I’m currently in the third week of my internship at ARK and have to admit, there have already been many ups and downs in this short time. This is the first time I’ve ever set foot in a professional kitchen — and not just any kitchen, but one awarded a Green Michelin Star — so I definitely feel the pressure of a high-performing, high-intensity environment.
The first week was a good introduction to the kind of work I’d be doing. I was exposed to many different tasks and shown how to do them properly. There are countless small things that can be done more efficiently — if someone more experienced takes the time to show you.
The second week, however, was much more challenging. I have a tendency to overthink everything and question the meaning of it all. In the kitchen, there are many tasks that need to be done but that don’t necessarily require much technique or creativity — just speed and efficiency. In week two, I was (un)lucky enough to be asked to do many of those tasks, like shelling several kilos of peas (which can take hours) or picking tiny herbs and flowers with tweezers. The lack of variety and complexity gave me even more time to overthink and wonder what I was really doing here.
After all, I’ve invested a lot of money and time to be here. The internship is unpaid, and the cost of living in Copenhagen is incredibly high. On top of that, I’m away from my family and friends, putting my “real” life on hold to do this. So when much of my precious time at the restaurant is spent on repetitive, low-skill tasks, doubts start to creep in. What makes it even harder (at least for me) is that, due to the intensity of the work, there’s little time or space to talk and get to know each other. Everyone is rushing around, completing one task after another, and chit-chatting isn’t encouraged, as it can break the focus that’s so essential.
Yesterday, I had a feedback session with the internship mentor and was given some useful insights about expectations, among other things. The first few weeks are meant to be about learning the routines and completing simpler tasks — proving that you can be trusted by showing steady improvement. One such task was picking and pan-frying coral tooth mushrooms. At first, it took me about an hour to complete it; now, after two weeks, I’m down to 30–40 minutes, depending on the amount.
The mentor also shared what makes a good intern: being humble, open-minded, and respectful, and having a positive attitude — both toward the team and toward the tasks, no matter how simple or repetitive they may be. I kind of knew that already, but now it’s even clearer to me: restaurant work is often not very glamorous. The dishes and experiences that earn a Michelin Star may be beautiful and refined, but the work behind the scenes — in a hot basement kitchen — feels far removed from that Star.
My personal dream is to work at, or one day own, a place that’s less about the Stars and more about community — a space for connection through delicious plant-based food. A place where I can co-create and spread the joy of cooking, without losing sight of the human side of hospitality.