The phrase, which traces to 19th-century France, has become popular in casual conversation thanks to “The Bear,” and offers a lens into shifting hierarchies in kitchens.
As a young pastry cook at Eleven Madison Park, Genie Kwon grew accustomed to a kitchen tradition: Every time the chef shouted out an order, the other cooks responded in unison, “Oui, chef!”
Or as you may have heard it on the FX show “The Bear”: “Yes, chef!”
For a long time, Ms. Kwon, who co-owns the Filipino restaurant Kasama in Chicago, associated the phrase with the unyielding hierarchy of the kitchen at Eleven Madison Park, known for its exacting vision of fine dining.
How it’s pronounced
/yĕs shĕf/
That was until a few years ago, when she started hearing friends outside the industry using the phrase casually and, sometimes, sarcastically.
Can you grab my jacket? Yes, chef!
Pass the salt and pepper? Yes, chef!
The term Ms. Kwon once uttered out of intimidation in the kitchen was now casual parlance among friends.
