Rue Bourdain's Outpost

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:11:53 GMT

THE WORLD OF RUE BOURDAIN

A lively vibrant street in the heart of Kichijouji, Rue Bourdain is where the best restaurants of the district are lined up, drawing customers with the scent of their fragrant dishes. After the success of his travels in Tokyo, the district of Kichijouji decided to name their dining street as Rue Bourdain after famous cook, Anthony Bourdain. From Japanese to Ethiopian, the district serves up meals that whet one’s appetites and satiates one’s gourmet tongue. Bourdain takes pride that Rue Bourdain is a dining street with no reservations in terms of food.

As glamorous and elegant as it appears, the restaurant industry in Rue Bourdain is a dog eat dog world, where restaurants put their skills to the test: Knives sharpened for the best cut of “meat,” and waiters dressed to perfection to better fool the unwitting customer. Anthony Bourdain is heavily invested in watching these restaurants go neck to neck in becoming the top restaurant of the street. In order to gain reputation and succeed in the world of dining, one has to beat these restaurants in their game, one flawless bullshit at a time.

Rue Bourdain offers you the chance to start your path to fine dining. The question is, are your knives sharp enough to make it to the top?

ruebourdain is a private pan-fandom AU RP that introduces players and characters to the crackpot world of the restaurant biz.

THE RESTAURANTS OF RUE BOURDAIN

The story of Rue Bourdain begins with the top two restaurants found on the strip: Trattoria Cavallone and Yugao. Right across each other, these two restaurants compete every night to get the top spot as the best restaurant in Rue Bourdain. It’s a neck to neck battle so far, but definitely they’ll need help to outcook each other.

Trattoria Cavallone
Inspired by the burgeoning international cuisine in Japan, Dino Cavallone decided to take his savings from Italy and invest it in a little restaurant in Rue Bourdain named Trattoria Cavallone. In Italy, a trattoria is a small-scale restaurant that serves hearty Italian dishes to its customers. The ambiance is that of an Italian home where comfort is found in its rustic setting and its dishes remind you of what your mother serves at home.

The Trattoria Cavallone is still at its youth yet its brilliant manager managed to make it the second best (sometimes the best) restaurant in Rue Bourdain in a span of three months. The restaurant is known for its exquisite Italian dishes and its charming waiting staff.

Yugao (Izakaya)
Yugao is one of the oldest restaurants found in Rue Bourdain. It was established by a cook who came from the famous Gion district and wanted to branch out to Edo during the Bakumatsu era. He built an izakaya in Kichijouji serving Kyoto-style sushi, a kind of sushi that uses cooked or pickled fish and seafood as a topping or filling.

One hundred and twenty five years later, Yugao still serves this style of sushi in the heart of Tokyo as well as other Japanese dishes. Its current manager, Kyouya Hibari, aims to maintain this tradition and excellence in their restaurant. The restaurant is known for their sushi as well as its traditional Japanese ambience. It is said that because of its age, the restaurant has some seedy connections in the neighborhood. No one is sure but if you’re not afraid of possibly dining with yakuza, then Yugao will definitely be an experience to your palate.

HOW THE BIZ WORKS
This is only how the game works in relation to ruebourdain. RL has more shite for us to worry about.

Operation hours
The operation hours of the restaurant starts at 6AM where all the produces are delivered to the restaurant. By 9AM, the restaurant can start preparations for lunch. By 12NN, the restaurant opens for the lunch crowd, hence serving a lunch menu for them. The restaurant will be in full operation as they cater to the lunch crowd until 2PM. After the lunch crowd, the restaurant switches over to its café operations, serving only pastries and small dishes from 2-6PM. The dinner crowd occupies the restaurant from 6-10PM and are served the dinner menu.

There will be two shifts in the restaurant. The opening shift starts around 9AM to 8PM. The closing shift starts at 12NN and closes the restaurant at 11PM. Part-timers may work half-shifts (ex: 9AM - 2PM) on weekdays and full weekends, as long as they fill up 25 hours of work a week. The Chef and the Maitre'D/Okami/Headwaiter come in from 11AM to 10PM.

Kitchen Duty
Let me tell you about how a professional kitchen works. The day starts at 6AM, when the assigned person (usually the sous-chef) receives the delivery. Prep work starts at 9AM, usually headed by the cook and the apprentice. Occasionally, the chef and sous-chef will help. The stock, soup bases, and some sauces (like gravy) are done before the restaurant opens. Some of meat are slightly precooked or marinated during this time as well, especially if they are pre-ordered dishes.

When an order is made, the chef will call out the dish and the staff will listen for their dishes. In a menu, a kitchen staff is assigned to a particular set in the menu. Usually the chef will take care of the main menu or the specialties of the house. The sous-chef takes care of the pasta. The cook will either grill a meat or do some of those menial cooking stuff (like the French fries) or the salad. The apprentice does the little prep work that still needs to be done in the kitchen; he can do as much as the cook but with the guiding hand of a senior staff. When all hands are busy, the sous-chef and the cook will occasionally rotate dishes. When they’ve finished a dish, the chef or the sous-chef checks the dish before putting it out at the expediting table and calls out to the front of the house to pick it up. A waiter would then shuffle to get the finished dish.

