There are plenty of questions hanging over tonight’s Michelin ceremony: who will get a star, who will lose one and who might move up the ranks. But we have a different question — and arguably a more fun one: what’s playing in the kitchen before service?
We asked some of Toronto’s Michelin chefs what they and their teams listen to before service, and the answers reveal a few very different approaches to getting ready for the night.
Eric Chong, aKin likes to turn up the bass
At Michelin-starred restaurant aKin, the mood before service tends to be high-energy EDM. Chef-owner Eric Chong says the kitchen plays a lot of Tomorrowland DJ sets, along with artists including FISHER, Dom Dolla, John Summit and ARTBAT. There’s no fixed aKin pre-service playlist, though. “It is really whatever gets everyone energized and keeps the kitchen having fun before we switch gears and get serious for service,” says Chong. Sometimes the music follows the food. aKin does themed staff-meal weeks, with a different cuisine featured each week, and the team sometimes matches the prep music to the theme. During a recent German week, German music played in the kitchen before briefing. The previous week was American.
Zachary Barnes, Enigma Yorkville, keeps it quiet
For Enigma Yorkville executive chef Zachary Barnes, the preferred pre-shift soundtrack is actually silence. Barnes says the team’s go-to is “the focus and clarity that silence brings.”
On rare occasions, though, the music comes on. “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor and “Can’t Stop” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers are two songs that can get the team going. Music also makes an appearance during the restaurant’s Saturday-night deep cleans, which Barnes says can go until late in the evening or early morning.
It’s game on at Kappo Sato
There’s no single go-to artist or fixed playlist at Michelin-starred Kappo Sato, either. According to the restaurant’s team, the music depends entirely on the mood that day. Sometimes that means popular video-game background music; other times, it’s 2000s hip-hop. The tracks change from day to day, with the goal of keeping the team energized before service.
Quetzal gets ready with “Sandstorm”
Steven Molnar’s of Michelin-starred Quetzal picks cover a wide range of sounds, including Darude’s “Sandstorm,” Fred again.., Zhu, Peso Pluma, Aaron Hibell, Travis Scott and Future. It’s a playlist that suggests there’s more than one way to get into the pre-service zone — and that, depending on the kitchen, the answer to what’s playing before service can be anything from a festival-ready DJ set to complete silence.