# Critics slam Ramsays new restaurant, but why the public?



## tcapper (Aug 29, 2006)

*Critics slam Gordon Ramsays new restaurant / but why the public ?*
message posted 08-Jan-07 09:49:26
First look at the link

http://news.scotsman.com:80/international.cfm?id=2...

Restaurant critics, as we all know can be biased depending on who you are. So lets assume that they are right in their judgement this time. Are the comments to the article fair.
In my opinion they are not !

Firstly as chefs we would all dream of having the amount of michelans as Ramsay and we all know how difficult one is to achieve, let alone several. The New York restaurant had just opened and is probably experiencing teething problems, it was reported that just before opening Ramsay got rid of a chef for being sub standard, of course the union jumped in and he almost lost all of the brigade, Im sure he would have liked to get rid of them all and bring in UK chefs but the critics would have gone mental.
Another comment was "only in Britain, the home of uninspiring food and chips with everything mentality" what the **** is that comment all about.

No matter What your personal opinion is about Ramsay, the man can cook, you know it and I know it, whether we like his style or not. Im sure if we got that ripping from critics we would be heads down trying to fix it and Im bloody sure Ramsay is doing the same right now.

What is your opinion? 

www.chefsworld.net


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## brittany (Dec 23, 2006)

"Gordon Ramsey is unavailable to comment. He is abroad working." 
He obviousley was not there to help his kitchen and the fact of the matter is, it's a new kitchen and he should be there for at least the first six months. To smooth out any crinkles, like over cooked sea scallops. We all know what over cooked sea scallops look like, so why would the chef send them out and not back? Because, true chefs are few and far between these days. Schools can't teach and people are hiring Chefs because they can pay them less and not because of their resume. And so it goes on.
Here's something that is interesting though. I could care less about Ramsey. I learned through Chefs just like him. You say he can cook, well, it doesn't really matter because you don't cook when you get to his level. Can you teach, and obviousley not, seeing how many different critics felt his food was blah.But enough about him. What is happening to Chefs these days? I mean, it seems that they are spreading themselves too thin. He was abroad. It kind of suggests that the restaurant didn't matter to him any more. 
I see it all the time. They open 3 different restaurants within a two year period. One always goes under within 5 years or at the very least, get bad review after bad review. Why? Money. They want more money? Here's the thing, I have a lot on my plate and if I was to open a restaurant on top of my catering company, excuse the language, I would be ****ed! The only way to do it is to hire someone that is as obsessed about detail as I am to stand in my place. But even then, they are not care as much as I would because it's not there's. I don't know if I agree with this whole Chefs as trade marks. Chain fine dining restaurants. They seem to forget why they got into the industry to begin with. It sure as **** wasn't money.
Is there anyone out there that has successfully owned and operated more than one restaurant or food company?


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## tcapper (Aug 29, 2006)

I can see your point, if he had been there the "scallop" would not have been served as it was. 

However I do think he cares, you dont spend three million if you dont care (he is not in the billionaire league when three million is pocket change).
Also he does run four very succesful michelan rated restaurants in London at the same time, this also suggests that the team he has in each kitchen are doing a wonderful job, how much time he spends in a kitchen is anyones guess.

I do believe you can run any amount of busineses succesfully with the right team in place, but the crux of the matter is each restaurant is called "Gordon Ramsay at the ......" therefore implying that the man is in the kitchen which he clearly is not, so should we conclude by saying you can run numerous businesses with the right team but dont implicate your imediate self in that business because if anything goes wrong they will hold you personally accountable.

Sound about right ?


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## logghib (May 4, 2005)

I am pretty sure that most people who run successful business are, in fact, doing it for the money.

There's a whole system of ethics and passion and integrity that supports a quality restaurant, but really in the end it is a business of two interlaced components of sales and manufacturing. It is a business that is supposed to turn a profit, not educate the world on the wonders of fresh garbanzo beans or made from scratch demi-glace. (Even doing that is pretty much just marketing.)

Besides, it's not like we're talking about a successful bar owner who has a dubious business model for franchising. This is a world famous chef with publicists and marketing firms. This is someone who is capable of opening destination restaurants. I don't really see the point in trying to point out the failure in his career ambition because the guy already hit the home run, now he's just rounding the bases.


