Executive Chef. It is the dream job of anyone who ever picked up a recipe book and knew they could do better from page one…or created their first ever soufflé without feeling deflated at the end of it all.
Also known as the Head Chef, or simply “Boss!” this role demands both creative and managerial skills that will be tested on a daily basis.
As the acme of culinary achievement, this role can be highly demanding – anyone who has worked in a kitchen or front of house will already know the weight of responsibility upon the person wearing the tallest toque.
Even if your short-term goal is to work as a Cook, Commis Chef or Chef de Partie, it could be your ultimate goal is the Executive or Head Chef position.
And so to help get a flavour (sorry!) of what it means to be the main decision-maker, the one person who can make or break, not just a meal but an entire operation, we met Stephen Man.
Not only is he the Executive Chef, he is also the Director of the prestigious Dragon-i restaurant in Glasgow.
Can you please tell us a little about yourself and Dragon-i?
Of course, it’s a pleasure. Dragon-i is a family business and was established in 2002. It is an Asian fusion restaurant influenced by Malay, Cantonese and Thai cuisine, and our aim is to bring a different culinary experience to the Scottish public. I am Scottish-born Chinese from Glasgow.
Can you describe a typical day in your working life?
As you can imagine, the working environment in the kitchen can be stressful. I will make sure all of the staff members are working together under this pressure towards the same goal: providing quality food to bring joy to the customer.
My daily routine includes training staff, communicating with customers for feedback and at all times reflecting on how we can continually improve ourselves.
From your own perspective, how healthy is the growth in the restaurant scene in Scotland?
You will quite often find there is a new restaurant opening up and this is a strong indicator of growth in the industry across Scotland.
Such growth offers healthy competition for all of the restaurants and inspires all of us to keep up the good work: it motivates the industry to provide an ever higher quality of food, service and dining experience.
Are there opportunities for people wishing to embark on a culinary career?
Opportunity is always there to be embraced in the catering trade. Experience is something you can earn through time but what you must remember is that a strong work ethic stands above everything else.
What advice would you give to anyone seeking an entry-level job?
Perseverance is important at this level of your career. You might not succeed on those first few attempts – my advice is take in criticism as a good fuel that burns and drives you to do better.
Do you have top tips for those wishing to further an established career?
You must have the passion and pride to please yourself first before presenting the dish; only then can you please the customer. Passion and pride: these are the two elements that will help you to withstand any obstacles and challenges that might be put in your way.
What’s the best advice you were ever given about your own career?
That was given to me by my late grandmother. It is from a Chinese proverb where a metal rod can be ground down to a sewing needle. What does it mean? In the end, everything comes down to patience and hard work.
Finally, if I were to come along to Dragon-i today what dish would you recommend?
Start with our Scottish-influenced Huk Guen, which is Stornoway black pudding in a crispy pancake. Move on to the tropical Malay Archipelago with our new main course dish Ikan Bakar: grilled sea bass coated with curry paste, garnished with lime. And finish with our Lychee Crème Brûlée…refreshing your taste buds to finish things off!