Getting your cake and eating it too!

Have you ever had the most amazing dish that is oozes pleasure throughout your body and makes your toes tingle? I have!

The other day I was at a work luncheon and I ordered a 'seafood stew' from the menu. The restaurant was pumping and honestly we had to wait quite a while for the food to actually make an appearance. But when it did... oh my god! Taste bud Ecstasy! The first mouthful set my stomach on fire from pleasure. You know when you are really cold in the middle of winter and you have a cup of tea, how the warmth spreads right across your body? That's how it was with this meal. It was amazing! Now ordinarily on a work lunch I would eat my meal, tip handsomely and continue on to my next meeting. This day was different. I enjoyed my lunch so much that I just had to say something.

So... without thinking about it I decided to compliment the chef. I rose from my chair, excused myself from the table, ran out the back and let myself into the kitchen. In the hustle and bustle there was quite some confusion as to why a young girl was standing in the middle of the kitchen. That is when I began to state my praises. Honest appreciation for his amazing, taste bud tantalising, rich and utter genius food sensation. I didn't just say "that was an amazing meal- thank you"... I poured my heart out and told him exactly how it made me felt... how I could only dream of being able to cook as amazing as that, and that if I could I could win any heart over with that recipe.

He was so overwhelmed with my honest appreciation that he stopped cooking (remember the restaurant was full), he came up to me and with a huge smile he told me exactly how to cook the dish. It was his secret recipe from his Italy- passed down for generations in his family! After a delightful 10 minute conversation with the chef, I remembered that I had actually just up and left my work colleagues with no mention of where I was going. They probably thought I had gone and died in the bathroom or something. I again thanked the chef a million times over and returned to my table.

Two minutes later the waiter arrived with the dessert menu and said that the chef wanted us to have anything from the menu free of charge! The chef made my day with his amazing food, and his kindness in sharing his secrets with me. The feeling I got when I realised that I had made his day with my compliments- well that feeling is priceless.

Try it. Next time someone does something that is amazing. TELL THEM! Don't just say it once, make a big deal out of it, because really, it is a big deal if it makes them and you feel that good!

In the mean time the least I can do is pass on the details of my new favourite restaurant. Enjoy!

Caffee Cucina

581 Chapel St

South Yarra 3141

Melbourne