Draf 1 (334)
As an aspiring cook and food lover, I always admire those who work in this industry and I am fascinated by their story of how they got to where they are. As such, the subject of my interview is my colleague who work in the same restaurant as I do. His name is Mr. Song and he is a sous-chef at Madoi, a sushi restaurant in downtown Peterborough. We have sat down together during one of our rare breaks when he told me his life story, a tale of struggle and hardship.
The first question that I asked him is:”How did you become a chef’. Surprisingly, it was only recently that he starts to pursue a career in culinary. When he was young, he studied art in a university in Korea, but he couldn’t find a job in his field after graduation. After a long period of self-reflection, he decided to make a fresh start and came to Canada 5 years ago. When he first came, he begun working as a dish washer in a Japanese restaurant where the pay was only 5 dollars an hour. However, he was determined to succeed and learn cooking skills there. He steadily accumulated experience and carefully observe the kitchen and was promoted to work a cook. Eventually he quitted his job at the Japanese restaurant but by then, he was already a capable and full-fledged cook and was hired as a sous-chef at Madoi. The next question that I asked him is:”What do you love most about this job?”. He said that what he love most is the fact that he can take pride in his creation. He takes the utmost care when preparing and presenting his food, especially when it comes to sushi. In a way, he is able to express his artistic side through his cooking, which was one of the things that he is also passionate about. He is also quite proud about having come up with several original dishes that are used in Madoi.
Draft 2
As an aspiring cook and food lover, I always admire those who work in this industry and I am fascinated by their story of how they got to where they are. As such, the subject of my interview is my colleague who work in the same restaurant as I do. His name is Mr. Song and he is a sous-chef at Madoi, a sushi restaurant in downtown Peterborough. We have sat down together during one of our rare breaks when he told me his life story, a tale of struggle and hardship.
The first question that I asked him is:”How did you become a chef’. Surprisingly, it was only recently that he starts to pursue a career in culinary. When he was young, he studied art in a university in Korea, but he couldn’t find a job in his field after graduation. After a long period of self-reflection, he decided to make a fresh start and came to Canada 5 years ago. When he first came, he begun working as a dish washer in a Japanese restaurant where the pay was only 5 dollars an hour. However, he was determined to succeed and learn cooking skills there. He steadily accumulated experience and carefully observe the kitchen and was promoted to work a cook. Eventually he quitted his job at the Japanese restaurant but by then, he was already a capable and full-fledged cook and was hired as a sous-chef at Madoi. The next question that I asked him is:”What do you love most about this job?”. He said that what he love most is the fact that he can take pride in his creation. He takes the utmost care when preparing and presenting his food, especially when it comes to sushi. In a way, he is able to express his artistic side through his cooking, which was one of the things that he is also passionate about. He is also quite proud about having come up with several original dishes that are used in Madoi.
Final version: Food Lover (862)
As an aspiring cook and food lover, I always admire those who work in this industry and I am fascinated by their story of how they got to where they are. As such, the subject of my interview is my colleague who works in the same restaurant as I do. His name is Mr. Song and he is a sous-chef at Madoi, a sushi restaurant in downtown Peterborough. We have sat down together during one of our rare breaks when he told me his life story, a tale of struggle and hardship The job prospect for chefs in Canada can be said to be extremely positive in the upcoming future, and it is great news for a student in culinary such as myself. According to Student Scholarships, over the next 10 years Chefs, Head Cooks, and Food Preparation and Serving Supervisors will be one of the fastest growing occupations. In addition, with a Fleming College credential, I believe that I won’t have much trouble finding a career as a chef. However, the job market wasn’t always so kind to the aspiring chef. It was very hard to find a job working for a restaurant, much less as a chef. Knowing this fact has put things into perspective, especially when you consider the fact that Mr. Song didn’t have any degree or previous experience when he pursued a career as a chef. I realized just how incredibly difficult his life was, when he shared with me his story. It was just another busy Friday for us in the kitchen. I was working a 2 hours shift that day along with Mr.Song and 3 other colleagues in the kitchen. At Madoi, we take turns to have our dinner. Friday is the day where it is only Mr.Song and I at the dining table. While we were having our meal, I took the chance to conduct a short interview about him. Since we are always so busy, we never had the chance to learn about one and another, so I figured that it was a great opportunity to get to know more about my boss and do my schoolwork at the same time. Mr Song was happy to comply with my request, although we didn’t have much time before having to go back to work. The first question that I asked him was:”How did you become a chef’. Surprisingly, it was only recently that he started to pursue a career in culinary. When he was young, he studied art in a university in Korea, but he couldn’t find a job in his field after graduation. After a long period of self-reflection, he decided to make a fresh start and came to Canada 5 years ago. When he first came, he begun working as a dish washer in a Japanese restaurant where the pay was only 5 dollars an hour. However, he was determined to succeed and learn cooking skills there. He steadily accumulated experience and carefully observe the kitchen and was promoted to work a cook. Eventually he quitted his job at the Japanese restaurant but by then, he was already a capable and full-fledged cook and was hired as a sous-chef at Madoi. The next question that I asked him is: ”What do you love most about this job?”. He said that what he loves most is the fact that he can take pride in his creation. He takes the utmost care when preparing and presenting his food, especially when it comes to sushi. In a way, he is able to express his artistic side through his cooking, which was one of the things that he is also passionate about. He is also quite proud about having come up with several original dishes that are used in Madoi. Even though I barely ask any question, Mr.Song was enthusiastic about sharing his life story, his opinions and the lessons that he learned. I feel that for all the things that he talked about, there was one essential lesson that he wanted me to know. He was able to become a chef because he didn’t let go of opportunities or lost sight of his goal. He was hungry for knowledge and eager to prove himself which eventually got him noticed, otherwise he would still be washing dishes. This was the lesson that struck me the most deeply from his story. I have been too content with my current education and rely solely on Fleming College to turn me into a chef. However, I now understand that I am taking it too easy and there are still a lot more that I can learn and do outside of school to improve my cooking skill, much like how Mr.Song was able to become a great chef without the guidance of any educational institution. While I have yet figured out how I would embark on my journey to self -improvement, at the very least, I know that I can greatly benefit from observing and learning from Mr.Song, who has shown me my own short-comings.
References:
Song, personal communication, October 26th, 2018
Foodlover Girl, Katsu Burger Capitol Hill, November 1st, 2018
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