Education, Sunday 9 January 2011
By aLycia LiM educate@thestar.com.my
A
N AMATEUR cook may be tempted to experiment with many spices, but Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur’s executive chef Antoine Rodrigues says to create a good dish, there should be no more than five elements in it. Born in France, Rodrigues is passionate about authentic food. “Every country and every place has its own authentic recipes, and that is what I love about travelling,” he says. “I always try to go with authentic recipes when I cook, regardless of where I am.” Having lived in Africa, Seychelles Island, Turkey, Sri Lanka, the Caribbeans, Thailand and now, Malaysia, Rodrigues first stepped into the kitchen when he was 15 and has not looked back since. “I went to a hotel school in 1975. After I got my diploma two years yater, I worked all around France. I was in different locations for various seasons, such as working in the mountain areas during the winter season, and then by the beach in summer.” During a compulsory stint with the Marines, Rodrigues cooked on board, and found himself a job opportunity in San Diego, the United States. “Unfortunately, my visa did not get approved, and I was devastated. I had nothing but a backpack on me.” Then 21, Rodrigues was not ready to give up hope, and started applying for numerous jobs until he got his first job offer in Jakarta, Indonesia. “Without any hesitation, I told them I would take it. And because I sounded so desperate over the phone, they offered me a more immediate job in Africa, and I went.” It has been a long journey since, and Rodrigues is now the executive chef at Le Meridien hotel, Kuala Lumpur. His sixth year in Malaysia, the cheerful father of two says, “I don’t think I am ready to leave yet.”
My job involves ... ... creating a benchmark for products and recipes, and suggesting the best ways to cook new dishes to the sous chef of a particular kitchen. As the executive chef, I head the direction of the product menus in all of the hotel’s restaurants. It is important to keep reviewing the menus and every once in a while, we introduce new items to it. I also have a big role to play in terms of productivity and cost because at the end of the day it is a business and it has to be profitable. But the biggest part of my job is to be a team leader. I motivate the kitchen staff and encourage them in their daily work to ensure that we always get the best quality. We also get many trainees from hotel schools, and I interview every person who
> FroM prEviouS pagE His Lewre brand of shoes are available in many countries including in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Indonesia, Lebanon, the Middle East, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and the United Kingdom. Lew believes that one must impart knowledge and skills and is offering internships to students interested in the shoemaking and shoe design industry. “As long as students are willing to learn, I am ready to share my knowledge,” he adds. He can be contacted for internship opportunities at enquiry@lewre.com.my
My job involves ... ... having meetings with people from the fashion industry as well as designers and buyers. I also meet with my customers as I have a made-to-order service at Lewre in The Gardens Mall, Mid Valley in Kuala Lumpur. This is a very niche market, but I enjoy making beautiful ladies more beautiful. Shoes are very important for everyone, in particular ladies’ high heels. I had no idea until I put in the effort to learn more about feet. Shoes are so important as they hold
ShoE dESignEr
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Passion for food
it takes more than a love of cooking to stand the heat of the kitchen; a chef also needs to be a manager and team leader.
Rodrigues poses with a selection of authentic Indian dishes at the buffet table. wants to do an internship here.
My morning starts with ... ... doing a briefing on the previous day’s revenue and occupancy in all the restaurants at about 8.30am. We also go through the comments from guests and review the complaints or any special requests if we have any. After that, I have a morning briefing with the chefs and sous chefs, which will take about 45 minutes. We then do a follow-up, and this is when they raise any concerns or let me know if they need anything for their kitchen. When I am done with the briefings, I get to the market list. We buy fresh products every day, and when there is a new product, I test the food before deciding if it is worth buying. This usually takes about two hours. Then I go to one of the kitchens according to the business that day. I usually help out in the busiest restaurant, and then I will break for lunch at 2pm. After lunch, I compile all the chefs’ requests from all the restaurants at the hotel for the food purchase for the next day. I then send the requests to the purchasing manager, and take a break at about 3.30 to 4pm.
We start setting up the buffet for dinner at 6pm. After that, I go to wherever needs my help or wherever is busiest, and I finish at about 9 to 9.30pm.
To qualify, you need ... ... a diploma in culinary arts or similar qualifications. While paper qualifications are not strictly necessary, it is good to get a diploma at a hotel school because it helps equip you with kitchen vocabulary, and basic food handling and preparation skills — such as how to dress a chicken, how to dice, cut and chop. This is because when you enter a professional kitchen, you understand what the chef is talking about and will be able to catch on easier. But paper qualification does not make a person a good chef. What matters more is the years of experience, and what they have gained over the years in the kitchen. To progress further in your career, you must also know how to manage people and the restaurant, and the most important thing about restaurants is to make sure that every dish goes out with the same consistency. That being said, one can start out in the kitchen after secondary school at the lowest
your feet and carry you everywhere.
My morning starts with ...
To qualify, you need ... ... a passion and a natural flair for fashion. The technical aspects can be learnt later. A degree in fashion is an advantage but not necessary.
Lew has designed elegant strappy footwear for celebrities and dignitaries.
The best person for the job ... ... you must love what you are doing. The more time you spend learning and the tougher the experiences are, will make you better in what you do. There is no smooth ride or comfort zone and as long as students are willing to learn, I will share my knowledge.
If I make ugly shoes, no one would want them.
I love my job because ...
Prospects for the future ...
... I am creating shoes for people and making my customers happy and confident. I believe a woman who puts on a pair of Lewre shoes feels comfortable and beautiful.
... are excellent so long as there is a need for people to wear shoes.
... is that the design has to be practical.
rank, which is the Commis 3 level. As long as they show willingness and skill, they can move up the ranks from there.
The best person for the job ... ... is someone humble and open to criticism as a chef. You may believe that you have delievered the best when suddenly, a guest tells you that your food is not good. Sometimes that can be hard to accept, especially when you have put in a lot effort into your work. You also have to be creative, imaginative, and not take things too seriously. You’re not going to hang yourself because the sauce turned, or if you’ve burnt the cake. What is important is that you do your best every time.
I love my job because ... ... I get to makan lah! (laughs) and I love the people I work with. They are really a good bunch of people. I think of my kitchen staff as an extension of me, like my arms and legs. My name is on top of the list, and guests will address me if the food is not up to their expectations. So I should have full confidence in my kitchen staff, and vice versa. It’s just teamwork. I try to give them the best tools to work with, and they produce the best product. When our restaurant is nominated as best restaurant, it is not just to my credit, but to the whole team.
What I dislike most ...
... ensuring I have a clear mind as I run the entire business; not just designing shoes. I come to my office if I am in the country.
What I dislike most ...
All fired up: Rodrigues cooking steak at one of the hotel’s restaurants.
A millionaire by 30? It is important to aim for the long-term and not the short-term, and do something which you like and pursue your dreams.
... is when a guest with limited knowledge of food starts to argue about taste. Food is a subjective matter, and instead of saying that the food is not good, they could say that the food is too salty, or not cooked enough to suit their preference. Unfortunately, some guests jump to the conclusion that the food is bad just because it does not suit their palate.
Prospects for the future ... ... are good. People have to eat. And today, food is almost like fashion — with trends that change from time to time. There is always room to improvise, and to try new things. There is never an end to it.
A millionaire by 30? It is possible for a chef to be a millionnaire if he becomes a celebrity chef, or runs many restaurants at once. But in terms of pay, it depends on your quality, knowledge, capacity, and your training. Although I am not a millionaire, I think I am well paid as a chef, but this is not the main motivation.