Food

Chefs Tell All: Embarrassing Kitchen Ingredients and Fast-Food Choices

For our January issue, we asked 24 chefs to give their candid—and anonymous—opinions on overrated colleagues, underappreciated restaurants, embarrassing ingredients, and nightmare customers. We're posting the results throughout the month.

What ingredient are you embarrassed to have in your kitchen?

Velveeta. It’s an upgraded version of Cheez Whiz.”

MSG.

“We get a fish called swai for banquets. It tastes good fried, but the quality is s— and it’s dirt cheap.”

What's your fast food of choice?

Burritos from Chipotle: “The ingredients are fresh, and you can see them making it.”

Popeyes: “Ask for Cajun Sparkle—it’s a packet of Cajun seasoning salt you can put on spicy fried chicken.”

Chick-fil-A:“Regular chicken sandwich, extra pickles and extra mayo.”

Related:

Chefs Tell All: What They Think of Critics 

Chefs Tell All: The Best and Hardest Chefs to Work For

Critics' Picks: The Year's Top 40 Dishes

This article appears in the January issue of The Washingtonian.

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