"Interesting fact"

Can you differentiate & explain what is the difference between a cook & a chef? Yes? No? Yes? Surrender? I have the answer.


Cook: A person that has no proper training or attend to any culinary school. They have no or very limited skill, experience or knowledge about kitchen. They can be anyone including out from the street or anywhere you can think of. 


Chef: A proper trained & educated cook in a proper culinary school. Have basic skill, experience & knowledge about how the kitchen works & knows how to manage the kitchen. They must get out of a proper culinary school to earn the title of chef.

Bottom line is:

A chef is a cook but a cook is not a chef

"Driving next!"

I went to take my Driving Computer Test on yesterday. The test is all about the laws on the road, road signs & also some basic common sense of driving. I passed my test. Passing mark is 42/50 & I get 46/50. Not a very awesome result but at least I get a blue mark (pass) on my result paper. 

After passing the test, today, I proceed on to the next & 2nd class which is Workshop or best known as "Bengkel". Compare this with the KPP (first) class, this is much much much much more boring! It basically repeat most of the lesson from the first class & some very very very basic things like how to start a car, adjusting your seat, how to fasten your seatbelt & so on. 

Started the class at 9.30am, finished at 11.40am. And my tutor only come & pick me up at 12.40pm. Well, I don't blame him. He's a busy man & I can wait. 

So, on the way home, we have some chat. Well, bonding I should say. And this is what we talked about just now.

Tutor: So, what will you usually do during this time if you are not going out?

Me: Um...nothing. Just sit around, doing nothing.

Tutor: Hahaha. Must have something kan? Watching TV, exercise, playing computer?

Me: Oh, yea. Playing Facebook.

Tutor: Facebook again kah? 

Me: Hmm?

Tutor: I can't understand about Facebook lah. Try to explain to me why you like Facebook? 

Me: Um...because it help me to find back my long lost friends you know? And it help me to connect with my friends, keep updating on each other. 

Tutor: Yes, I know but why? You cannot go out & meet them face to face kah? 

Me: Um...

Tutor: Kids nowadays ah always sit in front of the computer wasting time doing all the rubbish things in the computer. If you just want to talk to your long lost friends or finding informations for your education, it's okay lah. This ah sit in front of the computer 24/7 doing nothing but Facebook & games. All the kids become nerds & geeks bah.

Me: *speechless*

Tutor: Doing everything through Facebook. Finding girlfriend pun from Facebook. Chat with girlfriend through Facebook, dating through Facebook. Then if you want to screw her? Screw the CPU kah?

Me: *holy-shit!!!!!!*

Tutor: Come on lah! Go face-to-face & talk to her, say you love her, and if can, say this to her, "Hey, I want to screw you!" Kan easier?

Me: *die*

My tutor is a bad-ass motherfucker!

"Looooooong Satur-Day!"

I went to Api-Api Driving Centre (ADC), located at quite damn far from the city, for my very first class, Kurikulum Pendidikan Pemanduan (KPP), of getting a legal driving license. 


Finally, after years of waiting, I got the chance to learn to drive. But I don't really in the mood of having my driving license now. I could be more excited when I was younger but now, I am just not in the mood. 


But because I will going for my job training soon, I don't expects I will have any-time to learn it, or I might not be in Sabah during that time. So while I still have time now, just do it!


My tutor, a friend of my mum, came to my house & picked me up around 8am. Went to this far away institute to register myself. Done everything & went into a 6-hour class about Road Laws. The class was fun but however it is, still somewhat boring.


What do I mean fun is the tutors who lecturing. There were 2 tutors lecturing me & also some others. The first tutor, a story-teller. He basically tell us almost everything that has nothing to do with driving. And he has a super-duper thick Sabah-accent. 


Second tutor, he is a very fun person. His voice is so manly & sexy (this might sounds gay but he really does!). I like his style of lecturing. He did not follow the book at all. He has his own way & ideas of lecturing. He will simplify & explain the long part from the book & making it into a short & easy to remember example. And he shared the ways of how to answer the computer test. After his class, I never been this confident of going for an exam before. Hahahaha.


But I will take the test sometime around next week after I have gone through all of the 500 questions that given to me as a reference. I just want to get every test done before I'm facing my college final exam. Wish me luck!

And I saw two cute girls today!

"Let me make it clear"

Some times ago, a friend of mine asked me, am I disturbed or am I depressed because I seems like very fiery & couldn't hold my anger back lately. 


Yes, I am. I am stressed by the assignments, studies, relationship between peoples, my kitchen practicals & also the procedures of my job training.


I think my fiery & hot temper will only show-out in the kitchen more than in everyday life. In everyday life, I can play with you, make fun with you, be crazy with you but in the kitchen, never fucking try any of these with me. 


