Night shifts in Kitchen...

"Chef...abhi hot plate mangta hai??Saaf karke detey hain..."[Chef, do you need the hot plate now?I want to clean it.] the kitchen stewarding asked me.
Its around 12:30 am now...& friday night!!! I am afraid, Celini can be busy anytime.
I told the guy,"Abhi mat lo...teen baje ke saaf karo"[dont start cleaning now--clean after 3 am!!]. He agreed to me & went back to pot wash.
Night shift has been most challenging to me. In spite of the shift commencing from 12 in the midnight, I have always reported to my shift an hour for handover & another reason, which is selfish though, is to have my dinner+lunch!!!
When I was in Mumbai, I was in the room service kitchen--"the smallest kitchen in the hotel but with biggest responsibilities", this is what our the then Executive Sous Chef used to comment about the kitchen I was working for. Usually, I would have an industrial trainee[ to be straight, he is almost good for nothing, except some sandwiches or little preparations at work!!]. I have been always skeptical about casual staff, trainees as they will never be blamed for their quality of work---no one can make a scapegoat out of them--they are simply assistants!!!
Anyways, I would be happy to have a permanent staff than these people, still their contribution helps & specially if I have an apprentice trainee, who at least knows something is always an added advantage.
Let us not drift from our topic of "Night shifts"..
The kitchen used to become very busy on fridays & saturday nights. It used to be really busy like hell. Though for midnight menu, we had selected options for restaurant, but serving 694 rooms throughout night was a little difficult task & it became more difficult when the new sous chef, advised that all the mise-en place of the day be finished in night shift--no matter how busy it is..Ohhh!!!
But by 4 am I would have to finish my mise-en place, as after that, we would start for the breakfast--specially Indian breakfast in the restaurant, serving breakfast. Initially, when I joined, I didn't know how to make "Dosa"[a South Indian savoury crepe, but bigger in size] or "Medu Vada"[fried dumplings made of Dal]. But gradually I learnt all..
When Biju joined me, work started becoming easier often..he used to do the mise-en place for Indian section & I would take the pantry side, apart from playing with the orders & having fun in the kitchen. Sometimes, cooking for staff too...waiters used to become hungry & if I had something which has to be thrown, but can still be used, I would make something of it & distribute amongst them. Sometimes, it was more of a compulsion. Zahid was slow....but he was a nice chap...
Sometimes, our work used to finish by 2 am--alas..no order by then. Biju & I would go down to staff cafetaria [known as "Mirch Masala"] & enjoy tea--cups after cups or sometimes milk too....& chat..for hours....but suddenly the trainee guy calls up, "Chef..order"...then run...run..
Again sometimes, going for a trip to Italian kitchen, assisting them in their orders or visiting Indian kitchen, or simply to Continental Kitchen for having some desserts [I love desserts...!!].
Generally, breakfast was ready by 6 am[& the breakfast is on from that time too...] then I would go for my own breakfast...generally a couple of fried eggs, a cup of milk..some cereals may be...n thats it...as later I would have a big one... :D
I would stand in the Dosa section...& make endless dosas & then refilling...frying Bhatoras or Puris or sometimes, Vada & what not...dont forget, my shift from 11 pm....& I used to work till 11 am or sometimes till noon mostly...
Oneday I remember, I was doing night shift & whatever mise-en place I had & I prepared I made, all got finished...now what to do??I had too little left. My morning shift came..& was not ready to believe my story[Come on..I dont lie!!!] & he did the worst thing--he complained to the Sous Chef, who I used to report to [I hate complaining & complaints---if there is an issue--sort it out mutually, unless you cannot do it..]
Sous Chef trusted him & made me stay till 2 pm [Oh..that was a really long day].
My roommate used to make fun of me...well..this was life...& it is...I have to deal with it...& I can deal with it.
Moving to Chennai...night shift, was not that difficult, as it was before. But somehow or the other issue would be there. Unfortunately, in the daytime I could never get enough sleep, as I used to sleep in Mumbai. In Chennai, I used to be in shift by 11:30 pm & then drag on till 10:30 am or sometimes till 11:30 am & then go to sleep at 1 pm & then getup at 4 pm...& then..alas ...no sleep!!!
This was a horrible period I was going through...No sleep...& then sleepy at work. Fortunately, the restaurant had two private dining rooms.Most of the days, my work used to finish by  2 am & then I would go to Private Dining room & then make way for sleep. Sometimes, it used to happen like the time I went to sleep...a guest or some order...I used to get back to kitchen..prepare & then sleep again...again one order...ohh..so many disturbances.Well..sometimes double shift too...from 10 pm till 1500 hrs straight!!!& then back at 10 pm....Only I know how was that possible though Executive Chef would say "Its humanly impossible"!!
Dont think I am complaining about Night shifts....just to let you know..how it feels to do night shift..for those who never got the stint of it...or may be in future---you never know...