James Bailey
James Bailey is the Executive Chef of Momofuku Las Vegas. Bailey has worked worldwide in some of the best restaurants including Noma 2.0 and Carbone LV. Starting as a butcher at Momofuku in 2019, he quickly worked his way up to top dog. As you can imagine, being the Executive Chef takes lots of time and responsibility. If you’ve ever wondered what working in a very busy Las Vegas kitchen looks like, now’s the time.
Breaking Down With James Bailey
“Hello world ~”
“After getting ready, I’ll usually try to head out with a smoothie. I tend to miss the opportunity to eat on busy days, so starting the day with something like this that has protein, fruits, seeds, and veggies is pretty crucial. I put some matcha powder in this one too so I didn’t have to worry about the caffeine fix either.”
“Arrive at the restaurant. I’ll get settled in and catch up with our Executive Sous Chef in the office for a bit, greet the rest of the team, walk the spaces, and take on some administrative tasks before hitting the kitchen for some R&D.”
“BOH Pre-shift. Probably one of my favorite parts of the day. It’s a nice injection of energy and camaraderie. We’ll go over 311s + 911s prep items, housekeeping reminders, announcements, shout-outs, the quote of the day, reflect, and then bring it in.”
“Staff meal (cooked by Momofuku Noodle Bar East Village’s Chef Pablo Vidal while he was in town!) + round table with leadership. We’ll talk about the night’s service and all it entails, with reflections on the prior night and solidifying food news.”
“FOH pre-shift.
After FOH leadership delivers service notes and housekeeping details on their end, a Chef will chime in with food news and any other insights.”
“Line Check. Quality Check. Vibe Check.
Service begins.”
“Second FOH pre-shift since we operate on a staggered schedule. Same same, but different.”
“Expo. Wait for the last calls and all-in. Wrap it up for the day & say my goodbyes and many thanks to the team.”
“I almost always try to make myself something to eat when I get home. It’s an enjoyable act of self-care that I try not to neglect.
I’ll finish up some work, and wind down with some music or YouTube, honestly.”
“Goodnight world ~”