J@tch Chef's Life (Teng~~~2009)

Been 1 year passed back, and its a good time to update my yearly chef's life...Yes, now im still a American Burgerboy yet selling burger and stationed in my hometown. Unlike the previous job, selling nasi lemak, char koay teow, running here running there but over this past 1 and a half year, i have found myself into the 9 to 6 working cultural that most of us do.

Im a lil burgerboy working in a huge, structured company named American Burger Corp Ltd Pte Intl Enterprise SDN BHD. Its a good explosure to see how a big company using a numbers of working tools on their daily operations. Local Ramli burger stall selling just burger and hot dog di tepi jalan; however a franchise company besides of selling burger and hot dog, we also have varieties of choices like french fries, apple pie, mash potato, ice cream, and somemore come out with Happy Meal with toys too to focus on large group of customer, and this is not only can found in America, Japan, British, China, Malaysia, Singapore and Africa too.

American Burger Corp Pte Ltd Intl Enterprise SDN BHD have many branch, and my branch named ATGees. During the days, i have experienced what the call of TeamWork...

When lunch time... ...we IM inform one another, we headache together on what to eat later, we car pool together, we share our working difficulties to one another during lunch time...

When teammates birthday... ... we celebrate, we sing birthday songs, we give present, birthday boys cut cake...

When yearly quarter end... ... we work half day, we go makan together, we go overseas, hotel for activities, we have fun together...

When we collected enough teamfund... ... we go for a dinner or movie, we eat pop corn, hot dog together...

When overstress on work... ... we find our way to release stress, we plan for a trip, go holidays to Cameroon Highlands, Genting Highlands, indeed we have fun together...

When peers left... ...we organize farewell party, we present farewell gift, we take picture for memories, some of us (note* only some of us) cry together...

Its all about WE, its all about a team of Burgerboy and Burgergirl's life. Without one of mate, without an every single mate, WE unable to make the "Great Moments" happens...

All's the great tools and equipment provided by American Burger Corp Pte Ltd..., during the work...Just one click on the button... 2-4 minutes to bake a burger, 5-10 minutes from Huan Chu to French Fries, 11-20 minutes from ice, chocolate and milk to Chocolate Milk Shake. Life is been great for the 1st half of year, until...comet hits somewhere on earth last year end and causing Tsunami last year end.

Obama Quote:"Change, We Can Believe..."

Jim_Tang:"Change, Can We Believe?"

After the economic crisis, ATG have experienced a huge change...Economic was moving backwards, customer tighten up their stomach instead of chosen to buy cheaper, substitute food like Hokkien Mee, Economic Rice, Nasi Kandar, instead of burger as their daily food. Change will never been expected for a burgerboy \ burgergirl, i have a colleague that fries french fries and pop corn, day in day out everyday suddenly resigned and go back to her hometown Seremban sell Char Seow Bau after Chinese New Year; Branch Toilet Cleaning Manager who taking care of the toiletries suddenly no role and need to take VSS and go for another job; A colleague that being a frontliner infront of the order desk had been transferred and salary cut to another department as a plate washer within 3 days notice (what the F* change, how could this happens to an employee carries healthy problems with heavy finance commitment change from french fries segment change to burger baking segment within a Quarter, when she tried so hard familiar with the process of baking burger, suddenly being transferred to another branch?). Yup, we just a burgerboy \ burgergirl, what to do?

During the days of change we as a frontline burgerboy, day in day out... we are working just like a french fries machine, and our branch leader busy for meetings. During weekly team meeting, the commom words we heard is..."sell more burger", "appreciate what you have now", "its Global Burger Business Growth", and the most..."How many burgers you sold today? Number Le?" During that time, burgerboy, and burgergirls suddenly feel undone, no clear directions and a chef's life is always unpredictable...May be I'm a lil bit negative minded, some times will have a tought, abo i go to plant Huan Chu suak liao lar...

