The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-11-29
!, BEHIND THE SCENES
At 4 BIG BANQUET

SSSSSSSSS 900
Last Monday evening the members
Of the Hawaiian Planters Association
attended a banquet at the Alexander
Young Hotel, rendered them by the
Honolulu Iron Works. The sixty
guests, all of the sterner sex, sat about
banquet board which fairly creaked
beneath the wealth of eut-glass, silver.
greenery and blossoms. 1t was one of
the most elaborate functions given in
Honolulu and the smoothness and ease
with which it was conducted, course
following course with machine-like
regularity, did not pass unnoticed by
the guests, and their wonder grew.
Behind those swinging doors in Chef
Jack HayeS's sanctum, a row of big
ranges, long, clean tables, some imbed-
ded with copper basins, row upon row
of copper kitchen utensils, and great
China and silverware closets, are ar
ranged with an eye to the quickest dis
patch. On the night of the banquet
the ranges We're all in operation and
there Chef Hayes ruled with a watch
full eye over his assistants. Above
them hung copper pots and now and
then one would be taken down and
made use of, and another just cleansed
and dried, put on its hook. Behind the
uninterrupted men was long table on
which lay the meats and vegetables to
be cooked. Another table running par
allel held a trencher of copper basins
sunk into the center, from which
clouds of steam arose. In this trencher
certain vegetables were kept hot by
the use of steam projected from a boil
er in long pipe which ran through
all the basins. The outer edge of the
table was assigned to the walters with
their trays, where the last embellish-
ments to the plates and side dishes
were made. Beyond were the closets of
China and silver ware, presided over
by a steward.
Twelve Chinese walters stood in
line behind the entrance doors to the
banquet hall, as the guests filed in and
took their places. Chief Steward
Wyman seated the guests and then
opening the door gave signal, and the
procession of walters filed in, passed
around the tables to the places as
signed them, and served the Martini
cocktails, apd Toxic point oysters on
the deep shell. They returned to the
kitchen where the chef and his many
assistants were just filling the plates
with consomme. With infinite care
each plate was prepared so that there
would be no splashings. Five walters
at time were looked after and as each
one received his complement he took
his place in line and waited for the
next signal. Half the walters in the
meantime re-entered the banquet room
and removed the oyster plates and on
their return took their places in line
and moment later the guests were
partaking of their consomme.
Not until the last course was ready
to be served did the chef and his as
sistants begin the preparation of the
next one, except of course the filet of
beef, which began two courses ahead.
Hayes's commands were like those of
an officer to his soldiers, and each was
implicitly obeyed.
There was no talking among the
walters as this would have made a
babel of tongues and resulted in con-
fusion. Chef Hayes and Steward wy
man gave the only commands and
these were carried out by their direct
assistants.
''Filet of beef!' said the chef
Instantly there was a movement
among the walters and the China clos
etwas shorn of as many large and small
plates as there were guests and ar
ranged upon the trays. The chef
sharpened his knives quickly, the filet
of beef was brought smoking from the
range, and slices were dexterously
made by him. The assistants quick
ly transferred them to the plates. One
man did nothing but place stuffed
artichoke on the plate, another poured
gravy, another placed a spray of
parsley top. and still another laid
knives and forks and spoons upon the
tray. Not a sound was heard except
the movement of dishes and in six
minutes every tray was ready and the
walters We're in line. Steward Wy
man burst into the kitchen as a file
of walters returned from the banquet
hall by another route, bearing the
plates used in the preceding course,
and Chef Hayes greeted him tersely.
"All set''
The course was served and the wait
ers returned.
Now punch glasses and squad
Dishes" says Hayes.
Before the filet of beef course was
tdhtIl ITOIIl the h1tCnen the SQuaDS
were being prepared. There was a
rattle of glasses and dishes and short
ly the trays were in readiness to re-
ceive the toothsome squads. Toast
was being made and shortly a huge
platter of shoestring potatoes appeared
upon the distributing board. Toast
was laid upon a plate and SQUAD
neatly put upon it. An assistant
stuck a paper pompom into the squad.
another poured gravy, another arrang-
ed the side dishes, and still another
trimmed the plate with a spray of
water-cress. Perfect discipline was
maintained and there was no confu-
sion. Every plate was treated the
same, and shortly Hayes Strengthened
up, laid down a fork and spoon, wiped
his hands, and then called upon his as
sistants to compose the ingredients of
the rum omelette, one of the spectacu-
lar features of the banquet.