Floor duty
The waiter starts with setting up the tables before the restaurant opens – checking the condiments, the flowers arrangements, cleanliness, etc. They have a short meeting where they check the menu, what items to push, what are the specials and what are unavailable in the menu. They also assign tables during the meeting.

The Market
There are two types of market in town: the regular market and the black market. The regular market is usually in charge of announcing what the produce is in season for the month. Chefs may use this information to change their menu as well as order the said seasonal ingredients. The black market on the other hand is a different story. It pops out occasionally, bringing out rare ingredients for the restaurants to use. And by rare we mean your regular market guy might not know where to get these goods. You can strike a fair deal against the black market but who does a fair deal with the black market dude?

The Snotty Food Critics
Every month, a bunch of critics might come your restaurant’s way. They will have a chance to experience your restaurant either announced or unannounced. Once they do, expect them to actually come up with a write-up on your restaurant’s performance. Their word can harm your restaurant’s reputation so make sure to listen to their criticisms and do something about it. Doing nothing about them won’t help the restaurant.

Loan Sharks
Occasionally, a player will get into a financial pinch and he needs some help from some seedy personalities in the neighborhood. Dealing with loan sharks can help you through your tough times, but do remember that these guys love interests.

The Mystery Diners
These are diners not known to the staff but are hired by management to evaluate the staff. They will come in as a regular customer, make some orders, and then leave the restaurant with an evaluation to be given to the Maitre’D or the manager. The manager will then use this evaluation to check if their standards are still being followed.

Health Inspectors
Once in a blue moon, some dodgy personalities in coats will come to your restaurant and inspect if the restaurant is clean. They check if there are rodents, pests, etc. in the restaurant as well as if the areas are clean. They usually come unannounced so make sure that your restaurant is clean all the time!

GLOSSARY

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:37:02 GMT

GLOSSARY

POSITIONS IN RUE BOURDAIN

« Managers »

In character, managers are in charge of the employment and management of the staff. They also manage the budget of the restaurant hence they make the last call as to whether the money should be spent on a particular item or not. Lastly, managers handle the PR and customer relations of the restaurant. They will engage to the clients and will prepare their staff for an oncoming reservations or activities.

In game, the players of the restaurant managers are in charge of maneuvering the activities of the restaurant as well as how the restaurant participates in the general plot of the game. Depends on the managers’ governing style you may or may not influence your manager’s decisions.

« Kitchen Staff »
Chef
The chef is in charge of building, maintaining, and rotating the menu of the said restaurant. Whenever he changes or rotates the menu, he has to inform the Maitre D' about this change so that the menu will be updated. More so, whenever these changes are made, he has to make sample dishes for the staff as well as give a detailed description on what these new things in the menu are so that not everything tastes like chicken.

He creates the dishes and makes sure that it fits the budget allotted by the restaurant. As the chef, he’s also the main man in the kitchen who teaches and orders the staff around to prepare dishes for the guests. When the kitchen is running, he calls the dishes that are ordered and prepares the main course while the others are in charge of preparing the others. Consider the chef as a micro-manager for the kitchen staff. If they’re stubborn, he’s supposed to crack a spoon on their head. Or throw a knife at them.

Each restaurant only has one chef, and they are normally an exception from the normal shifting schedule. They come in from 10AM to 9PM.

Assistant Chef / Sous-chef
The Sous-chef is basically the chef’s assistant. When the chef is not around, he’s the one who takes over the duties of the chef in running the kitchen. He is primarily in charge of the food inventory as well and works closely with the chef in making sure they have enough ingredients in their restaurants. He is knowledgeable enough to prepare the main dishes of the restaurant.

Cook
The cook is in charge of cooking dishes along with the chef, sous-chef, and apprentice. He doesn’t do much but just cook whatever is ordered for him to prepare. He doesn’t prepare the main dishes but usually is in charge of the grill, the pasta, and other uncomplicated dishes in the menu. A step-up from the apprentice.

Apprentice
The apprentice is a novice cook who is usually in charge of doing the menial slicing and dicing in the kitchen as well as the simple dishes such as salads and soups. As the apprentice he’s often under the care of the other senior members of the staff.

Dishwasher/Busboys
He washes the dishes and cleans the tables in between. When the restaurant has big orders, he can help the apprentice prepare some of the ingredients.

Pastry Chef
The pastry chef is person in charge of creating the pastries/sweets in the restaurant. He works a little independent of the chef in terms of food preparation but answers to him when building the dessert menu of the restaurant.

« Waiting Staff »
Maitre’D / Okami / Head Waiter
The Maitre’D is usually the first person that greets the customers when they enter the restaurant. Like the chef, he’s the micro-manager for the waiting staff and is the one running the demands of the floor. He dictates where the waiters should be and make sure that all the needs of the customers are met. Well, the ones they can provide anyway.