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

It's very hard to lead smart,talented, people with options, with the sharp stick in the eye routine. It always comes around to bite you. This is 2006, you really have to treat people the way you would like to be treated.
Eventually this mentality will make it's way to the customer unless you make every dish.


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## brittany (Dec 23, 2006)

I am not suggesting that it is wrong to want to make money. That's ridiculous. My point, and I apoligise for not making it totally clear, is that chefs are allowing their integrity of food to be overun by the bottom dollar. Ramsey is a perfect example. I honestly do not know how he does it and the fact of matter is, he's not pulling it off.
We all consider Ramsey to be a success. He sets a bar. But his success is being judeged by how much money he has and how many restaurants he owns, not by his contribution to the culinary profession. Every year we get further and further from a quest of perfection of our skills and closer to the perfection of our business sense. I understand that as a chef you need a certain amount of business sense. I am just suggesting that it should not be the end all of our success.
I could be wrong but the person that posted this thread almost seemed outraged at the fact the Ramsey got a bad review. Maybe we should look at his failure as a lesson and we should start re evaluating our measures of each other. It just seems to be a common trend that the bottom dollar is worth more than the product. There will be consequences to that mentality. I'm just suggesting that maybe more is not better.

And I'm sorry Panini, I didn't understand your post. I have never heard, " stick in the eye" before and have no idea what it means.


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## logghib (May 4, 2005)

I was under the impression that the original intent of this thread was to see whether or not people felt the bad press was warranted. Is the restaurant actually sub-par, or is it just a bias against a man who has cultivated a marketing image of being something of a jerk?

I have no idea because the link in the original post won't load, and I haven't eaten at this restaurant.


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## mredikop (Dec 6, 2006)

I think those people who posted all that negative backlash on that forum are just pathetic joiners who haven't been to any of Ramsay's restaurants and just don't like him as a person. I think he is great personally.

So Gordon Ramsay at The London has some hiccups, hopefully they iron them out.

I hope none of those critics go back there... Gordon Ramsay has been known to throw critics out on their keisters.


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

I've eaten his food, had the experience of doing a large party with him involved.
I respect his food, experience/knowlege, creativity and that's were it ends.
Food should be perfect and worth the monies right from the start. period!


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

See what too much partying over the new year does for you?

It's all about expectation I guess. A guy with that many stars (and who wears them on his sleeve) should do a little better.


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## brittany (Dec 23, 2006)

I haven't called anyone pathetic here and I hope the Mredikop is not calling me pathetic because I might be looking at another side of this story. I don't know why you see a question as a negative perspective. It is exactly that. A perspective. 
I am not saying that I do not respect Ramsey, because I happen to have a great deal of respect for him and I too have had the honor of working with the man. If there is any person that could handle the load that he has taken on, it would be him.
The question people is, are we allowing ourselves to get sold out through bottom dollar, marketing ect. or is it just plain business?
Panini, you still haven't answered, what does stick in the eye mean?


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

Brittany
I early, but I will get back today. ILMAO over Kuan 2006:lol: from not enough partying!
pan
It's a very bad and antiquated style of manageing people. You somehow have the idea that people will respond better if you poke them with a sharp stick.
I don't have an ounce of respect for the guy myself. He can be a a....le in the kitchen and it has been proven that that does not work. I really can't see it working in a union kitchen in NY. I also have experience at that, I opened on of the big hotels there as a non-union property.


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## tcapper (Aug 29, 2006)

Just realised that the original thread never linked, sorry ...

What the article was about was obviously the bad reviews, but below the article people could post comments and these are what I was realy trying to understand.
The comments were about the man and not the food and realy personal, they even went so far as saying only in Britain, fish and chips bla bla.
Go back from where you came and all the other obvious rubish.

Now looking at the comments, I had no idea that one chef could generate such a large amount of anamosity towards himself, but he obviously has. So are the critics realy being critical or personal.

Usually I would say a food critic was pretty much spot on, but this time I'm not sure ?

