Wanna know what this emoticon is? Turn your head, or your iPhone or laptop. It's a chef. With toque, smiling. Just in case you were wondering how to code the text message that you're now sending your friend, along with the postage-sized picture of a bowl of tonkotsu ramen or wildly overpriced spaghetti. More fun with small toys.

Here's a variant one for chef (turn your head the other way): C=:-). This toque, although not as amusingly risqué as the other one, isn't nearly as dramatic or old school. There is apparently quite a bit of slippage in emoticon semiotics, so note that :-/ (sceptical) is different than :- (undecided). Of course you can add further code. In fact, here's an iPhone app for a whole lot of them. For example, if the chef in question is yawning: |-O. Or ate something unpleasant: :-*. Or shouting: :-V. In which case, if you're working at the restaurant instead of one of the guests taking happy pictures of the food, sorry. Maybe put the phone away.

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