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First time working front of house

Although it was not my actual performing as a server in an actual working place, I’m excited to share with you the experience I had when serving a buffer for staff at school.

I started the day by waking up at 6:30 in the morning to prepare for my shift at the Algonquin hotel. It was a tough day for me as I worked from 9 AM to 3 PM. Still, I had some time for dinner before heading to school for the buffet serving. Fortunately, we had prepared everything the day before. All tables were set and all decoration were done so we didn’t have to rush. Most of the time, we were waiting for all the guests to come and settle. When it was time, we came out and greet them. Each of us took care of a table and guide the guests to the kitchen where the buffet was served. Since it was a buffet, we were not very busy. All I had to do was to “refill, replace and remove”. That is to refill their water, remove their dishes when they finished and replace their cutlery.

Unlike working in the kitchen, to be a front of house server, you need to pay more attention to your appearance and behavior as you’re dealing directly with guests. You need to be attentive and quick response to guests’ demands. The most importance is to remain calm and focus all the time. My first time as a server was not bad at all. I learned many cool stuffs like carrying trays, pick up dishes, folding napkins, etc. All the stuff that seem easy but you need to do it in the correct ways.

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Vietnamese shrimp paste and the “Bun dau mam tom”

Today, I’m going to introduce you to a Vietnamese specialty which I’m not sure you can try.

Shrimp paste – the most controversial sauce in Vietnamese cuisine. Some people can’t even try a bit but some others could be drooling just by thinking of it. Shrimp paste is a thick purple colored sauce with a really trong smell that is hard to describe. It is a key ingredient and flavor in some Vietnamese dishes such as “Bun dau mam tom” (Vietnamese sticky rice noodle with deep fried tofu and steamed pork) in which shrimp paste serves as a dipping sauce.

“Bun dau mam tom” a simple dish that may contain some separate ingredients such as sticky rice noodle, crunchy fried tofu, sliced steamed pork and some fresh herbs like mint, basil, etc. The soul of this dish is the dipping sauce which is shrimp paste mixing with sugar, cumquat juice and fresh chili. The shrimp paste after mixing is less intense in flavor and ready to be served. The secret of this sauce is that it could smell badly but it would feel really good and tasty in the mouth.

The unique smell and addictive taste is what making shrimp paste popular. However, how it is made is unknown to many Vietnamese people including me. You may find the below video interesting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWYSjLqxcbA

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First winter in Canada

Before coming to Canada, I had heard a lot about the cold weather of this country. What I had in mind was that how people could survive when temperature drops to around -20 degrees in Celsius.

I came to Canada in Fall when the weather was still warm and the sun was still shining. However, the cold has come earlier than we all expected. Temperature has dropped below 0 degree Celsius in November and most of the cities and towns in New Brunswick already had snow. It turns out that the town of St. Andrews where I’m staying is the warmest zone in New Brunswick. Snow had not come to town at that time although temperature was already below 0. I’m not sure why but it may be because we are close to the sea?

The wait was over when it came one day on Friday morning. I woke up early to prepare for my working day at Algonquin hotel. Although I had been warned about snowing on the previous day, I couldn’t believe my eyes when looking out of the windows. Everything was coved in white. There was nothing unusual the day before but after only one night, the grounds were buried in deep snows. All roof tops have been coated in white color. There was a mixed feeling in me. I was kind of excited to see snows for the first time of my life but at the same time was worried about traveling to work. I was not sure if it’s safe to walk under this kind of weather. I decided to gear up and make a test walk outside. The result was much better than I expected. It was much better than walking under the rain. Moreover, the snow is like a signal to tell me that I should prepare properly before going out. There was one time that I under-estimated the cold weather because everything seemed normal to me when I looked out from the windows. The consequence is I had a hard time walking to school due to the cold and windy weather.

My first experience with snow was pretty awesome. I had never known that snow has a really smooth texture. Everything is so beautiful when covered in snow. However, I hope that the weather is not getting any worse in the coming time.

