Requires many skills
Mr. Nguyen Cong Anh is the head chef of a Japanese restaurant in Cau Giay District (Hanoi). The fixed salary of this chef with 13 years of experience is 40 million VND/month.
According to Mr. Cong Anh, being a chef does not mean just having high skills, a stable job and then being “satisfied”. “We have to try and learn constantly. The strict requirements of restaurants and high-end customers force chefs to constantly update their knowledge. People imagine Japanese food as having only a few dishes, the preparation method has become traditional… but they do not know that we have to “invent” within the allowed scope to be able to maintain our position”, Mr. Cong Anh said.
During the holidays, in addition to taking care of the restaurant, Mr. Cong Anh also directs the preparation of parties for VIP guests. Some guests book parties at the restaurant, others request service at their homes. “Absolute meticulousness is an indispensable requirement for parties where the cost of ingredients alone can reach hundreds of millions of dong,” Mr. Cong Anh said.
According to Mr. Cong Anh, every year the restaurant where he works receives dozens of orders for private parties. Some customers order a traditional Japanese set; some order a large tuna, the chef performs at home to entertain guests with both food and visuals... "After each successful party, in addition to the reward for the service team, I personally can be rewarded up to thousands of dollars if I make the host satisfied. That's why I prepare carefully before starting the party, from the knife, the apron, the decorative flowers... so that everything is perfect", Mr. Cong Anh said.
The veteran chef added that with Japanese cuisine, competition between brands comes not only from the source of high-quality ingredients but also from the decor for the party. Like the restaurant where he works, the trays for customers to place their dishes are not simply coasters, the restaurant owner painstakingly ordered trays made from traditional Vietnamese lacquer. The impressive colors and harmonious shapes and patterns of these trays receive a lot of compliments from customers - according to Mr. Cong Anh.
High income, high pressure
Mr. Nguyen Hoang Hai is a professional chef with over 20 years of experience. He was the head chef of many restaurants before building his own establishment. Mr. Hai is currently a culinary lecturer at the Hanoi College of Commerce and Tourism, a culinary expert, and the owner of many restaurants and eateries in the capital.
According to Mr. Hai, if a chef can build a brand and reputation, he will have a high income but a lot of pressure.
With an established brand including pho restaurant, hot pot restaurant and Dimsum, Mr. Hai, in addition to managing his own restaurants, also regularly makes parties and sets up parties at home for customers.
“The price of a party is usually around 800,000 VND - 1 million VND/person; there are some customers who book a European party for several million VND/person. We calculate and quote based on the total service fee. Customers also have many options, ordering by tray or buffet, eating at a restaurant or eating at home,” said Mr. Hai.
The difficulty in the kitchen, to maintain prestige with customers and satisfy one's own perfectionism, is to be able to manage all the ingredients and processing procedures. That is why, even though he is the boss, Mr. Hai often goes to the market to buy raw materials for the kitchen; the source of goods from the on-site suppliers is also monitored and supervised in detail by him.
Regarding the number of customers during the Tet holiday season this year, Mr. Hai revealed that it has decreased by 70% compared to last year and is likely to get more crowded as Tet approaches. “The peak of the Tet holiday season lasts about 2 weeks, my restaurant can only receive double the number of customers than usual, but cannot take advantage because we cannot serve properly if we are overloaded,” Mr. Hai said.
For the staff serving during Tet, Mr. Hai gives a 13th month salary bonus. As for the chef and boss with more than 20 years of experience, he said that although he earns thousands of dollars each month, the price for that income is a lot of hardship and pressure...
