My First Column

Thank you for sparing some time to have a look at this column. For sure I aint a

blogger but I think it would be a great platform for me to share a few interesting

things behind the scene in a restaurant/kitchen as well as giving an insight of a

different view from a restaurant owner and a customer.

So where should I start…The most question I have been asked was why would I

become a chef. I guess I was always interested in food and peeking at mom's cooking

in the kitchen when I was a kid. It wasn't until I went to UK and really started to

"touch base" with cooking. In my first year course, I admitted I hate working in the

kitchen, even though it was once a week session. I had no idea about those professional

terminology and while most of my classmates have had part-time job in a

restaurant/kitchen, I was always playing catch-up. I remember vividly the 2nd lesson

was being asked to divide a raw chicken into 15 equal pieces into thigh, drumsticks,

breasts etc. I wasn't even able to distinguish what's chopping and slicing. It's like

asking a kid to run before he even knows how to walk.

Thanks for the wide media coverage and Jamie Oliver was the first chef TV program

I came across with. Surprisingly, his simple way of cooking have convinced me I can

do it too. I started to put more attention during my 2^nd year and took more notice on

everything about food. But it wasn't until I got into Uni and have to really start cooking

for myself then made me fall in love with it. I bought several cookbooks of Jamie and

Gordon Ramsay, remember trying out different recipes and responsible for cooking

dinner for my group of friends.

It was like drugs which made me addicted and wanted more and more. It’s the

satisfaction of seeing people enjoying your food and making them happy which

drives me on. It also convinced me that I can be a decent chef despite I had no

relative experience and never really learnt my culinary skills properly.

It was that courage with a bit of over self-confidence and naivety prompted me to

open Paul's Kitchen in 2007. To be perfectly honest, I thought I wasn't "that good" in

cooking at that time when I looked back now. It’s more like I was too green and

had no experience in running a restaurant/kitchen. Besides, cooking for your family

and friends is completely different from cooking for your paid customers!!!

For those who would like to share your thoughts, simply e-mail me on

paul.lee@pauls-kitchen.com.