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First experience in the kitchen of Algonquin resort

Today, I’m going to tell you about my first impression at Algonquin resort. First of all, you can find a brief history of the resort below:

“The Algonquin Resort opened in 1889 in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada's first seaside resort town. The cost of a room at the time was between $3 and $5 per day. Five years later, The Algonquin Golf Course opened, bringing the prestigious sport to the quiet resort town. Katy's Cove, a gated beach, opened for resort guests in 1907 and quickly became one of the hottest attractions in St. Andrews.”

http://www.historichotelsworldwide.com/hotels-resorts/the-algonquin-resort/history.php

My first impression in the kitchen of Algonquin was quite different from what I had at Kingsbrae. The size is 10 times bigger and everything seemed to go out of my control for the first time. They have total of 3 floors. The storages on the 1st floors include the dry storage, walk-in fridge and freezer. The staff dinning room and a separate pastry kitchen are on the 2nd floors. The main storages are on the 3rd floor together with the main kitchen which is consisted of a walk-in fridge and freezer, one separate fridge for produces and one separate fridge for dairy products. The dish washing section was something that I had never seen before in any other kitchens I had been to. It looked like a car wash system to me.

My first working days did not go very well. I was kind of lost my way and could not figure out where things are located. It was getting better after a few days. The staffs there were friendly and helpful. They showed me how to do things properly and I learned a lot from them.

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Indulge at NBCC

Today I’m going to write about my day at the Indulge in St Andrews. First of all, I did not know what Indulge is in the beginning. It turned out that Indulge is kind of an event where we serve food to people.

I started the day at school like I do every weekday. My tasks were to slice 2 jars of kimchi and to make some rolls. Also, I had a chance to get to the garden outside and pick up some chives. Time was passing by so fast and we started packing and loading for the event. To be well-prepared, we did not forget to fill our stomach with a delicious meal.

Our station was right in front of the post office at the Water Street downtown. It was a cold evening when we had to wear our jacket inside of our uniform. We’re waiting for the guest to come and it was the longest period ever.

Although we had some trouble with the health inspector, everything went smoothly when the serving time started. I never expected that serving food to people could be extremely busy. I was handling 2 pans for browning the sandwiches. I almost forgot the cold weather and lost the track of time. We sold out sooner than I even realized.

It was really a fun and productive day for me. The excitement made me forget all the tiredness. I started thinking if I could open my business as a street food vendor. That really made my day.

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Gluten-free diet

Since I came to Canada for my Culinary program, I started hearing about Gluten-free food. At first, I did not pay much attention to it because I thought it was just some sort of diet. However, I heard more and more about the term Gluten-free on social media, in advertisement and on food packaging. I begun wondering why people care too much about Gluten-free and make their own lives more complicated.

From what I searched on the internet, only people with Celiac disease should care about gluten free. That is about 1 out of 100. Gluten is found mostly in wheat, rye, barley and oat but the inclusion of oat still remain controversial. Moreover, the good effect of gluten-free diet on people with Celiac disease has not really been proven. On the other hand, people who is strictly on Gluten-free diet may have to compromise on their intake nutrition due to their unbalanced selection of food.

From my point of view, people should not take Gluten-free too seriously unless it is proven to cause bad effect on their health. Everything has its good and bad aspects so a good balanced diet is always the best diet to me. Imagine you have to avoid all the bread and yummy desserts that made from wheat flour for the rest of your life just because of some gluten in them. That is a big sacrifice. Life is less beautiful when we choose not to enjoy it.

You may find the below link interesting:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten-free_diet

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First experience in the commercial kitchen

My first day of practicum started on the 15th of September. Exactly 2 weeks since the beginning of my program. I didn’t expect the practicum to come so early. I had not even been in the school’s kitchen by that time. I was wondering what kind of knowledge I can apply in the real workplace.

However, my first day was not too bad. It turned out to me that the purpose of the first practicum is just to give me a big picture of how a commercial kitchen is running. By observing all the cooks and chef there, I could have some idea of what I will be doing after graduation. A hands-on experience and working hours would let me know if I am really suitable working in the industry.

Actually, my main job there was just chopping, cutting, labeling and storing food and material. I had a chance to practice my knife’s skills and I am happy with that. My second job was to wash dishes. That was my first time working with a commercial dish washer and it was quite interesting. I learned to do thing faster and more efficiently.

Last but not least, I had a chance to visit the garden and it was beautiful. There were so many produces in the garden that I did not know their English or French name. I learned new stuffs every day and things were getting better and better.

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Enjoy the popular snacks of Vietnam

Today, I’m going to introduce you to some of the popular snacks in Vietnam.

Súp cua (Crab Soup)

Crab Soup is a typical street food of Saigon, where you can find it at school gates, street corners or from street vendors. Crab soup is suitable for a cold day; a bowl of hot crab soup soothes the cold on your hands. The crab is mixed with mushrooms and a little of black pepper. You just want to keep enjoying.

