↓ Skip to main content
Home

About Morten Jensen

I’m your host, Morten Jensen, responsible for just about everything on this site, where I document my path from professional kitchens to software development.

I spent 20 years in professional kitchens — working my way up from line cook to kitchen leader, running teams, owning budgets, and keeping high-pressure service running smoothly. Now I write code.

I’ve always been interested in how software gets built. Working as a chef in the Microsoft canteen and talking daily to their engineering teams made me realize I should just try it myself — planning ahead, owning your systems, and staying calm under pressure translate surprisingly well from kitchens to code.

So here we are.

From Kitchens to Code
#

I worked my way from chef to kitchen leader — running teams of up to 20, planning workflows, owning budgets, and keeping operations running under pressure.

Picture of Morten
Working at Fleisch a nose-to-tail restaurant

Turns out a lot of that translates to software:

  • Plan before you execute
  • Communicate clearly when things move fast
  • Own your systems
  • Fix what’s broken, improve what works

While working as sous chef in the Microsoft canteen, I spent enough time around engineering teams to see the parallels. Eventually I stopped watching and started learning.

What You’ll Find Here
#

I’m currently in my 4th semester studying to be a Datamatiker (Computer Science, AP degree), with top grades so far and a focus on backend development, databases, and clean code.

This site includes:

  • Projects — Portfolio work from my studies, things I build for fun or to solve real problems
  • Blog — My journey becoming a full-stack developer, documented post by post

My main project so far is MiseOS — a full-stack kitchen management platform (Java/Javalin backend, React frontend, PostgreSQL) that was deployed and tested for several weeks in a real kitchen. It brings my two worlds together: kitchen operations and software. Most of what I build focuses on backend development, databases, and systems that actually work.

Teaching & Community
#

I tutor fellow students in programming and the core curriculum at my academy, and I volunteer at Coding Pirates, helping kids learn the basics of programming.

Turns out explaining for loops to 12-year-olds is a good way to make sure you actually understand them yourself.

Skills
#

Morten’s tech stack — the skills and technologies he’s worked with:

Backend: Java · Javalin · JPA/Hibernate · PostgreSQL · JWT & BCrypt · REST, WebSocket & SSE

Frontend: HTML · CSS · JavaScript · React · Vite · React Router · CSS Modules · Thymeleaf

Tools & DevOps: Docker · GitHub Actions · DigitalOcean · Caddy · Watchtower · REST-assured & Testcontainers · Git · Figma

Tools
#

IDE: IntelliJ IDEA · Visual Studio Code

Notes: Obsidian

What I’m Doing Now
#

Updated August 24th, 2026

  • Studying Datamatiker, 4th semester
  • Taking an elective on AI-driven applications — RAG, agents, and the like
  • Building a RAG chatbot for this site
  • Tweaking this website
  • Building and maintaining MiseOS

Experience & Journey
#

  1. Professional Chef

    ~2006 – 2010

    Various professional kitchens

    Worked in professional kitchens, building a strong foundation in teamwork, discipline, and high-pressure execution. Learned early the importance of preparation, structure, and consistency.

  2. Kitchen Leader

    ~2010 – 2018

    Leadership & operations

    Led kitchen teams as head chef and sous chef, managed workflows, owned budgets and food cost, hired and trained staff, and ensured quality and efficiency in daily operations. Developed skills in communication, organization, and problem-solving.

  3. Microsoft canteen (Meyers)

    ~2018 – present

    Where tech curiosity turned into a career change

    Served as sous chef in the Microsoft canteen, leading teams of up to 20, coordinating suppliers and deadlines, and working to a corporate client's standards. Working daily in the Microsoft environment exposed me to modern technology, development culture, and engineering teams. This is where my interest in software development truly began, and where I decided to change career paths. Now part-time, alongside my studies.

  4. Datamatiker Student

    2025 – present

    Software development & systems thinking

    Currently studying Datamatiker (Computer Science, AP degree), focusing on backend and frontend development, databases, and clean code. Actively building projects like MiseOS and documenting my learning journey through this site. Also tutoring earlier-semester students at the academy.

Contact
#

Here’s how to get in touch or find my contact information — email, GitHub, and LinkedIn:

Feel free to reach out directly by email, or connect with me on GitHub or LinkedIn. You can also check out my projects or read the blog.