{"id":14,"date":"2026-02-23T04:34:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T04:34:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/esl.institute\/restaurant\/?page_id=14"},"modified":"2026-02-23T04:34:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T04:34:14","slug":"chefs","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/esl.institute\/restaurant\/chefs\/","title":{"rendered":"Chefs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What do Restaurant Chefs Do?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kitchen English<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

10 Realistic Dialogues for Restaurant Kitchen Professionals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For Adult English Learners Working in American Restaurant Kitchens<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to practice:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Read the context before the dialogue to understand the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Read the full dialogue once silently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Practice reading it aloud with a partner \u2014 each person takes one role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Study the vocabulary list at the end of each dialogue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Try to use the new words in your own sentences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dialogue 1: Starting Your Shift<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Situation: <\/strong>A new cook arrives and checks in with the head chef.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dialogue<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head Chef (Marco): <\/strong>Good morning! You\u2019re five minutes early \u2014 I like that. Did you review today\u2019s menu?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Ana): <\/strong>Yes, Chef. We have the salmon special and the new pasta dish, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head Chef (Marco): <\/strong>Correct. Your station is the grill today. Make sure it\u2019s preheated by 10:30. Any questions about the prep list?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Ana): <\/strong>One question \u2014 how many portions of the salmon should I portion out before service?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head Chef (Marco): <\/strong>Portion 30 to start. If we sell out before 7 p.m., let me know and I\u2019ll pull more from the walk-in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Ana): <\/strong>Understood, Chef. I\u2019ll get started right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Vocabulary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

portion (v.) \u2013 <\/strong>to divide food into serving sizes<\/td><\/tr>
prep list \u2013 <\/strong>a written list of tasks to complete before service<\/td><\/tr>
walk-in \u2013 <\/strong>a large refrigerator you can walk inside<\/td><\/tr>
station \u2013 <\/strong>your assigned cooking area in the kitchen<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Practice Activity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Practice this dialogue with a partner. Then switch roles and try again without reading.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dialogue 2: During Service \u2014 Getting Slammed<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Situation: <\/strong>The kitchen is very busy during dinner service.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dialogue<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expeditor (James): <\/strong>Order up! Table 7 \u2014 two steaks, one medium rare, one well done, and a chicken!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Luis): <\/strong>Heard! Steaks are on the grill. How long on that chicken, Chef?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head Chef (Marco): <\/strong>Eight minutes. Luis, fire the chicken now so everything goes out together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Luis): <\/strong>Firing the chicken! James, I need a heads-up when table 7 is ready for their entr\u00e9es.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expeditor (James): <\/strong>Table 7 is still on appetizers. You have about four minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Luis): <\/strong>Copy that. Steaks are resting. I\u2019ll plate at the two-minute mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Vocabulary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

fire (v.) \u2013 <\/strong>to start cooking an item right now<\/td><\/tr>
heard \u2013 <\/strong>a response meaning \u2018I understood your order\u2019<\/td><\/tr>
expeditor \u2013 <\/strong>the person who calls out orders and organizes plates<\/td><\/tr>
entr\u00e9e \u2013 <\/strong>the main course of a meal<\/td><\/tr>
resting \u2013 <\/strong>letting meat sit after cooking so it stays juicy<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Practice Activity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a partner, change two lines of the dialogue using your own words. Practice your new version.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dialogue 3: Communicating Temperatures<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Situation: <\/strong>A server relays a guest\u2019s steak temperature preference.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dialogue<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Server (Kim): <\/strong>Excuse me, Chef \u2014 table 4 sent back the steak. They said it\u2019s too rare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head Chef (Marco): <\/strong>What temperature did they order?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Server (Kim): <\/strong>Medium. But this looks more like medium rare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head Chef (Marco): <\/strong>Luis, re-fire table 4\u2019s steak to medium. Give it about two more minutes on the grill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Luis): <\/strong>Yes, Chef. Should I start a fresh steak or finish this one?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head Chef (Marco): <\/strong>Finish this one \u2014 it hasn\u2019t been touched. Re-fire it and make it right. Apologize to the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Vocabulary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

sent back \u2013 <\/strong>when a guest returns food because it\u2019s not correct<\/td><\/tr>
re-fire \u2013 <\/strong>to cook an item again or finish cooking it<\/td><\/tr>
medium rare \/ medium \/ well done \u2013 <\/strong>levels of how cooked a steak is<\/td><\/tr>
make it right \u2013 <\/strong>to correct a mistake and satisfy the guest<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Practice Activity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can you think of a time when you sent back food or had a complaint at work? Share with your partner.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dialogue 4: Food Safety and Hygiene<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Situation: <\/strong>A supervisor reminds the team about proper food handling.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dialogue<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supervisor (Dana): <\/strong>Stop \u2014 before you put that chicken on the cutting board, what do you need to do?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Miguel): <\/strong>Um\u2026 use a separate cutting board for raw poultry?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supervisor (Dana): <\/strong>Exactly. And what color is the board for poultry in this kitchen?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Miguel): <\/strong>Yellow. Sorry, I forgot. I\u2019ll switch it now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supervisor (Dana): <\/strong>It\u2019s okay, but this is important. Cross-contamination can make guests very sick. Always label containers too \u2014 date and contents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Miguel): <\/strong>Yes, I understand. I\u2019ll label everything before I put it in the walk-in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Vocabulary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