A life of a burgerboy is all about rises and falls, people comes people go, what goes around comes around, change, change and still more to change. My wish is simple during this hard time:"change for better future."

Last time most of our customer walk in, placed an order, burger ready, money recieved, generate reciept, transaction done. But due to "Global Business Growth", American Buger branch which stationed in Africa's branch taking over walk in customer's segment. Now, my branch only taking care of company order, and where change begins...

Due to the change, I switched my role to Burger Hunter, not hunt for deer, hunt for rabbit, but hunt for customer and being part of project "L"...Be proactive rather than passive...now I, Hunter, have wear burger costume, stand in front of Restaurant running promotions, distributing flyers, probing customer on their appetitte, upsell customer to add on cheese, fried eggs, vege on top the burger...

Aunty...try our American Burger Bo?
Uncle...ate our American Burger before? Don't lie you, very delicious 1...
Leng Chai...how do you think of American Burger?
Ah Dik...beli American Burger free Bumble Bee toys...

Replies from Customer...

Aunty:-"Mai lar, American Burger not nice 1...I prefer Kentucky Fried Ducky, Mag Ronald, Burger Queen, Fando..."
Uncle:-"I vegetarian 1 wor..."
Leng Chai:-"No, I'm on Diet"
Ah Dik:-"I like Megatron..."

Passed flyer to 10 customers, 4 customer throw the flyer to rubbish bin, 3 customers throw to 2nd rubbish bin, 2 customers throw flyer to 3rd rubbish bin and 1 customer will come back and ask...American Burger really that nice r?

Punch in chun chun at 9, punch out chun chun at 6. Dont have the intension of coming early and staying late in the restaurant as the more i stay, the more i felt myself useless. Trying to change burger selling attitude few times but ended up looking with another Hunter, each other and shake head at the end. And yet, negative thinking of planting Huan Chu rises again...

Last month, starting of brand new Quarter change again...

Change Could I? Change I Could? Could I Change? Yup, I Have To Change...to sell more burger... ...

J@tch Chef's Life (Zoom~~~2008)

No more nasi lemak, no more kim chi ramen, no more char koey teow these days…had change the life to working life to US Burger MNC Comopany (Dxxl) after the Chinese new year.
Indeed, sudden change of working life from the job description of running here, running there to sitting concretely in a cubical was tuff in the beginning. Previously freelance as a cook in nasi lemak, kim chi ramen, and char koey teow tending on outside works and much freedom, now working in a cubical life was totally different compare to previous job. Now, its time for looking a consistence life based in Penang…

Before fully on board on an American Burger life, I was given the training on ‘how to make a tasty burger’. Firstly baked the bread in an oven, select fresh vegetable, meat, cheese, sauces to be added…wow, different in how was I am tought in cooking kim chi ramen, nasi lemak, char koey teow from my father. Life seems challenging, enthusiast in wondering how will I be when I firstly on board on American Burger life. When the time of training, I was punctual to work in 9, punctual go back at 5, sometimes go back earlier at 4 something still confused wanna back anot, until one day, my college says to me, ‘when u can go back earlier, fast fast go back earlier and enjoy ur life… …’ I was stunned in wonder Y? until I found the answer after the nightmare start… … … …

Remember the time I firstly on board, I was arranged sat at the back of my sales coach. i was working dumb and slow in learning, averagely hundreds of questions to my sales coach and I was very stim stim all the time. Beginning was always the hardest, and yet toughest. My customer is ordered filet o fish, I served big mag; customer wish to have orange juice, I punched apple juice; until 1 day Malays customer ordered beef I AH BAI AH BAI served pork, Malays committe (company with the Harimau Head 1) sued American Burger until the case now seems life haven’t end (luckily I was protected by my last leader (Fxxxxy), or it will become the real nightmare for me just started at work and caught by ISA with reason unknown)….=.=”. Working life in American burger restaurant was tuff, everyday work OT, working before sunrise, back when moon shines… I was depressed and planned to quit the Burger life few times and back to nasi lemak life. But it was not a good time to quit because the demand on nasi lemak was limited at the moment, so I was told by myself and leaders, give myself time and wait…

