100109 Dream No.2
Not many may know this; but after successfully being an architect in the near future, I am really passionate in opening my own restaurant. I do admit that I'm not even close to being a decent cook to feed myself, but I've been learning alot in running a restaurant; right from designing it to expediting the sous chefs. My humbling one-month stint in Pizza Hut as a part-time waiter certainly gave me an insight. But that's semi fast-food. I've learnt how to handle customers that make you want to reap off their mouths, I washed the toilets, scrubbed the floor by hands, I've been scolded by my lady boss, and polished countertops and table legs.
The customers I met nevertheless always cheer me up. Being the only waiter who can speak fluent english, decent cantonese and mandarin (as obviously the other staff were malay), I managed to earn extra tips by sweet-talking rich (& moderate) housewives. After my first week there, I can already foresee potential tip-giving customers and will give them 5-star customer service. I even met a customer who is a retired architect and started chatting with him on my future education. There was also this vegetarian couple which frequents Pizza Hut. And they always call for "Jun." I can remember their usual order till today; the combo set consisting: carbonara spaghetti with no chicken but extra peas, vege pizza with extra pineapples, 2 cups of hot tea, change the breadstix to garlic bread and if the soup of the day is chicken & not mushroom, they would request for a switch to garlic bread. And his wife always asks for cheesepowder.
Owning a restaurant and creating it from scratch would be great. But being a chef in your own restaurant is even better. I'm learning, observing and experimenting. I would enjoy seeing people digging in into my dishes. A kitchen is always an exciting space. Packed with constant dynamics and interactions. Inventing the menu is fun too. Every new dish is created from a concept, and its taste and representation built subsequently. Simply inspiring. I'm not certain in what kind of cuisine my restaurant would specialize yet but it would probably be an upscaled, fine-dining one. And chances are my first restaurant wouldn't be in Malaysia ;)
The customers I met nevertheless always cheer me up. Being the only waiter who can speak fluent english, decent cantonese and mandarin (as obviously the other staff were malay), I managed to earn extra tips by sweet-talking rich (& moderate) housewives. After my first week there, I can already foresee potential tip-giving customers and will give them 5-star customer service. I even met a customer who is a retired architect and started chatting with him on my future education. There was also this vegetarian couple which frequents Pizza Hut. And they always call for "Jun." I can remember their usual order till today; the combo set consisting: carbonara spaghetti with no chicken but extra peas, vege pizza with extra pineapples, 2 cups of hot tea, change the breadstix to garlic bread and if the soup of the day is chicken & not mushroom, they would request for a switch to garlic bread. And his wife always asks for cheesepowder.
Owning a restaurant and creating it from scratch would be great. But being a chef in your own restaurant is even better. I'm learning, observing and experimenting. I would enjoy seeing people digging in into my dishes. A kitchen is always an exciting space. Packed with constant dynamics and interactions. Inventing the menu is fun too. Every new dish is created from a concept, and its taste and representation built subsequently. Simply inspiring. I'm not certain in what kind of cuisine my restaurant would specialize yet but it would probably be an upscaled, fine-dining one. And chances are my first restaurant wouldn't be in Malaysia ;)
