Traditionally, Chinese chefs always start out as apprentices, helping with cleaning and other chores. Whether or not he or she can pick up the spatula, learn to cook well and even be promoted to head chef is determined by natural talents, and more importantly, by how much you can secretly learn from observing your master. The lucky ones might even get a few tips from experienced chefs.
Ever since the establishment of a Chinese cooking school though, many executive chefs at the new generation of Chinese restaurants actually received their trainings from the school. Students at the institute are no longer kids who failed school, but are a group of passionate young people dreaming of becoming excellent chefs.
Even young people who already have experience working in kitchens are choosing to take courses at the school to learn more systematically.
How is the new generation of Chinese chefs trained? How do students apply kitchen ethics in real life situations? What kind of philosophies and principles have they learned from the kitchens? Three generations of Chinese chefs will share their kitchen stories.
傳統上，中菜廚師大都是「紅褲仔」出身，從做小工開始，負責洗切清潔等一切廚房雜務，至於能否走近爐頭、拿起鑊鏟煮食，甚至在廚房中學到精湛廚藝、烹飪秘訣，進而晉級做大廚，成為廚房的總負責人，全視乎個人是否具有烹飪天份，更重要的，就是能否懂得在廚房中偷師學藝，或者幸運地遇上良師肯為他指點開路。
不過，自從有中廚訓練學校成立之後，新一代中式餐飲業的行政總廚中，不少人原來都是學院派出身。那裡的學員們不再是讀書不成的小伙子，反而是一群對烹飪滿有熱忱的年輕人，成為出色廚師是他們的最大志願。另外，一些在年少時已經入行的中廚，也選擇入學修讀中級廚師課程，正式有系統地學習中菜烹飪技巧。
由廚藝學校的「訓練廚房」、「實習廚房」、「考試廚房」，走到校外的「實戰廚房」；由本地校內的廚房走到海外交流的廚房。香港的新一代中廚是如何訓練出來？畢業學員如何將學習得來的「廚藝、廚德」在工作中運用？他們領略到廚房的處世哲學、生存之道又是什麼一回事？三代師徒將一起分享他們的廚房故事。
