Creating a Career in Culinary
At just 12 years old, alum Chau came from Saigon, Vietnam to the United States with her family. Entering a new country at a young age came with lots of new challenges and experiences, beginning with learning a new language. But Chau always knew the language of cooking, sticking closely to her Mom as she cooked, and absorbing everything she was taught.
In her new hometown of Everett, Chau was introduced to Future Chefs from the talented culinary teachers at Everett High School. She had already begun cooking classes and this was a way to do more of it. It was a way to “dive deeper into the fundamentals and techniques of cooking,” Chau says, but she also found it to be a place where people with the same interest come together to talk about their passion. Chau would also learn that cooking could be a career. In her community, becoming a chef wasn’t a career path that she saw others taking, so she relied heavily on Future Chefs to answer her questions as she transitioned to college. She felt uneasy with English as her second language, and the staff gave her the support she needed to help her make the right decision for school, every step of the way.
Staying connected to Future Chefs throughout college, Chau continued to network and landed an entry level job through an FC partnership at Fenway Park. She started making burgers, hot dogs, and chicken tenders at the “in seats.” Chau then advanced to the premium dining Royal Rooters Club, preparing foods for a broader menu, which meant more exposure to what being a line cook is really like. Chau had an opportunity to join the pastry team at Fenway, learning all the basic techniques of baking and plating desserts, and during the off-season she worked on catering and large-scale events at the park. Working at such a big place early in her career provided this ambitious, hard-working young chef an opportunity to learn all different areas of the restaurant industry in one place.
After 4 years at Fenway, Chau felt ready to try something new and apply a life skill we stress at Future Chefs - getting comfortable being uncomfortable. “I had to take myself out of my comfort zone and get exposure to many uncomfortable situations so I could learn and grow,” Chau says. With her connection to Future Chefs still strong, Chau headed to Rialto, working with Chef Jody Adams. This step offered the opportunity to immerse herself in fine dining and Italian cuisine. It also felt like a family there, with a warm environment and the added joy of working with FC alums. Chau continued to work with Chef Jody Adams, helping her open her new restaurant Porto.
What Chau hadn’t learned yet in her career was the management aspect of the industry, and so she sought out a position to help her build her skills. She became the assistant manager for the fresh pasta department at Eataly, quickly earning a promotion to manager. Her role expanded, becoming responsible for ordering all the pastas for Eataly’s restaurants and retail stores, and she helped open the LA Eataly store. At this point, feeling slightly overwhelmed, Chau took a gut check and decided to switch gears and go back to a restaurant in the Seaport, Pastoral. Though the stress of the management role shook her, Chau took away an important realization that asking for help when she was spread too thin was part of being able to succeed in a job.
Chau has learned that the environment and the people you work with are the most important piece of the workplace, and they can become like a second family. She is excited about her current job as the assistant manager of Tatte Bakery, using her pastry experience, understanding of Italian dessert cuisine, and business management skills from all of her previous work. Chau is working hard with a goal to pay off her student loans in 3-5 years and then hopes that travel is in her future.
As part of the close-knit alum network at Future Chefs, Chau has a lot to share with young people entering into the culinary industry. As she learned, it’s important to communicate, “Work can be a stressful place and no one can read your mind. Talk to people and speak up – it will help you and everyone else around you,” she says. Chau believes that coming to Future Chefs is a way for young people to test the waters to see if they really want to be in this industry or not. “They teach you the fundamentals of cooking and prepare you for the real kitchen heat. They also teach kids life skills so you can be prepared for the real world,” Chau says.