Life goes and time passed by…I was changed from leader to another leader, quarter to quarter…KAM SIA GOD, BOH BI, I was guided under good leader, nice college and good environment of work. Learn from where the place we felt down. Here were the few words I learned and always beared in mind most of the time from people around me…

“As a Burger seller, we are striker! Not defender! Not midfieder! Strike and attack more goals until opponent nets broke!!!”

“Fight for numbers, as a Burger Seller, numbers is everything, fight for numbers and numbers speaks everything for a Burger Seller!!!”

“Any complaint from customer? Passed it to customer care…Any wrong delivery of Burger? Passed it to customer care…Any non market value issue? Passed to customer care…” hehe…

And now, I was able to feel on what is the feeling of office working life, working from 9-5, in front of computer most of the time of joting down the order of customer; the feel of Saturday and Sunday life that I was unable to feel while working as freelancer of cooking nasi lemak; and still to come, the feel of festival on big holidays, as I used to say, this coming chinese new year able to stay at house and wont be selling nasi lemak anymore as what I did in the last 3 years (sob~).
Working is meant of learn from time to time, many of issue still awaiting for me to discover and learn from time to time and there will not end. Selling burger is on how to let customer likes our burger and make them happy not only for good burger they ate, but still, let them felt happy after ate our American Burger. Serves the household customer was not the same with serving the big company customer whose ordered bulky of burger at one time and complicated burger orders deal. The face of burger seller in my department turn around very fast, the people around me was changed over 30-40% since the day I joined, I appreciates what I learned from peoples around me whose left on how to make a good burger, may be it was what we called an office life, switching from work to work to find a clear blue sky…

I unable to predict how will my Menu Of Life going to change in the next chapter changed, but I do appreciate on what I have now. Try my best in draws a rainbow in the next page of my resume in next page……..Cheers~~~

J@tch Chef’s life (Rewind~~~2007)

After one year of getting my Menu, I’m not making my chef’s (or wat I meant, cook) life according to the Menu. During this year, I have try my effort to cooks the foods on wat I get from the Menu, following the same recipes stated, same indigents should be added and the steps to cooks on it, but it doesn’t seems like the taste I demanding for my cooking life, neither western of eastern favors. So, after one year of floating life on chasing my dreamz, finally I have made my choices focus, appreciate on wat dishes am I cook right now, that’s DIY, or wat we call Do It Yourself.

1st dishes:-Freelance chef (freelance tour guide)-homemade nasi lemak with salsa sauce.

Indigrents: 1 chicken drumstick, rice, oil, ikan bilis, chilies, cucumber, egg, and special made salsa sauce.

First and foremost to be a freelance chef, it requires the cooks to be unique, aggressive, and yet responsible, or there is no restaurant willing to hire the chef with normal ability. I’m not doing perfect and still trying my best to improve every time. Thanks to the peoples around that giving such chance to cook this dish. During freelance chef, restaurant doesn’t appoint me many times, or sometimes two or three times per month, each time 2 to 3 dayz. My confidence will up one level when the time I wearing my chef’s uniform together with 1 long hat on my head. I’m attracted with this cooking life as it allows me to face anything special that is not from the menu. Comes out my own flavor, travelling to different restaurants to cook for different customers, and always be alert to solve problems. It allows me to one step closer to the king of intelligence. During the process of cooking nasi lemak, the important thing is to insert true feelings of Malaysian, as nasi lemak only can found in Malaysia, so the knowledge of local culture have to be strong. By presenting all the cultures, warm feelings of Malaysia into one roof’s, that’s NASI LEMAK. But the weak point of being a freelance chef was I have to sacrifice the time with parents, especially the season times. Because freelance chef have to travelling to different restaurant, mostly overland and when the time the customer takes rest and having their dinner. Contrary, no matter the there is local customer or foreign customer, we as a chef have the responsible to cook an aromatic, delicious nasi lemak to satisfy their stomach. As customer is always RIGHT.

