Page 29 - CWA MAY-JUNE 2020-v2

xecutive Chef Massimo Pasquarelli has WANT TO MAKE SURE THE
been leading the kitchens at The Ritz- "I TEAM RECOGNISES THE EFFORT
Carlton, Millenia Singapore for 8 years, OF SOMEONE WHEN THEY DO
Ebut the chef’s varied history from leading WELL," he explains. "And when I do, no
fine-dining restaurants and restaurant groups one in the team can disagree or talk back."
(like Alain DuCasse) for near three decades in COVER + STORY
different countries has made him knowledgeable
about the way workplaces and how leaders
within the industry recognise the skills and
work of their teams throughout the years.

“Any time you lead a group of people, you have
to get into their soul, or into their mind sets and
skills, in any way possible,” he explains. “So I have
to be self-confident. If you believe in yourself and
what leadership is about, you can make it happen.”
One of the reasons the chef didn’t direct as much
within the first 3 months of his leadership was
because he was more focused on listening to
what the chefs he was working were like, and he
wanted to make sure he was 100% sure he knew
how he was addressing the team before he did so.

How does a hotel with a huge kitchen team like
Ritz-Carlton recognise the different chefs’ skills
and challenge them to go further? By practice, and
having the humility to see how they can do better.
“Every week, we do a taste-panel and launch seven
new dishes, which goes into our recipe bank,”
explains Chef Pasquarelli. “WE GO AND TRY
THEM, AND SOMETIMES THE BEST
RECIPES GO INTO THE NEXT MENU. 新加坡丽思卡尔顿酒店的行政总厨 Massimo
WE KEEP CHALLENGING OURSELVES. Pasquarelli就分享到，他从事厨师这个行业已
经有三十多年了，他能够了解新一代的厨师和
WE MAY BE A PART OF THE RITZ- 以前当学厨的他不太一样，以前严师出高徒，
CARLTON BRAND, BUT WE HAVE TO 但现今这个时代更讲究的是人性化的工作方
KEEP REMEMBERING THAT THERE 式，了解你团队里的成员才能知己知彼。成为
国际连锁酒店的行政总厨，总要带领一群人冲
ARE PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE BETTER 锋陷阵，所以他必须以身作则，积极的面对每
THAN US, OR HAVE BETTER RECIPES.” 一个挑战。他总会让新加入的成员有三个月的
时间表现，在这三个月里没有教导他们太多的
This emphasis on staying humble is something Chef 原因之一是因为这样才能够让他更加专注倾听
Pasquarelli places huge importance on. He wants to 和观察到他们的工作态度。他即便是团队里“
make sure any chef who works in his kitchen has no 老大”但他送给我们一句金玉良言是：满招损
谦受益。
qualms about learning as much as possible, without
having an inflated sense of ego. He works with his pg026-027 1. lobster curry by Chef Karthikeyan Kumaresan
team as much as possible, working with them not with Chef Massimo Pasquarelli
just in the kitchens but also organising and being pg030 from left to right 2. Chef Angela Seo, Chef Ong
a part of the operations during events such as the Chin Peng, Chef Ong Kim Hui, Chef Benton Toh, Chef
hotel's Brunch. He also wants to make sure that if Massimo Pasquarelli, Chef Sky Chang, Chef Karthikeyan
Kumaresan & Chef Desmond Ng pg029 3. pork chops by
someone is recognised by the leaders for doing well, Chef Desmond Ng with Chef Massimo Pasquarelli
the team has to acknowledge it as well and agree.
027