Twenty-Ten

So a new year just begun. I, for one, have never believed in making resolutions. Not out of fear that I will not fulfill them, but more of... well, we all know how we can improve ourselves, why not make that a daily quest. And if it's something that important, you will do it, even if you did not make that resolution over new year's day.

One for example is on how I decided to leave corporate to enter FnB in Oct 2008. It was an idea weighing in my mind for more than a year before I took the plunge. Looking at how uneven the paths have been, many would have perhaps regretted if they were in my shoes. I do not. I still get blown away on how simple wholesome produce can be put together into an amazing dish, with a plating so exquisite, it leaves customers happy to empty their wallets.

I particularly enjoy watching the video clip by Guy Savoy http://www.guysavoy.com at the beginning of the website.

Is this the kind of food I want to produce? Close to it, it's always an aspiration. But in a more casual setting, but still good ingredients, clean taste and picture perfect presentation. Must it be French food? No, not necessarily, I like to draw inspirations from S.E.Asian, (namely Thai, Indon/Balinese), Japanese, but in small dosage, such that it doesn't overwhelm the entire dish, more like a clever twist of a dish which should remain largely Western in appeal.

Why does it have to be Western? Largely, because, I think our neighbours are doing a very good job already, if you want to have Thai, you would go to a Thai eatery for e.g., and you can never compete on the prices they charge. (Not to say there isnt' any expensive Thai restaurant.) Dining out and being entertained is still a largely Western pursuit, who are willing to shell out more for an evening out. Being on the Western/International list makes your restaurant stand out on more versatile occasions, whether it's a business lunch, or quiet anniversary celebration, etc. You know you will (and should!) get a dignified ambiance, excellent service, well portioned dishes, 'expectable' and good tastes. I said 'expectable' because, for e.g. you order a beef dish in a bistro/restaurant, you're sure to have an unctuous savory tasting beef, to the doneness you want, as opposed to a Jpn beef dish which could end up tasting sweet! Like sukiyaki. Not to say that sukiyaki tastes bad, but to an uninitiated diner, that's the last on his mind. And depending on the occasion, it could very well embarrass the host.

So it's fusion food? I don't like that word very much, because it's neither here nor there, you end up not being anything at all. I'll like to think about re-invention. Re-inventing classics, or modern classics, from another perspective, using fresh local ingredients (helping the local industry) and good quality imports. Up till today, for e.g., I will only buy Italian canned tomatoes for my pasta sauce.

In other words, I need to establish my manifesto, find my voice, to avoid being drowned out by the other noises out there. It's not just a job I'm doing, it has to represent somewhat 'me'. I'm too old now to slog it out 15 yrs in a kitchen before establishing my own place. But nevertheless, I still have to 'pay' a number of years in a cuisine job for experience and being 'credit worthy'.

This experience does not come easy. Over the last few months in a professional kitchen, the buzz of service cannot be replicated in a classroom setting. The quaNTity of ingredients processed, the stockage, the mise en place, the problems that arise and how to solve them asap, the various dishes presented, the ideas, are all important to forming an identity that I will grow up to. All these while, your body is pushed to its limits, heaving heavy pots, machines, almost running (but never run in a kitchen!) from point to point, tasks after tasks, non-stop, one after another, keeping your workplace clean, expecting high quality results of yourself, it's little wonder, why sometimes, after work, I do not really want to get out of my home. Of course, the cold does little to help.

Thanks for following me up to this part of the journey until I leave Paris. I hope the 3rd part will be just as interesting, or even more.