It is always nice to know our students’ backgrounds and receive some feedback from them regarding our courses. Today, we will introduce Mateus, one of our previous students whose dream is to open his Japanese restaurant in Macau. Let’s hear what his experience with us was like.
Meet Mateus from Macau
What made you decide to become a professional Japanese chef?
I have always wanted to become a chef and open my own restaurant in Macau, where I live. At the moment, I am still in the preparation stage of opening a restaurant. The reason why I decided to choose Japanese cuisine is that the locals love Japanese food, and I saw the demand and potential for Japanese cuisine in Macau. Also, if we tackle a Chinese restaurant, there are too many competitors here. So, I thought Japanese cuisine was the best choice for me.
What image do you have in mind for your restaurant?
Even though I have not decided when and where exactly I will open a restaurant, I am looking to start my business sometime in the second half of this year, and I have a slight idea of what it is like. I am hoping that I can create a space that is a sophisticated and authentic Japanese restaurant, where the local young generation is drawn to it. I just needed to figure out the logistics to make this dream come true.
The Struggles
What seemed to be the struggles for you to learn Japanese cuisine?
I can think of a couple of struggles. One of them is my lack of Japanese cuisine experience. I have some experience as a chef for Chinese and Portuguese cuisine, but not for Japanese. The chefs who will work for the restaurant have hardly cooked Japanese food either. Another struggle is how difficult it is to learn Japanese cuisine. I really want to create a space to offer authentic Japanese cuisine.
Also, other restaurants have the know-how to provide quick service, which customers often expect from restaurants here. Considering the factors above, creating a genuine flavor of Japanese cuisine while offering dishes at a fast pace is essential for me to meet customers’ satisfaction.
However, I could not find a master chef around me to learn such things from. Training at a Japanese restaurant in Macau or traveling to Japan for this purpose seemed out of my range because it is time and money-consuming. The other struggle is the availability of ingredients. It is rather hard to buy Japanese ingredients here. Even though I knew I could use local ingredients as a substitute, I did not have knowledge about it. That is when I found out about MJCA. Because their video course was what I was looking for, I contacted the academy.
The fact that I could learn Japanese cuisine from master chefs without going to Japan was also one of the reasons. So, after I had tried the academy’s free trial program and watched some videos, I was convinced that this was the best solution for us. So, I requested a video course tailored according to my specific request.
Working with MJCA
How was the whole experience with MJCA’s course?
I am quite satisfied with the outcome. Initially, I inquired about customizing a course to be personalized just for my needs, and Chef Takahashi & his team brought what I exactly wanted. I requested some recipes and how to make them from a restaurant operation point of view. This means that I could learn not only how to make them but also how to prepare and store them, how to serve them most efficiently and professionally after orders have been made, etc. The advice from a master chef Mr. Takahashi was very accurate and precise.
For example, some ingredients should be stored in a freezer, fridge, or room temperature and stored in plastic wrap or something else. For instance, if a customer orders four teriyaki chicken dishes, how should I deliver them in a short time? Should I cook when I receive the order, or should I cook the food beforehand and heat it once I receive the order? I needed such instructions, and this video course taught me these points very well. It is necessary to apply a simple cooking operation to provide quick service.
And using cost-efficient ingredients that are available in Macau is also essential for running a restaurant. Yet, I wanted the dishes to be genuine. With the tailored video course, I have acquired such operation techniques and recipes with the great help of the profound experience of Chef Takahashi.
What were the lessons with video material like?
The lecture was instructed by a Japanese master chef Mr. Takahashi who has a lot of experience inside and outside Japan. The video course is not too long or too short, and it clearly explains each step of the cooking method. It shows the secret ingredients that are important to enhance the flavor of the dish.
The videos are also attached with a recipe guide, and it shows which brand of condiments I should use. I think it saves a lot of time and energy for me because now I just need to buy these specific products without testing many different products and adjusting the recipes accordingly.
Try It Yourself
As you can see in Mateus’ experience above, our academy offers a variety of services. In addition to providing online courses on Japanese cuisine on our platform, we also provide tailor-made content, such as assistance with menu planning, kitchen operations, and education on cooking methods. You can see the sample videos below.
We are always open to providing consultation to restaurant business owners and food business enterprises. If you wish to make an inquiry, please email us here.
