Page 31 - CWA MAY-JUNE 2020-v2

The colonial architecture of
the house that Botanico At
The Garage is housed in lends
the restaurant an elegance
that seems out of place in the
lush greenery at the Botanic COVER + STORY
Gardens. And leading the
kitchen of the restaurant as
well as the cafe downstairs
(The Bees’ Knees) is Head Chef
Sujatha Asokan, who was the
recipient of the World Gourmet
Awards Welbilt Rising Chef of
the Year (Female) in 2019. The
youthful chef sees recognition
as a "form of proof that people
are appreciative of what they
are doing" and continues
to do so in her menus.
She's one of the few female head
chefs leading both a restaurant
and cafe in Singapore, and has
not faced as much questioning
towards her ability to lead the
kitchen. She does attribute
part of the reasoning for chefs
never questioning her ability
to work due to her being tall
and stocky, but she has never
faced as much scepticism
over her ability to work in a
kitchen as much as her peers.
“I have seen other chefs talk
about having issues in the
kitchen due to their genders,”
she admits. But Chef Asokan
also tells them to make sure
to ask for help when needed, or to ask for opportunities when presented. “I started off in
cold kitchen myself, but I was interested in learning to do more. When I asked to move to
the hot side, most of the chefs were supportive, and didn’t even hesitate for a moment.”

EOPLE WHO ARE LESS INVOLVED AND DO NOT TRY TO CO-OPERATE OR PUT
“PIN THE EXTRA EFFORT WILL NOT SURVIVE. I CAN TRY TO INSPIRE THEM, AND
I CAN WORK WITH THEM, ENCOURAGE THEM, BUT I NEED THEIR HELP TO DO IT.”

Asking for opportunities, as well as asking for help, is a strong part of the ethos that Chef Asokan
practices, and she develops the team by asking them to help out, for both The Bee’s Knees and
the restaurant. “The processes for both cafe and restaurant are different,” she explains. “The
cafe side is speedier, and less refined. It’s not a matter of ‘Shut up, listen to me cause I’m Head
Chef.’ I let the team make suggestions on what we can do better, it makes the staff feel more
empowered and involved in the work they do.” The staffs manning the Botanico are fast, yet
more refined. “I am lucky that the team are passionate about food at Botanico.” she explains.

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