Do you think they were swayed by what is obviously a large amount of animosity out there?

www.chefsworld.net


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## mredikop (Dec 6, 2006)

No, sorry, I meant the people making comments below the article in the link. I called no one on ChefTalk out. People who on that site said things like "It's about time he was taken down a peg or three" and things like that obviously don't like him. That's no reason to slam the restaurant. The critics are doing it too. They make statements that make it sound more like catty high school cafeteria observations than a review.


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## tcapper (Aug 29, 2006)

The New York Times just released their review of the London. Giving Ramsay just 2 stars.

Full article :

http://www.chefsworld.net/chefs_foru...a=&FTID=fls%3D


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

Possibly too much time spent in front of TV cameras. Can you say "Rocco"! Sounds all too familiar to me.


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## panonthefire (Jan 15, 2007)

i have never worked or meet G. Ramsey, but I have a friend who worked for him for 2 years, I have read some really rude story about him, and I have seen is show. 

Therefore I think that G. Ramsey is a rude Mother F$?&$%. 
But the guy can cook and he has Michelin star to back that argument. 

In a hotel like the London in Manhatan, where he as to deal with the Union, he wont be able to bring the type of food he wants because his brash and rude style of management will cause his downfall.

The Union will never let a Chef brutalize is employee and that's Gordon style and that style is what brings him stars.

What do you chef and cook think??


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## coregonus (Aug 10, 2007)

Now he has 2 stars and that's the best answer. Even 10 stars from Times couldn't do same justice. Here is update that came in yesterday:

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tom Colicchio of "Top Chef" fame lost a Michelin star at his New York restaurant Craft, while British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay gained a rare two stars for his first U.S. venture. 

Ramsay's year-old restaurant, Gordon Ramsay at The London, won praise for "consistency in cuisine and service," Michelin Guide director Jean-Luc Naret told Reuters on Monday.
"Gordon Ramsay deserved two stars, not because of his name and TV fame, but because of the consistency of the multiple visits by inspectors throughout the year," Naret said.


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## tcapper (Aug 29, 2006)

Thanks for all the replies.

I was watching some of the HK Usa last night (probably old) at least you guys get a restaurant out of the deal, i cant even remember what the english HK guys got, probably a kick up the A**.

Tell you what i would put up with a couple of weeks graft for a new Restaurant. It also made me giggle that these chefs on HK cant even get it together to serve 70 covers, i bet you they pick really crap chefs to go on the program, just to make the show a bit more "wow look at Gordon"

Another bit of info. Just being the top restaurant in the World or millions of Michelin stars does not mean you can get the staff.
Have a look :
ChefsWorld - Search Job Adverts - Job Details - Chefs Jobs, Catering Jobs, Recruitment & Employment resources for chefs
ChefsWorld - Search Job Adverts - Job Details - Chefs Jobs, Catering Jobs, Recruitment & Employment resources for chefs
ChefsWorld - Search Job Adverts - Job Details - Chefs Jobs, Catering Jobs, Recruitment & Employment resources for chefs

cio for now

ChefsWorld - Chefs Jobs, Catering Jobs, Recruitment & Employment resources for chefs


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## younggun (Jun 10, 2007)

I really look up to Gordon Ramsay for his work ethic. The man works so bloody hard, it's almost unbelievable. But if his standards are slipping, or if he's in over his head with the Union at the London, I'm not sure he'd have the perspective to step back and work things out rather than just bust on, balls-to-the-wall. Because of this, I think that Ramsay, inspite of his entrepreneurial prowess, falls a bit short of chefs that will go down in the records as being truly extraordinary. Why not follow in the footsteps of Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons? Teach. With Gordon's fame and cash backing, he could really make a contribution in the arena of instilling work ethic in young cooks, something seriously lacking (myself included, I'll admit.) I'm not sure I'd want to learn actual cooking technique from him, but I'd sure love to learn about business.
After all, when Ramsay's pushing daisies, it would be a shame if all that was left was skeleton restaurants, fat inheritances, and old ****'s Kitchen reels. 

Do you think Ramsay is a chef, or a personality first an foremost?


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