Bún thịt nướng (Grilled pork noodles)

Pork is marinated then grilled on charcoal until very fragrant. It is served with many kind of herbs, bean sprouts, peanuts, onions and rice noodle. To taste properly, you should put sweet and sour fish sauce in the bowl, then mix all together. This barbecue noodles are easy to eat and have a good fresh taste.

Phá lấu (Beef organs soup)

This is a very popular dish in Saigon, one of the most addictive snack foods. From children to adults, everyone loves to eat this dish. One can eat two consecutive bowl without bored. Some people compare it to the lagoon due to some similarities in the sauce. That is not really true, Phá Lấu has the sweet and fatty taste from coconut milk. The main ingredients in this dish are made from cow's organs such as tripe, stomach, etc. If you have it for the first time, you would feel a bit strange, but when you are used to it, you can eat two or three consecutive portions.

Bánh tráng nướng (Grilled rice pancake)

The pancake is grilled on charcoals. When customers order, the vendor starts to beat the eggs, spread evenly on the pancake and sprinkle the chopped green onions. On the surface, when the cake is nearly cooked, the vendor continues to add other ingredients depending on your needs such as shrimp, chicken, beef or cheese. This is a cheap and tasty dish you must try.

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Asian and Western cuisine

Today, I’m going to point out some basic differences between Asian and Western foods. From my point of view and my experience in cooking, Asian and Western share some commons in the way of food preparation and cooking techniques, however, the final products have big differences in tastes.

The difference which I first realized is that Western food tends to focus on either sweet or salt while Asian food tries to balance between those two. For example, most of Western main courses do not use sugars while Western desserts tend to be really sweet. When it comes to Asian main dishes, sugars are usually added and salts can be replaced partly or entirely by fish sauce or soy sauce.

When it comes to spices and ingredients, what makes Western dishes different from Asian is the use of Thymes, Bay Leaves, Rosemary leaves, heavy creams and cheeses, to name a few, which are barely used in Asian, especially in South East Asia, where garlics, gingers, shallots, spicy red chillies, fish sauces, soy sauces and coconut milks are common ingredients.

In Asian every day meals, meat is only part of the meal and tends to be heavily seasoned (salty and sweet) so that it will balance with plain rice. On the other hand, in Western cooking, meat is the main star and potatoes are the common side dishes. Soups are indispensable in both cuisines. However, most of Asian every day soups are clear vegetable soup while most of Western soup are thick and based on puree method.

The great thing about dining is that we need diversity in our every day meals. The same foods and tastes could be boring day after day. That’s the reason why Westerners can find Asian cooking satisfying and Asians can find Western food a big treat.

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5 Most Wanted Foods in Singapore

Today, I’m going to introduce you to some of my favorite dishes that I had a chance to taste in Singapore.

Frog Porridge

The frog porridge is served in two separate bowls: one with plain white porridge and green onions on top, the other with heavily seasoned golden brown frog meat. The best combination of porridge and frog meat I have ever tried. Fresh frog meat is marinated with soy sauce, oyster oil, sugar, wine, shallot, etc. The aroma of this dish will stimulates the taste of every eater.

Chili Crabs

The key to this wonderful sauce for the Chili Crabs is the mild taste of garlic and rice vinegar with a little addition of flour and egg yolks to boost the level of tastiness. The careful selection of fresh crabs also creates a natural sweetness for this dish.

Hokkien Mee

The stir-fried shrimp flavor noodle is loved by everyone who tasted it even for the first time. It is a perfect combination of thick crispy noodles and seafood, dipped in rich, juicy broth. Hokkien Mee is originated from southern China. The delicious broths are prepared by steaming seafood such as shrimp and clams, then adding to the noodles and stir-frying. For the best taste of this dish, do not forget to go with lime juice and sambal chili.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Hainanese Chicken Rice is modified from the recipe of the first Chinese immigrant to create the unique Singaporean chicken rice. The dish looks simple but are processed with complexity to create a unique flavor. The aromatic white rice is cooked with chicken broth, chunks of chicken are presented beside, a cup of soy sauce and ginger paste. It’s like a combination of harmony between yin and yang.

Satay

The concept of skewered and grilled meats is not too strange. However, Satay is a unique Singapore's dish which is originated from Indonesia and Malaysia. The ingredients for making skewers are also varied: Pork, chicken, seafood ... The meat skewers are grilled on charcoal stove, coated by a layer of oil. The fragrant scent will make any diners drooling.