Gerald Lee, 34, never thought he could cook, much less become an Assistant Sous Chef at exclusive private dining Chinese restaurant, Xi Yan.
“I had never really cooked much before. When I completed my National Service, I thought I would work in sales,” says Lee.
But there were no sales job to be had for the PSLE-certificate holder. Instead, an unexpected opportunity arose.
“My friend was working in a Japanese restaurant and there was a job opening there as an assistant cook,” Lee recalls.
Unknown to Lee then, the accidental introduction would be the start of a new exciting chapter in his life. He took the job and for the next six years, Lee learned the basics of cooking.
“I did a lot of preparatory work. I cut vegetables, I prepared sauces, I sliced meat,” says Lee. “I learned the right way of handling food and proper food hygiene.”
Step One – Keep Moving Forward
The experience in the kitchen whetted his appetite for more. In 2007, he saw an advertisement for a position at Xi Yan’s Singapore outlet. The possibility of working in Hong Kong celebrity chef Jacky Yu’s establishment thrilled him.
“It was the first private dining restaurant in town then. It has no menu, no walk-ins, and its cuisine is unlike traditional Chinese or Asian cuisines,” explains Lee.
Lee got the job and started work as Chef de Partie.
“The demand on quality, consistency, neatness in food preparation and cooking was very high. I got to learn a lot more dishes and work with a much bigger team.”
Lee was a quick study and soon caught the attention of his boss.
“Gerald is diligent. He learnt from the head chef and he studied on his own. I saw the potential in him,” says Thomas Choong, the Director of Xi Yan. “He is also bilingual and that is a bonus in this business.”
Lee was sent for the restaurant’s training courses including one on kitchen management. But the management had more in mind for Lee.
“We wanted to send him to Hong Kong for training,” says Choong.
Then, he found out about a programme that would harness Lee’s flair for cooking and help him advance in the F & B business.
A graduate of the EDP, Assistant Sous Chef at Xi Yan, Gerald Lee, got a promotion and a salary increase, and now hopes to work his way to the position of Head Chef
Step Two – Never Be Afraid to Learn
“My contact at NTUC's e2i (Employment and Employability Insititute) told me about the Executive Development Programme (EDP) and I thought it would be good for Gerald and my staff to enroll in the programme,” says Choong.
Developed by e2i and the Singapore Workforce Development agency in 2012, the programme aims to support the Labour Movement’s Hospitality and Consumer Business Cluster’s thrust to attract and retain Singaporean PMEs (Professionals, Managers, and Executives).
The Management Trainee programme is designed to help strengthen the Singaporean Core in the Hospitality, Attractions, F & B, and Retail industries. Participants from all education levels are welcomed to the structured training that grooms them for management roles over a period of 12 months.
To draw more participants, companies who nominate their employees have to first raise their salary to a minimum of S$2,000 for Diploma holders and below and a minimum of S$2,300 for Degree holders and above. NTUC subsidises up to 70 per cent of the EDP training allowance, capped at S$1,400 a month for a 12months management training course.
“The fact that the scheme is partially funded helps,” says Choong. “In the light of manpower crunch and the need for greater productivity, this scheme to upgrade skills is very useful.”
Apart from theoretical knowledge, Management Trainees are taught supervisory and leadership skills through in-house management training programmes and projects.
“I learned to do menus planning and arrangement. This includes considering the special dietary needs of customers who may not eat pork or shell fishes or who are vegetarian and coming up with good alternatives that fit within the budget,” shares Lee.
He also picked up skills needed outside of the kitchen such as managing customer's complaints.
“Sometimes, we do make mistakes with the cooking. The food may be undercooked or over-cooked or too salty or not salty enough. I learned how to listen and understand their complaint, to apologise, and then find the best way to fix the problem.”
Solutions may include giving the guests a discount on the bill or offering another dish.
Diplomacy aside, leadership skills, resource planning and allocation are part of the curriculum as well.
“Learning these skills has improved my confidences,” confides the introverted chef. "They will prepare me to take up more leadership positions in the future.”
Step Three – Dream Big
This year, Lee graduated from the EDP, one of the 130 Management Trainees who have completed the course since it was introduced. As part of the programme, he was given a promotion to a managerial position and a S$200 pay increase. He now draws a monthly salary of S$2,500. On average those who have completed the programme get an 11.2 per cent salary increase with Diploma holders averaging a nearly 12 per cent increase.
Recently, Lee was given the chance to head a team to cook for a dinner party at the home of one of Xi Yan’s well-heeled guests. Thanks to his training, he performed spectacularly and got compliments all around for his culinary creations.
For someone who had not stepped into a kitchen much, Lee now has big dreams.
“I hope to be a master chef someday,” he smiles.