As I said last time, I am a very serious & strict chef in the kitchen. When my chef's coat buttoned, apron on & my chef's knife out, it is time to get serious. 


My rule, I will not act like a mad dog, barking around if you did not done anything wrong. Each person deserves 3 chances of asking, answering, & listening to me. I will not tell you anything for the fourth time. Or you can try, but you should be ready to get shout.


This happens in every kitchen that you will get into. Kitchen is a place where the environment is very intense, busy, stressing, hot & serious. It is not a playground. If you want to act like a child, get the fuck out of the kitchen. Never try be a chef.


What happen in the kitchen all of you facing now is just like 5% from the reality. Never hate me for treating all of you like that. This is part of the chef's game. If you can't take the pressure, never get into a kitchen. If you are too depressing, get out, go to a corner where no one sees you, cry, wipe your tears, calm down & get back into the kitchen. 


You think Hell's Kitchen is just a TV show? You think Gordon Ramsay is an actor? Think again! Watch that show before you making up your mind of being a quality chef. 

If you think that is too much for you, never even try to think of being a Kitchen Helper!

Welcome to the Chef's World, my friends!

Catering Management (Kiong Kee Restaurant)

Introduction

Kedai Kopi Kiong Kee is a typical Chinese kopitiam that you'll find all over Sabah. It serves many traditional Chinese hawker foods. These dishes include the common noodle with soup, and the ever popular Sabahan favourite the Kon-Lau noodle (dry noodle). Besides these, Curry laksa, pan mee, yee mee, iwat mee, and porridge are also available at Kiong Kee Kopitiam. The pricing here is reasonable starting at RM 4, while the meat and noodle portions are very generous compared with other noodle shops.

Buns and cakes are also available especially in the morning. Every day except Sundays, starting from 9:30 am to lunch time, economic rice is served. Kiong Kee kopitiam cooks up some 14 different dishes daily. Price for the economic rice starts at RM 4.

Located along Gaya Street, the oldest section of Kota Kinabalu city, Kiong Kee Kopitiam lies right at the heart of everything, making it easily accessible by foot or by vehicles. Every Sunday morning Kiong Kee Kopitiam opens its door as early as 5:00 am, just to cater for those early birds who will soon be crowding the busy street for the weekly Gaya Street Sunday Market.

Chapter 1: Nature of Business of Kiong Kee Restaurant

A. Nature of Service

The nature of business of Kiong Kee Restaurant is food service. Kiong Kee Restaurant provides On-premise and Off-premise Catering as well to its customers.

B. Details of Kiong Kee Restaurant

Business Hours: 6:00 am to 5:00 pm (Monday to Friday)
                             6:00 am to 3:00 pm (Saturday)
                             5:00 am to 2:00 pm (Sunday)

Kiong Kee Kopitiam will take a day off once a month (note: no specific day).

Address: Kedai Kopi Kiong Kee
                 No. 121, Ground Floor, Gaya Street,
                 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Contact Number: +601 64350 5027 (Mathew Lo)

Chapter 2: Product of Kiong Kee Restaurant

Curry Laksa

Noodle Soup

Fried Noodle

Fried Rice

Singaporean Fried MeeHoon

Tenom Fried Noodle

Economy Rice

Chicken Rice

Yee Mien

Pan Mien

Kon Lou Mien

Iwat Mien

Porridge

Cake

Bun

Rice Dumpling

Steam Pau

Chapter 3: S.W.O.T Analysis of Kiong Kee Restaurant

Strength

Kiong Kee Restaurant has a huge range of foods for the customers to choose from. Every of the foods are good and sell in a very reasonable and affordable cheap price. They have a big space in their restaurant for everyone to sit in and eat. They provide a very good service to every of their customer. And the owner and his staffs are very friendly.

Weakness

They serve non-halal food, so not everyone can eat in their restaurant. They don't enough parking for the customers. 

Opportunity

The restaurant placed at the heart of the city, the most strategic place with a lot of tourists pass by the restaurant each day. Near the banks and offices around.

Threat

Kiong Kee Restaurant has few big competitors around such as Pizza Hut, Yee Fung Restaurant, Rainforest Restaurant.

Chapter 4: Pricing of Kiong Kee Restaurant

General Pricing

The pricing of Kiong Kee Restaurant is based on what the customers order, based on the menu list and it is a la carte style of charge. Starts from RM4 - RM6 for food.

Package Pricing

Their package pricing is usually applied in the premise for occasion such as Birthdays, Full-Moon, and other small parties. They usually using Buffet service during the off-premise catering. They will sell whatever that can be found in the on-premise menu. The price of one event is depends on how many pax that they need to cook for. They will count food & price for per head.

