# ADVICE NEEDED: What educational path to take for best culinary career?



## Luai Al-Taher (Jan 19, 2019)

Hey Cheftalkers,

I am in desperate need of advice. I currently have 2 options for education. 
1. Go to one of the best culinary schools (Le Cordon Bleu) and receive the Grand Diplome, which is a two year course teaching about cuisine and pastry as well as culinary techniques.
2. Do a year and a half in RACA (Royal Academy of Culinary Arts) in the middle east and then possibly continue 2 years in Switzerland to receive a bachelors in hospitality management. (I only get a certificate for the culinary, and my passion is cooking)

What is the best path to take for my career, in hopes of one day opening my own restaurant. My passion is cooking and I want to be a chef, however I do have a dream of opening a restaurant one day. I don't think the Bachelors is needed but this is why I need advice.

Please post replies!


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## sgsvirgil (Mar 1, 2017)

Luai Al-Taher said:


> Hey Cheftalkers,
> 
> I am in desperate need of advice. I currently have 2 options for education.
> 1. Go to one of the best culinary schools (Le Cordon Bleu) and receive the Grand Diplome, which is a two year course teaching about cuisine and pastry as well as culinary techniques.
> ...


Well, we need to know more information in order to answer your question. Both opportunities are excellent. But, without knowing what your intended goals are, there's no real way to answer your question.

So, here are few questions that can help us, and more importantly, help you figure out what you want to do because at the end of it all, only you can make this decision.

What sort of career do you want in the food industry? What sort of experience do you currently have i.e. have you ever worked in a restaurant or commercial kitchen? It takes far more than a passion for cooking to have a successful career in the food industry.

Once you explain where you want to go and what you want out of the food industry, we will be in a better position to lend advice.

Cheers.


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## Luai Al-Taher (Jan 19, 2019)

sgsvirgil said:


> Well, we need to know more information in order to answer your question. Both opportunities are excellent. But, without knowing what your intended goals are, there's no real way to answer your question.
> 
> So, here are few questions that can help us, and more importantly, help you figure out what you want to do because at the end of it all, only you can make this decision.
> 
> ...


Well, I would like to learn all there is to learn about international cuisines, culinary techniques and the food industry. My long term goal and what I want to achieve is to start my own successful restaurant, and receive a michelin star. I want to cook in my own restaurant. The only experience I have is home cooking and youtube videos, however I do challenge myself to complete recipes in specific time frames in practice for the high speed of a commercial kitchen. I appreciate the help!


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## sgsvirgil (Mar 1, 2017)

Luai Al-Taher said:


> Well, I would like to learn all there is to learn about international cuisines, culinary techniques and the food industry. My long term goal and what I want to achieve is to start my own successful restaurant, and receive a michelin star. I want to cook in my own restaurant. The only experience I have is home cooking and youtube videos, however I do challenge myself to complete recipes in specific time frames in practice for the high speed of a commercial kitchen. I appreciate the help!


Culinary school is not going to teach you all there is to know about international cuisines. In other words, le Cordon Bleu is not going teach you the intricacies and nuances of Thai or Indian cuisine. The only way to learn such things is to work in local eateries in these places.

If you do not have any commercial experience, there is nothing you can do in your own kitchen that will even come close to giving you any sort of understanding of what its like to work in a commercial kitchen. Preparing a recipe at home is nothing like how it would be prepared commercially. Everything from the volume of ingredients to the equipment that you will use and the methods of preparation are all going to be different in a commercial kitchen. The only way for you to understand these incredibly important differences is for you to see them for yourself. The only way to do that is to work in a commercial kitchen. Trust me, you will be doing yourself a huge favor.

Good luck.


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

Luai Al-Taher said:


> however I do challenge myself to complete recipes in specific time frames in practice for the high speed of a commercial kitchen.


Keep in mind that in a commercial kitchen you would also be handling multiple guests and tickets at one time as well. School is not setup to teach you to handle that, only time in a commercial kitchen will teach that.

During my career, I have learned many lessons. I liken those lessons to bricks. Consider this scenario... two future bricklayers each have a goal of to building a walkway. One starts off by going to school to learn everything there is to know about building a walkway. Upon graduation, he is presented with a huge shipment of bricks with which to build his walkway. The other guy starts off by going to a supplier and gets a pickup truckload of bricks and then drives back to the site and begins working on the walkway. When those are laid, he goes back for another truckload and so on.

After 20 years, the two bricklayers will be where they are based on their own merit and drive. How they each began their journey will be a distant memory. The first 2-5 years of their journey is where the different approaches will have the biggest impact. Each approach has it's pros and cons. Which approach to take comes down to individual goals and timelines.


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## Luai Al-Taher (Jan 19, 2019)

sgsvirgil said:


> Culinary school is not going to teach you all there is to know about international cuisines. In other words, le Cordon Bleu is not going teach you the intricacies and nuances of Thai or Indian cuisine. The only way to learn such things is to work in local eateries in these places.
> 
> If you do not have any commercial experience, there is nothing you can do in your own kitchen that will even come close to giving you any sort of understanding of what its like to work in a commercial kitchen. Preparing a recipe at home is nothing like how it would be prepared commercially. Everything from the volume of ingredients to the equipment that you will use and the methods of preparation are all going to be different in a commercial kitchen. The only way for you to understand these incredibly important differences is for you to see them for yourself. The only way to do that is to work in a commercial kitchen. Trust me, you will be doing yourself a huge favor.
> 
> Good luck.


I appreciate the help


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## Luai Al-Taher (Jan 19, 2019)

cheflayne said:


> Keep in mind that in a commercial kitchen you would also be handling multiple guests and tickets at one time as well. School is not setup to teach you to handle that, only time in a commercial kitchen will teach that.
> 
> During my career, I have learned many lessons. I liken those lessons to bricks. Consider this scenario... two future bricklayers each have a goal of to building a walkway. One starts off by going to school to learn everything there is to know about building a walkway. Upon graduation, he is presented with a huge shipment of bricks with which to build his walkway. The other guy starts off by going to a supplier and gets a pickup truckload of bricks and then drives back to the site and begins working on the walkway. When those are laid, he goes back for another truckload and so on.
> 
> After 20 years, the two bricklayers will be where they are based on their own merit and drive. How they each began their journey will be a distant memory. The first 2-5 years of their journey is where the different approaches will have the biggest impact. Each approach has it's pros and cons. Which approach to take comes down to individual goals and timelines.


Thank you for your input, much appreciated  <3


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