Facing the challenge in New York – part 14

From last July Roland Oláh, formerly the chef of Café Erté, tries his luck in the USA. He regularly reports to our magazine: ’I feel alright at Martel, but it is not the category where I can develop, it is a completely different dimension than La Panetiere.

So I am very happy when Mr Jacques calls me to meet once again. Arik from Napa warns me that my situation will not be easy there (the deputy chef is Jacques’ nephew), but all I see is a big opportunity. We agree with Jacques that I am going to start there in two weeks’ time. A difficult task is ahead of me: I have to talk to Marty and Eric and explain them that I would like to build a career in the USA and La Panetiere is better place for that. Marty takes it well, but Eric seems to be disappointed.

On my last week everything goes well and even Eric seems to be in peace with my decision. I really liked working with him, we never had any problems. My first day in La Panetiere: I travelled to the town of Rye by rail. Jacques welcomed me in the restaurant and I met Dean, the nephew in the kitchen. He is not friendly at all and tells me that Jacques thinks I know everything, so I’d better start working – I can feel that we will have problems. Dean does the fish dishes and I do the meat ones.

 My situation in the kitchen is difficult, the only person I can trust is a guy called Roger. Dean lets me know from the first moment that he does not like me. With Jacques we agreed to change half the menu, so that he can see what I represent. I do not get on with Dean at all; it is a comfortable job for him but he does not like our profession. He tries to make things difficult for me whenever he can. Hard times!’