Chapter 5: Marketing Plan of Kiong Kee Restaurant

Kiong Kee Restaurant advertise their business through the word-of-mouth by their royal customers. The don't really do much marketing but people still coming in to their restaurant. 

The owner usually give something special to the royal customers such as free extra meat or vegetable, free drink or free re-fill.

And the best marketing that they can market their restaurant is their good food. Peoples are attracted to their restaurant because of their delicious & cheap food.

Prepared By: 

Adrian Mak Wei Sing

01667-05-09

Diploma in Culinary Arts

May 2009

Asian Tourism International College

One of the most valuable lesson I have learned from my previous relationship...

Never date you best-friend!

Unless you going to or you are sure that you will marry to him/her.

And I've failed both of these

"If only I can talk"

How can I talk,
If you never let me to,
Silenced me, 
Cross my line?


How can you listen,
If you never want to,
Listen to me,
Ignore me?


How can we discuss,
If you don't want to,
Talk about it, 
And pretending?


How can this be good,
If you keep lying,
Lie to me,
Foolish me!


How can this be right,
If you always want to win,
Never surrender,
Never lose!


How can you see,
If you keep your ego,
Higher than you,
Blinding yourself?


How can you feel,
If you changing the facts,
Blame it on others,
Victimised yourself?


How can you hate,
If you can't hate,
To the one,
That is imperfect?


How can you change,
If you never think of,
How egoistic you are,
To the others?


How can you think,
If you are a hypocrite,
A great pretender,
In your own world?


How can I talk, 
If I never allow to,
A simple word,
Nor an apology...

"It's a blue SUN-day!"

Today, Sunday, just like its name, very SUNny & HOT!! And other than that, I am now super-free & somewhat boring. All of my assignments have done (and I somewhat miss the pressure of doing assignments!). Well, at least I have something to do, even though always struggling it at the last minute.

Back to the real reason of this post. I feel bad lately, especially after I sent-in my Culinary Arts 2 Interim Report. That is my last ever assignment for my course. I feel bad no because I am afraid for my score or whatsoever but it is because I know that after this assignment, I will soon leave & go for my job training. The fact is that I will soon LEAVE this college. Can't believe I say this but yeah, this is the place I first started to be a real chef & be called as a chef. 

I don't like to say goodbye. Nobody does! It is super-hard to say a farewell to all of my friends that cook with me, laugh with me and bare my bad temper & strict attitude in the kitchen. 

But as a chef, you have to accept it. As a chef, you don't stay in a place or kitchen for too long. The maximum time you can stay in a same place is like 5 years. After that, you should go out & find another new kitchen to work in, to learn new thing, new recipe, new skills & new experience. Except that is your own one & only  restaurant or the hotel pay you a huge sum of money. 

So, I accept the fact that I am a chef & I need to move on!

For what I can see now, some of my friends really have a bright future awaiting for them ahead. Part of them will work in some big hotel & restaurant, part of them will have their own restaurant, part of them will be private chef cook for some big name people & some of them will be lecturer chef. 

Some other, need to struggle a bit before they can totally get into the business, and some, won't involve into this industry at all or just for awhile then leave for another life. 

But whatever it is, I will pray for them for whatever they will be doing in the future. I wish that after 10, 20, 30 years, I still can seeing them in the kitchen, shouting at the chefs under them. Good luck to everyone of them & God bless!

The term of "chef", although frequently used to describe anyone who cooks, is considered a mark of respect by those within the profession. The tittle in one that can only be earned through delight practise and dedication. Those chefs who have made or will make the most lasting impression in this industry know that their success depends on their ability to fulfil many different roles....

Author unknown

"Yesterday was wonderful, fun, exciting, sweet, memorable, delicious, and last forever!"

Done with my Culinary Arts Final Test on yesterday. I was so wanted to blog about this on yester-night but I was so freaking tired. Never mind. I still can write about yesterday on tonight. 


I cooked the foods as I have stated on my previous post. But only until yesterday, a small changes have been changed. I did not have enough time to make the Granita. It did not freeze-up & I have to serves it. So, plan changed, Pineapple & Lemonade Granita into Pineapple Juice & Lemon-grass Lemonade.

Filipino Chicken Macaroni Salad (Appetiser)

Menudo Rojo-style of Beef with Pandan Rice & Apple Fritters (Main Course)

Pouched Gulaman with Pineapple Juice & Lemon-grass Lemonade (Dessert)

All the comments about the foods were great! We receive almost 100% of good review except for the juices. Too sweet! Blame it on the chef who made it, me! The reason is, I was trying to make it as Granita, not juice. If it was a Granita, the taste will be perfect. Juice, just too sweet. But whatever it is, all the foods were good & delicious! 

