Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a transparent kitchen?

A transparent kitchen is designed to foster openness and trust between the restaurant and its customers. The primary characteristics of a transparent kitchen include an open view of food preparation, which allows customers to see how their meals are made, thereby ensuring food safety and quality. Clear sourcing information for ingredients is essential as it helps customers understand where their food comes from and promotes ethical sourcing practices. Encouraging customer engagement is also a key aspect, as it invites feedback and interaction, creating a more personal dining experience.

In this context, hidden cooking processes do not align with the principles of transparency. A transparent kitchen emphasizes visibility and openness, whereas concealing cooking processes contradicts these ideals by potentially raising concerns about food safety and preparation standards. Thus, hiding cooking processes is not characteristic of a transparent kitchen, making it the correct answer.