Over the course of a semester at the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, two students take us through the highs and lows of their induction to the tough world of F&B
Nasseem Mirtahmasebi
has lived in Dubai for six years and previously studied at Jumeirah College. She enjoys living in Dubai and hopes to work in the emirate in future.
I have to say that so far, I’m finding the F&B side of things really interesting; it’s all very hands-on and practical. It is long hours — eight hours in the restaurant followed by eight hours in the kitchen straight after — but I’m enjoying it.
We’ve learnt a lot already, and it’s definitely affecting how I think about things from the customer’s point of view. Now, when I walk into a restaurant and sit down for dinner, I’m smelling the glasses, checking the set-up, little things I didn’t even notice before! Because now I really know how much effort has to go in to every details of a restaurant, even if it looks effortless.
| Advertisement |
This month hasn’t been the easiest start for me: after the initial orientation class, I was ill and missed the second two kitchen sessions. And it is difficult — in the kitchen if you miss even one session there’s a lot to catch up on because there are so many new skills to learn. We’re being taught cutting methods, cooking methods and all about produce — so there’s a lot for me to catch up on.
I came back in time to start on service, serving people in the restaurant. They could see us in the kitchen while they were eating, and it was crazy – just go, go, go! You really had to be on time and I struggled with that a bit. It’s quite a challenge; you have to wash as you go, cook as you go, roll as you go, bake as you go.
We were put in different groups, in charge of different items, and so it generally flowed quite nicely. But sometimes there was a bit of a panic and I felt I was falling behind.
But then I had a stint at the end as ‘head chef’, and had to assign orders as they came through, and ask the rest of the group to do specific things, and that was fun. Being in charge is definitely more my thing!
The response from the invited guests was great; they knew we had just started and were really positive with their feedback, so that was good.
Looking back on the first few weeks, I think the important thing is to stay on top, do what the chef tells you to and stay on time, then you’ll be fine. It’s just a long day, so you have to make sure you’ve had your breakfast in the morning!
For the coming month, I’m aiming to be on time and on top of things, and really get quicker overall.
Search our database of more than 2,700 industry companies