And of course, I will not get so many compliments on the foods if without these two girls. They are the chefs & mastermind who provide me these recipes & taught of how to doing it. 

L-R: Liza Pelonio, Chessa Gonzales & me, Adrian Mak

My apology for what happened to my eyes in this picture. Just the right moment  for the wrong timing. 

They are the best chefs I ever cook with. I can see their increasing of skills & self-confidence throughout the whole time we been in group. And I am so happy that they willing to let me show the basics & appreciates for whatever I have taught & told them. Both of them are quality chefs. And the future for them are super bright. 

Chessa told me about her dream, and that is what I can see in her. I see that her dream will come true. She just need to practise more on her skills, increase her self-confidence & bravery, and everything will be fine. I am sure I will see her in the future as one of the most well-known chef in Asia.

Liza, a confuse, silence yet, smart chef. She don't talk much, she don't ask much & she don't complain much but she can work & she can work without much supervising. She have a clear mind of what she need to do & do it perfectly. But one advice for her, make up your mind of what you want to be in the future. For now, she is just like a head-less chicken. Not knowing where to go. 

But in this group, there will never be perfect if without the other two chefs, who didn't get together in my group for some reasons. That is Elvira Dosmin & Bernstein Lim.

Virut, it is okay for the critics. Without critics, we will never grow & improves. It is hard, of course, but it is good for us. Just like what I have told you that day during class, I really see that will be your future. But if you willing to hang on a little while, you might seeing things differently. What facing us ahead is a challenge. Our life will never get easy. 

Bernstein, this will be the most creative bastard you will ever seen. His style of cooking is unique. He never follows any recipe. He cook whatever he sees on the table. The future I see in him, he will open up a restaurant & he will create a whole new kind of cuisine. He will not belong to any kind of cuisine. He is belong to himself & cook his own kind of food. His style of cooking; big, meaty & flavourful. Just wait & see. 

Me, myself? I have it in mind & want to keep it secret until I reaches the achievement I wish for. Once the world haven't ended yet, I will work my arse to get there.  Pray & wish me luck. 

And last word, I will always pray for four of you. You guys truly made my day in the kitchen during college. You are the best group member that I ever have & will never get anyone as brilliant as you guys in the future. We are still the best team in Western Cookery & Culinary Arts 2. Good luck & God bless!

1st time was luck

2nd time, we're great

3rd time, WE ARE THE BEST!

*All pictures are credited to Chef Jhellybean Jabone

"I never be this excited since PLKN!!"

Culinary Arts 2 Final Test is on tomorrow!

Menu of the Day:

Filipino Chicken Macaroni Salad 

Menudo Rojo-style of Beef with Pandan Rice & Apple Fritter

Gulaman with Pineapple & Lemonade Granita

"Newest finding about my ancestry"

Yesterday, I went to my mother-side grandma's house. So, as usual, we will buy some snacks & light foods for my grandma & for ourself. We eat, watch AFC (Damn! I miss this channel!) & chat. And all the sudden, one thing came into my mind, ask for the picture of my great-grandmother. Since like forever I heard my mother talks about her grandmother, also my great-grandmother. 


So, my grandma, cracking her old bones to dig-out all the old pictures of my mother-side family. Surprisingly, I mean I was super-surprise because all of the pictures are still in a unbelievable good condition. After like 40 - 50 years, the picture still looks brand-new! 

This is my great-grandma's portrait picture. My grandma told me, of all of my great-grandma's life, she only ever took 3 pictures. Every picture with the same pose, only with different clothes. So, I decided to keep only one for myself & my grandma keeps the other two.


Based on my grandma, my great-grandma came from Sandakan. Now the fun part. The major native ethnics in Sandakan are Suluk, Bajau Simunul, Bisaya and Sungai. Sandakan was not the place where Dusun stays during that time.  Even now, only a handful of Dusun stays there for business purpose. I might not who I am that I thought I was after all. 


And for somewhat reason, during my high-school time, I ever thought that maybe I have the blood of Bajau because I can actually understand what my Bajau friends speaking in Bajau. Sandakan have Bajau Simunul? Coincidence, perhaps!


I might also have the blood of Suluk, Bisaya & Sungai. 


And one thing that makes me wonder, why am my great-grandma wearing cheongsam in this picture? Few reasons, maybe my great-grandma have to act Chinese after married to my great-grandpa (a Chinese-Hakka). She was a Sino too? Or maybe she was an adopted native child by a Chinese family?

I need to find-out more about my great-grandma! 

"I might not a Dusun after all!"

And I might a Suluk, Bajau, Bisaya, or Sungai