2nd dishes:-Contractor Chef (Samsung HP merchandiser)-Korean Spicy Pork Ramen with Pickle.

Indigrents:-Ramen, Pork, Pickle, Chicken Soup, Spices, Mushroom, Pepper, and Chilles.

If you love spicy, this dishes is indeed suitable for you. I have intervened as a contractor chef in this Korean restaurant since the process of creates my Menu, so more or less, the flavor will be great. last time, this Korean restaurant only in Penang Island, then Butterworth, and now Sungai Petani and Alor Setar, as the branches expanded more and more. Although in the surface, this Ramen jobs is easy, but it requires some skills in pulling the flour becomes Ramen, cooks the chicken soup with spices in the suitable heat, sinks the pickle with chilies etc. This jobs is cute, during this job is carrying on, my Korean restaurant boss always continuously said, “fight for your restaurant!” or “Don’t lose customer to the neighbor Japanese Sushi Restaurant (Sxxx Exxxxxx) or Western TGI Saturday Restaurants (Nxxxx, Mxxxxxxx)” “I pay you such an amount of wages (act not so lumayan) is going to see wat the result you pay back to me…” or “We have to archieve of selling 100 mugs of Ramen per day, than wat our rivals, stupid white face selling 1,000 of Unagi sushi per day…” bla bla bla~1st month, gone, 2nd months, passed, 3rd months repeats the same words…As a contractor chef, sometimes have to used to be wat the Songs that Sing by our boss(although boss is not singing as well as RAIN), or u will be get trouble and fired very soon. At the beginning, I was so refuse to listen to this SONG’s , but for three meals per day, I tries to accept wat the boss singing every time, or I wouldn’t be survive on this Korean Restaurant for years. Yet, Boss is always RIGHT.

3rd dishes:-Hawker stall (hard labor for family business)-Char Koey Teow.

Indigrents:- Koey Toew, Oil, Prawn, vege, eggs, clam, lok cheong, tau ge.

This is the third alternative chef’s jobs when I was free during this year. Penang as a hawker heaven is full of delicious hawker food, and hence most of the hawker center in Penang Island you can search, at least one stall selling Char Koey Teow, even u goes to KL will also see PENANG CHAR KOEY TEOW. So, setting up a Char Koey Teow Business is easy, but how to survive in the market of Char Koey Teow is crucial. Therefore, as a non-risk seeker, I choose to becomes the junior helpers of Char Koey Teow to my father whose have decades of Char Koey Teow experience. As a junior chef, I follow my father goes to shopping at market in the very morning with a very MUST tool *BASKET* in my right hand. To buy the indigents of Char Koey Teow, watch the skills of father negotiating the raw material prices with aunty uncles. Before open up the stall, we have to arrange all the raw materials in the proper place so that it won’t face any hardship on finding raw material when frying Char Koey Teow. During the business is operating, it is a skill need on how to communicate well with the customer while frying Char Koey Teow, take care of the heat, indigents added, etc. And after the business, we have to clean it up the plates and tools. Char Koey Teow life is tuff, have to face on to the hot heat every day, oily, and smelly. But as a son of my father, I have no choice and always have to be ready as a GOLDEN SUBSTITUTE when every time father’s worker on MC. Dirt and tuff should not to be a matter to me, but the matter on how to Fried a plate of delicious CHAR KOEY TEOW is important.

As the 1st year in chef’s life, I likes to discover delicious foods when I travelling to different places, tasting different types of local foods and comes out very own flavor. This year I have comes out 3 different types of dishes, hopes will get the response and support from my customers like you soon. thanks~