must adapt quickly. |
Dialogue
Cook (Miguel): Chef! We’re 86 on the risotto — I just used the last of the arborio rice.
Head Chef (Marco): How many tickets do we still have for risotto?
Cook (Miguel): Two more on the board.
Head Chef (Marco): Can you substitute with the farro we have in dry storage?
Cook (Miguel): I can, but the cooking time is longer — about 30 minutes.
Head Chef (Marco): Then 86 the risotto on the floor. Tell the servers now. Offer those two tables the butternut squash pasta as an alternative. Let’s not keep guests waiting.
Key Vocabulary
| 86 (v.) – to stop selling an item because you’ve run out of it |
| on the board – orders currently being prepared in the kitchen |
| dry storage – a pantry area where non-perishable ingredients are kept |
| substitute – to use a different ingredient in place of the original one |
Practice Activity
Has your kitchen ever run out of something during service? What did you do? Share the story.