cross-contamination \u2013 <\/strong>when harmful bacteria spread from one food to another<\/td><\/tr>
raw poultry \u2013 <\/strong>uncooked chicken, turkey, or duck<\/td><\/tr>
label (v.) \u2013 <\/strong>to write the date and food name on a container<\/td><\/tr>
food safety \u2013 <\/strong>rules that prevent food from making people sick<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Practice Activity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Write three food safety rules from your own kitchen. Compare with a classmate.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dialogue 5: Asking for Help with a Technique<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Situation: <\/strong>A cook asks the sous chef for help with a cooking method.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dialogue<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Fatima): <\/strong>Chef, I\u2019m not sure I\u2019m deglazing the pan correctly. Can you show me?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sous Chef (Rachel): <\/strong>Of course. First, make sure there\u2019s some fat left in the pan and it\u2019s hot. What liquid are you using?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Fatima): <\/strong>White wine, like the recipe says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sous Chef (Rachel): <\/strong>Perfect. Pour it in carefully \u2014 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Fatima): <\/strong>Oh, I see. So I shouldn\u2019t throw those away?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sous Chef (Rachel): <\/strong>Never! Fond is flavor. Let the wine reduce by half, then add your stock. You\u2019ll have a beautiful sauce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Vocabulary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

deglaze \u2013 <\/strong>to add liquid to a hot pan to loosen cooked bits<\/td><\/tr>
fond \u2013 <\/strong>the browned bits stuck to the bottom of a pan after cooking<\/td><\/tr>
reduce \u2013 <\/strong>to cook a liquid until it thickens and the volume decreases<\/td><\/tr>
sous chef \u2013 <\/strong>the second-in-command chef in a kitchen<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Practice Activity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choose one cooking technique from the dialogue. Describe how you do it in your kitchen.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dialogue 6: Receiving a Delivery<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Situation: <\/strong>A cook receives a food delivery and checks the items.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dialogue<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delivery Driver: <\/strong>Morning. I have a delivery for Chef Marco \u2014 produce and proteins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Ana): <\/strong>I\u2019ll sign for it. Let me check the invoice first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delivery Driver: <\/strong>Sure. It\u2019s all on this sheet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Ana): <\/strong>I count 20 pounds of chicken breast but the invoice says 25. And these tomatoes \u2014 some look overripe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delivery Driver: <\/strong>I can note the short count on chicken. The tomatoes \u2014 want me to take them back?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Ana): <\/strong>Yes, please. We can\u2019t use overripe produce for our dishes. I\u2019ll let the chef know and we\u2019ll adjust the order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Vocabulary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

invoice \u2013 <\/strong>a document listing items delivered and their cost<\/td><\/tr>
short count \u2013 <\/strong>when you receive less than the amount ordered<\/td><\/tr>
overripe \u2013 <\/strong>too soft or old; past the best time to use<\/td><\/tr>
proteins \u2013 <\/strong>meats, poultry, and seafood in kitchen vocabulary<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Practice Activity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Role-play receiving a delivery at your own restaurant. What would you check first?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dialogue 7: Handling a Dietary Restriction<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Situation: <\/strong>A server informs the kitchen about a guest\u2019s allergy.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dialogue<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Server (Tom): <\/strong>Allergy alert \u2014 table 9 has a severe nut allergy. The guest ordered the pasta primavera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head Chef (Marco): <\/strong>Does our pasta primavera have nuts in it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Luis): <\/strong>The pesto has pine nuts. Should I make it without?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head Chef (Marco): <\/strong>Yes \u2014 make a clean batch of pesto without pine nuts. Use a sanitized pan and clean utensils. No cross-contact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Luis): <\/strong>Understood. I\u2019ll also make sure my hands are clean and I\u2019ll plate it separately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head Chef (Marco): <\/strong>Good. Tom, let the guest know we\u2019re accommodating their allergy and it will take an extra five minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Vocabulary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

