Saturday, December 3, 2011
Zushi Bar
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Food Suppliers in Singapore...
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Words of wisdom
Friday, November 18, 2011
You Are The Apple of My Eye
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Starting a food business in Singapore (Coffeeshop stall)
Starting a business is simple but sustaining and growing one is not. I’m no expert but here is part of my point of view starting a food business in Singapore after starting a coffeeshop stall.
~The Concept~
The one and only question you must ask yourself… What makes you special?
Differentiate yourself and stand out from the competition. No matter selling chicken rice or laksa, what makes you so special?
You should always have an extra edge over competition to be successful.
If you are selling bah kut teh, the soup must be robust, flavourful and has body. Side dishes are also important as supporting characters are what complete the story.
Thinking of using cheap rice to cut cost? Adam road nasi lemak uses basmati rice to stand out from the rest. Every component counts. But even with the most premium ingredient and you still make it taste ordinary, don't waste your time.
~The Location~
If you found the thing that makes you stand out from the competition, next you need the location that makes it work. Selling chicken rice at Maxwell food center (Super famous Tian Tian Chicken rice) or selling bbq seafood (more then 20 stalls selling the same thing) at Newton food center will most probably not work no matter how good you are when there is too much or too strong of a competition. Instead of direct competition, why not sell something new or unique to the area to stand out from the rest?
Know who you want to target (Office crowd/students/families), rental that makes sense for the amount of human traffic, and set a realistic price range for the targeted audience. Office crowd can afford a foie gras salad and steak for lunch, can a student afford the same thing?
~The Capital~
There are so many ways to gather capital.
- Personal SavingsHowever always think carefully and always plan for the worst. Are you willing to lose everything and be in debt? What are your plan b? where is the threshold that you need to windup and sell off everything to minimize loss?
~The Process~
The process of registering a business and getting the relevant license is rather easy. Just visiting a couple of website will do.
http://www.business.gov.sg
As for NEA requirements, you have to work closely with your tenant/landlord and provide NEA with relevant documents (blueprints/food hygiene certifications).
~Suppliers~
Google and yellow page are your best friends. However when you have a few years in the food industry, you know who are the major players and the price range they can offer you.
I used to work in a restaurant where I get the chance to chat with the supplier making friends with them and it proves to be an important connection. They are the first who grant me credit term and better price for the products then listed in the price list.
~Show time~
Running a business? Work in progress, still a learning experience for me.
There is so much more to cover, but only real life experience of setting up a business will tell.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Moving my arse!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
I miss running...
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Boeuf
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Foie Gras
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
A taste of private catering!
Friday, September 23, 2011
New Beginning!
Monday, September 5, 2011
Othello's
Monday, August 22, 2011
Transition
Monday, August 15, 2011
OSIM Triathlon 2011
This post was a few weeks late... Can only blame me for being lazy and feeling tired all the time.
Anyway, Had my fair share of fun and pain during this year's triathlon.
2009 Swimming Timing: 00:41:30
2010 Swimming Timing: 00:44:55
2009 Cycling Timing: 01:39:47
2010 Running Timing: 01:17:45
2009 Overall Timing: 03:41:22 (Age Group Position: 49)
Friday, August 5, 2011
The World is full of Mystery, Tamarillo...
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Plague by bad luck... and i don't care!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Form affects Taste and Texture.
Today for lunch service Nicholas and I went to the chiller and look around then decide on the garnish for the loup de mer. We came up with the idea of courgette spaghetti with Mediterranean flavours. End result is really exciting.
By changing the form of courgette, its ability to cling onto flavours (sauce) and the time to cook it to make it al dente all changes. An easy to fire garnish that has an ability to cling onto the flavours of the piperade, kalamanta olives and white wine so nicely. Really, now i should really start looking at the common ingredients differently.
How to take things one level up all the time? That is the challenge, my job.
Things that makes my job interesting.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Top Chef Masters: Final Challenge...
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Tonka Bean!
One reason that makes me stay in DB Bistro for a long long time is because chefs will always bring in special ingredients and seasonal ingredients.
Today I had a chance to see Tonka bean and taste it for the first time in my life.
Something that don't smell good and taste good in its raw form but surprisingly it taste very pleasant after cooking. My chef did a expriment of infusing it into something sweet then churn it into ice cream :)
Friday, June 10, 2011
Finesse
Definition of FINESSE
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Meat Glue aka Transglutaminase
You can find in reconstituted meat and seafood products like chicken nuggets, imitation crab meat and factory made fish balls. Extracted from animal source, i would say its somehow "natural".
Anyway, meat industry usage of the meat glue have given it a bad name. They are using it to bind trimming and end cuts of meat into a regular or prime cut. That is just cheating!
As for restaurant context, its application is endless.
From wikipedia;
Transglutaminase can be used in these applications:[citation needed]
Improving texture of emulsified meat products, such as sausages and hot dogs.
Binding different meat parts into a larger ones ("portion control"), such as in restructured steaks
Improving the texture of low-grade meat such as so-called "PSE meat" (pale, soft, and exudative meat, whose characteristics are attributed to stress and a rapid postmortem pH decline)
Making milk and yogurt creamier
Making noodles firmer
so how about doing something simple like sandwiching fish with herbs, truffles and butter?
000 Fish meat
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Nurse reveals the top 5 regrets people make on their
By Bonnie Ware(who worked for years nursing the dying)
It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.
2. I wish I didn't work so hard.
By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly,in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.
Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved.Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.
It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip.But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks,love and relationships.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have sillyness in their life again.
When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again,long before you are dying.
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My current state...
1) Doing the best i could living my dream by working in the kitchen. However i still wish to travel around the world eating in 3 star restaurants and work in some. Open my own place eventually.
2) I must work hard. I'm destine to be a workaholic. Work satisfy me, makes me feel alive.
3) I do wish i had the courage to express my feelings. I need to work on this as i'm too afraid of changes...
4) I lost contact with most of my friends i meet along the way but i hope to reconnect with them.
5) Happiness sounds simple but yet its complex. Still searching for what makes me truly happy...
Monday, May 30, 2011
Adidas Sundown 2011
The first 10km was a breeze. I'm sure even without training i can easily do any 10km event. My job is the training hahahaa... 7:11 min/km pace. This was way too fast, i need to slow down.
20km mark was not too bad. Still feeling very comfortable through out the run. Except for the fact some of the BBQ over there makes me hungry. I slow down for a 8:35 min/km pace to make sure i can pull thru the next 10.
This is where the lack of mileage began to take its toll. Once here i slowed to a 9min/km pace and lost the 6h pacer group...
Shirt design for this year wasn't that bad, in fact Sundown in general is always better then StandChart in this aspect.