Hospitality Essentials Research Assignment
Oliver Marriott, 0357068.

1) DESCRIBE your personal AND workplace skills you can bring to hospitality.

In the hospitality industry, not very many people can cope with the fast pace or crazy hours that the job demands, it is an industry that doesnt sleep and it tends to be physically and mentally draining. As a first year apprentice chef, I have only seen a sample of what the job is like but I can already tell it is unlike any other industry. I am a hardworking and motivated person when I focus on what I enjoy, and that definitely helps when you need to crack down and get the dishes out the door as soon as possible, I am a moderately nice and social person so I can talk to others and understand what they need which is crucial in a team environment such as a kitchen, as well as being able to take in criticism and improve based on it, because I recognise that there is almost always room for improvement and the qualified chefs are there to help me with that, too. In terms of workplace skills, with the help of a job placement and the classes in do at school I have started to improve my skills considerably, from knife handling to estimation and other vital skills such as speed, accuracy and presentation in the preparation of foods. I have learned almost all of the essential cutting styles used in the kitchen that I use quite frequently when I am out in the workplace and I am getting more paced and accurate as I progress.

2) COLLECT & respond to 2 different restaurant reviews (from the Canberra Times Food and Wine magazine or other hospitality sources). What was interesting about the restaurant; have you eaten there before, would you try the restaurant and why

*Reviews are attached onto a separate document titled “Reviews”

1) Chairman and Yip review; According to this article, it’s difficult for a new restaurant to open in Canberra with all the competition, and Chairman and Yip somehow managed to keep on top of it, this is believed to be due to the way they’ve successfully infused classic Chinese food with urban dishes too. The service is reviewed to be incredible, you won’t be greeted by a rushing waiter who wants to get you out of his hair, you will be kindly and quietly directed to your own table to eat. And the food is reported to be some of the best in Canberra with amazing portion control, many of the dishes being prepared and dressed tableside. I have dined at the Chairman and Yip once, and I must agree with the Critic, because it was one of the best dining experiences I’ve had in Canberra. I ordered the Sesame Crusted Salmon if I remember correctly and it was quite pricey but easily one of the best meals I’ve had.

2) Smoque Review; From what this review says, Smoque has an excellent quality of food that you would expect at a much more expensive establishment, whereas the service is somewhat lacking and the booking is inconvenient, if you don’t have a group of 6 or more. The food is meant to be traditional American barbecue style and most of it is eaten without cutlery, but they supply copious amounts of napkins. I am a bit of a regular at Smoque and I have not once been disappointed, the meals are filling and quite good value for money and very delicious. Once or twice my meals have been a little bit late but it was nothing dramatic, and they do a very good job of catering to large groups.

3) Using the following website www.lhmu.org.au complete the following questions about your rights and conditions of being a union member in the Hospitality industry

1) The Union represents mainly hospitality based jobs with members working in casinos, clubs, pubs, hotels, motels, theme parks, catering, cafes, restaurants and other venues.

2) Awards are enforceable documents containing minimum terms and conditions of employment in addition to any legislated minimum terms.

3) The entitlements for a hospitality worker are at very minimum the NES, or national