allergy alert \u2013 <\/strong>an urgent notice that a guest has a food allergy<\/td><\/tr>
cross-contact \u2013 <\/strong>when an allergen (like nuts) touches food that shouldn\u2019t have it<\/td><\/tr>
accommodate \u2013 <\/strong>to adjust or change something to meet someone\u2019s needs<\/td><\/tr>
sanitized \u2013 <\/strong>cleaned with a special solution to kill bacteria<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Practice Activity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Has a guest ever had a food allergy at your workplace? What happened? Share with the class.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dialogue 8: Closing the Kitchen<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Situation: <\/strong>The team closes and cleans the kitchen at the end of the night.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dialogue<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head Chef (Marco): <\/strong>Great service tonight, everyone. Let\u2019s start breakdown. Luis, you\u2019re on grill and fryer. Ana, handle the cold station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Luis): <\/strong>Chef, should I drain the fryer oil tonight or is it still good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head Chef (Marco): <\/strong>Check the color \u2014 if it\u2019s dark brown, drain it. If it\u2019s still clear yellow, filter it and it\u2019s good for one more service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Ana): <\/strong>What do I do with the leftover mise en place from the cold station?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head Chef (Marco): <\/strong>Label everything, wrap it tightly, and put it in the walk-in. Anything that\u2019s been out more than four hours \u2014 discard it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Luis): <\/strong>The oil looks good. I\u2019ll filter it. Everything else should be done in about 20 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Vocabulary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

breakdown \u2013 <\/strong>the process of cleaning and shutting down kitchen stations<\/td><\/tr>
mise en place \u2013 <\/strong>French term meaning \u2018everything in its place\u2019; ingredients prepared and ready<\/td><\/tr>
filter (v.) \u2013 <\/strong>to clean oil by removing food particles<\/td><\/tr>
discard \u2013 <\/strong>to throw away food that is no longer safe to use<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Practice Activity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make a breakdown checklist for your station. What are the five most important steps?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dialogue 9: Training a New Employee<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Situation: <\/strong>A cook teaches a new hire how to work the line.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dialogue<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Carlos): <\/strong>Welcome! I\u2019ll show you how we work the saut\u00e9 station. First rule \u2014 always announce when you\u2019re moving behind someone. Say \u2018behind\u2019 so nobody gets bumped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Hire (Sophie): <\/strong>Got it. Is there anything else I should call out?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Carlos): <\/strong>Yes \u2014 say \u2018hot\u2019 when you\u2019re carrying a hot pan, and \u2018sharp\u2019 when you\u2019re holding a knife while walking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Hire (Sophie): <\/strong>That makes sense. What about when an order comes in \u2014 how do I respond?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Carlos): <\/strong>Always say \u2018heard\u2019 or \u2018yes, Chef.\u2019 Never stay quiet \u2014 silence in the kitchen means no one knows if you got the message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Hire (Sophie): <\/strong>Heard! I think I\u2019m ready to try. Can I watch you do the first ticket?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Vocabulary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

saut\u00e9 station \u2013 <\/strong>the part of the kitchen where food is cooked quickly in a hot pan<\/td><\/tr>
the line \u2013 <\/strong>the row of cooking stations in a professional kitchen<\/td><\/tr>
ticket \u2013 <\/strong>a printed or digital order from a table<\/td><\/tr>
call out \u2013 <\/strong>to say something loudly so everyone can hear<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Practice Activity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teach your partner three kitchen safety phrases from this dialogue. Quiz each other.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dialogue 10: Solving a Problem During Service<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Situation: <\/strong>The kitchen runs out of an ingredient and must adapt quickly.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dialogue<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Miguel): <\/strong>Chef! We\u2019re 86 on the risotto \u2014 I just used the last of the arborio rice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head Chef (Marco): <\/strong>How many tickets do we still have for risotto?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Miguel): <\/strong>Two more on the board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head Chef (Marco): <\/strong>Can you substitute with the farro we have in dry storage?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cook (Miguel): <\/strong>I can, but the cooking time is longer \u2014 about 30 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head Chef (Marco): <\/strong>Then 86 the risotto on the floor. Tell the servers now. Offer those two tables the butternut squash pasta as an alternative. Let\u2019s not keep guests waiting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Vocabulary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

86 (v.) \u2013 <\/strong>to stop selling an item because you\u2019ve run out of it<\/td><\/tr>
on the board \u2013 <\/strong>orders currently being prepared in the kitchen<\/td><\/tr>
dry storage \u2013 <\/strong>a pantry area where non-perishable ingredients are kept<\/td><\/tr>
substitute \u2013 <\/strong>to use a different ingredient in place of the original one<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Practice Activity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Has your kitchen ever run out of something during service? What did you do? Share the story.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What do Restaurant Chefs Do? Chefs are like the main cooks in a restaurant. They decide what yummy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-14","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/esl.institute\/restaurant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/esl.institute\/restaurant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/esl.institute\/restaurant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esl.institute\/restaurant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esl.institute\/restaurant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/esl.institute\/restaurant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16,"href":"https:\/\/esl.institute\/restaurant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14\/revisions\/16"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/esl.institute\/restaurant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}