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Chef Le Quan instructs his cook helper how to make chawan mushi. Photo V.T |
It’s not by chance that most chefs in big restaurants and hotels are men, who dominate kitchens with different kinds of kitchen tools and ingredients.
Many of them hadn’t thought they would become chefs. “I moved from Quang Ngai to Quy Nhon 8 years ago. At first, I applied for a job at No 47 Construction JSC, but then I decided to find another job,” said Le Vinh Phoi, chief cook of Hai Au (Seagull) hotel.
“When being a child, I never dreamt of being a cook,” said chef of Hoang Hau (Queen) restaurant, Le Quan. “I simply thought I won’t be hungry if being a cook and I could succeed in life with my career; therefore, I was determined to learn cooking.”
It is said that cooking is simple and every one can do. However, only insiders could understand the harshness of the career. If they don’t continuously strive for mastery, they can be easily fired.
A good cook is one who has skilled hands and a good tongue to taste food, let alone patience. Being a chef also requires good health and effective management.
The recruitment of cook is given priority to men as women could hardly cook in the kitchen for hours, said Hai Au’s vice director Le Thanh Sang.
Cooks couldn’t know exactly the number of customers in advance, so they need to be fast. A chef needs to have good health to manage his work, particularly in special events, Sang added.
However, the most important factor is the patience. A chef should be hark-working to learn new dishes and patient to manage other cooks.
A chef has to suffer great pressure, particularly in big restaurants and hotel where there are a variety of customers. He has to know their own tastes to be creative with the same ingredients.
The spice is one of important factors making the distinctive difference among restaurants. It much depends on the chef’s sensitiveness.
Cooks don’t satisfy customers all the time. “Once, I cooked a pot of lau for five tables. But some said it’s delicious; some said it’s bad. Cooking means accepting all comments,” said Quan. “As a cook for 10 years, I’m indifferent to the customers’ praise and blame.”
At present, cooking is one of favourite jobs. Good cooks have high income but they must depend on their job and live far from families.
Quan had to live abroad many times. He is now 35 but still single. “I stay in the kitchen all day. I don’t know when customers come, so dare not to go anywhere,” he smiled. “I returned to Quy Nhon in August but I’ve visited Thi Nai Bridge once.”
A chef has to be present in the kitchen frequently. At Hai Au hotel, for example, there are nearly 150 customers a day, so the chef almost lives in the kitchen.
It could be said that the kitchen is the chefs’ second house. They have to know how to manage cook helpers because they can’t cook all dishes by themlves.
A chef has to accept not only great pressure and less time for his family but many disadvantages. An “ideal” chef doesn’t smoke and drink for they could badly influence his taste, according to Quan.
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