How a cheeseburger changed his life forever
My dad gave me three life rules to live by:
1. Avoid sugar. Sweets will rot your teeth. Eat more protein instead.
2. Stick to your initial choice and don’t jump from one queue to another.
3. Don’t aim for the stars. Big dreams usually cause a lot of pressure and rarely come true.
The first two were easy, but the third one proved difficult, all because of a cheeseburger.
At the age of 12, I read an article about a guy who took cross-country road trips to visit some of America’s classic “greasy spoon” restaurants — diners, drive-ins, dives. It was his way to change the air and raise money by blogging about his food travel. Oh, my! What a marvelous idea — travel, eat, earn money! I thought to myself back then.
But, as is often the case with young people, I wasted my youth on loafing about the world and frittering away all my talents and ended up working as a builder. My childhood interests and passions were completely drowned out by daily routine and different sorts of crap. All that changed when I met that very guy from the article 20 years later after reading that fateful article.
It was damp and gray and miserable outside. My mind was foggy and woozy because of driving for more than 8 hours, and the only wish I had was to grab a mug of hot coffee and an eatable burger. A run-of-the-mill café seemed to me the right place to find it and avoid afternoon drowsiness.
I slowly got out of the car and headed to the door, guided by a pleasant coffee smell. All of a sudden, I saw some people with cameras and one stout man among them. His blonde, textured crop hairstyle went perfectly with a black T-shirt and jeans. Bubbling with energy, he noticed me, dropped hi, and, in a second, jumped to me with an invitation to take part in his show: I need your independent opinion; it will spice the show up. Many thoughts raced through my mind at once. Yes, sure, I mooed. — Oh, thanks, mate!
— All right, all right, all right! What a scrumptious cheeseburger, guys: a big, soft, round bun and a fresh tomato and red pickled onions and melting cheese and a grilled juicy pork steak in the middle. Every bite that I get is different! Hu-u-u-gely impressive! said the man, looking at the camera. Brian, — he is my co-host today — how do you find it? he turned to me. My heart raced: Ermm, the flavor coming out of here…. It is…, I glanced at the host. — It is definitely the 5-star restaurant. It is rich. It is perfectly seasoned. It is super authentic. To tell the truth, I feel transported to my childhood…
In four months, I applied to a culinary school. In six years, I became a chef in a local restaurant in Texas. In eight years, I was invited to work in a restaurant in France. In ten years, that restaurant got a Michelin star.