The Maitre'D also makes sure that the waiting staff are highly knowledgeable about the menu, what items to push and what items they can't sell. He also makes a headcount of how many people dined in the restaurant that day.

Each restaurant only has one of them, and they are normally an exception from the normal shifting schedule. They come in from 10AM to 9PM.

Waiters
Waiters are said to be the public face of the restaurant. They may just be serving the food but they are important in building the ambiance of the restaurant. It is their duty to make the guests feel comfortable when they enter the restaurant as well as provide their needs.

Sommelier/Bartender/Barista
The bartender is in charge of taking care of the drinks of the restaurant. When needed, he pours out the wine for customers or suggests a drink that matches their meal. Most of the time they could be behind the bar preparing the drinks but sometimes, you can expect them to approach the clients.

Cashier
The one in charge of the money and make sure all the customers pay right. ;3; He also does the balances of account at the end of the day. Character must be really damn good at math, in any case.

FAQ

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:34:01 GMT

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

FAQ 1:
Answer:

CONTACT POST

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:31:51 GMT

CONTACT/PLOT/COMPLAINTS POST

Do you have comments/complaints/reactions with how the game is run? Feel free to air out grievances here. Don't worry, we'll read them carefully unless you're complaining about the game not accepting more people. In that case, shut up soshite die!

Apart from that, feel free to comment here on the plots that you would like to see. Crack or angst, we like them all! Do you have an event that you want to happen? An NPC you want to come? Just say the word!

Entries are screened until they're not.

GETTING NEW CHARACTERS

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:29:47 GMT

GETTING NEW CHARACTERS

First, go to this post and see if the position you want is available.

Just copy-paste the contents of this and fill the form up.

Comment on this page with the information filled out, and also make sure to have a post in your character's LJ with this same information.

What they stand for:

Player: You!
Character Name and Series: Your character's name and the series where he comes from.
Gender and Age: Your character's gender and age. Your characters need to be at least 16 years old to be hired in Ristorante Cavallone.
Establishment/Position: The restaurant your character is in and his position in that restaurant.
Favorite Food: So what does your character like eating?
Personality Qualities (list): Example: Grumpy, clumsy, cheerful, optimistic, emo, angsty, hot-tempered, hates spiders with the burning passion of ten thousand suns, ditz, etc.
Skills: What your character can do 1) within and 2) outside of the food industry.
Ruebourdain history: Your character's history in Rue Bourdain's universe.
Information permissions: Basically, what other characters can know about your character 1) in public, and 2) after some digging.
Picture of character: If possible, in Rue Bourdain outfit/a suit.

TAKEN/WANTED/RESERVED CHARACTERS

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:05:26 GMT

TAKEN/WANTED/RESERVED CHARACTERS

TAKEN:

Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army
Kuzunoha Raidou

D.Gray-man
Kanda Yu

Ebichu
Ebichu

Fairy Tail
Erza Scarlet

Gintama
Sakata Gintoki
Shimura Shinpachi
Kagura

Honey and Clover
Morita Shinobu
Yamada Ayumi

Hunter x Hunter
Kurapika
Kuroro Lucifer

Iron Chef
Rokusaburo Michiba

Katekyou Hitman Reborn
Dino Cavallone
Hibari Kyouya
Rokudo Mukuro
Lambo Bovino
Basil

One Piece
Sanji

Ookiku Furikabutte
Abe Takaya
Kanou Shuugo

Ouran High School Host Club
Tamaki Suou
Fujioka Haruhi
Otori Kyoya

Persona 3
Aragaki Shinjiro
Arisato Minato

Persona 4
Amagi Yukiko
Satonaka Chie
Seta Souji
Teddie

Sket Dance
Usui Kazuyoshi aka Switch

Umineko no Naku Koro Ni
Kanon

xxxHOLIC
Watanuki Kimihiro

WANTED:

MORE RISTORANTE PARADISO CAST.

RESERVED:

Ookiku Furikabutte
Mizutani Fumiki (Kat; waiter, Cavallone, partimer)

Katekyou Hitman Reborn
Ipin (Pao)

Honey and Clover
Takemoto (Pao)

Maria+Holic
Mariya (Pao)
Matsurika (Eli)

Gokusen
Yankumi (Kristel)

Ristorante Paradiso
Luciano (Khursten)

RULES

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:04:14 GMT

RULES

Rule #1: No god-modding! FFF YOU ALL!

Rule #2: ~~NO PORN. THIS MEANS YOU, PAPAN.~~ I do what I want to do okay! FF YOU

Rule #3: Profiles must be less than 4k characters long. Yes, characters.

Rule #4: Normal RP rules regarding good RP-ing apply!

Rule #5: All logs in ruebourdain will be done in prose form. Characters, however, can communicate as they will through their character blogs. Logging and communication between characters that you own are also allowed, so don't worry about that.

Rule #6: Have fun!

Posting format for Logs (the ones done in the community, in prose form):