In an industry where head chefs make the headlines and teamwork often goes without comment, chef David Pang’s focus on his brigade stands out.
“Everyone wants to know that their hard work and achievements aren’t going unnoticed,” he notes. “A simple ‘thank you’ is often all it takes to show appreciation to employees.”
Nonetheless, Pang insists, it is when leadership goes further that teams really begin to reap the rewards. “When a person achieves a goal, personal or work-related, they feel a rush of achievement, and that good feeling is only amplified when others recognise and acknowledge the achievement as well.”
Pang believes it is a harmonious working environment that has allowed the Tàn Chá kitchen to make a name for itself so quickly since opening this spring.
“To be recognised by such a prestigious international guide in a relatively short space of time showcases the hard work and dedication the team commit to each day and is an honour to all of us,” he says. “It means that we are doing something right and it’s a recognition that goes a long way – the kind of recognition that can only be tied to more than just performance. It is a celebration of the effort made by my team and will motivate us to go above and beyond and to create a stronger emotional connection with the brand.”
For Pang, who arrived at Tàn Chá with a wealth of international fine dining experience, the arrival in the UAE of significant international awards bodies such as Gault&Millau promises a lift in standards across the region.
“Over recent years – the covid years excluded – we witnessed a rise in fine dining restaurant openings in the UAE, and at one point everyone felt the market was over-saturated,” he muses. “The service in some of these restaurants we all loved wasn’t up to par anymore. However, I strongly believe that these internationally recognised awards will challenge all restaurateurs. It is not easy to maintain quality of service, food and ambience, but these awards will definitely have a positive impact on the F&B landscape.”
The wider landscape aside, however, Pang’s ambition at Tàn Chá is not just to win awards, but to raise the standards expected by diners and inspire his team on to greater heights too.
“I always ask my team, ‘Why do you want to be a chef?’ The answers are almost always the same,” he smiles. “It is about the happiness of cooking a beautiful, delicious dish. It’s not for the fame, not for generating thousands of likes, but for giving something back. That makes us better people.
“Being a chef is not only about skills and techniques,” he continues, “but also about tapping into these original philosophies to turn every single ingredient that enters our hands into edible works of art. And the possibilities are endless.”
It’s a philosophy Pang has been developing for a long time. Born in Malaysia, he began cooking at his mother’s street food stall at the age of 12, and joined his first hotel kitchen at the age of 21, where he says he was fortunate to find a supportive mentor.
“We often hear stories about kitchen apprentices being reprimanded by their seniors and chefs. However, I suppose I am lucky as I had a wonderful master chef, Andrew Wong who not only taught me well but treated me as a family member. He was patient and always willing to share his knowledge. That inspired me to learn even harder to be a good chef.”
The demands of Dubai
Today, Pang says, it is a thrill to bring that approach to work in Dubai, where guides such as Gault&Millau and a hugely demanding and sophisticated clientele ensure that chefs are held to a higher standard than in many other markets.
“The restaurant industry in UAE is marked by its diversity,” he explains. “There is a variety of operators, cuisines, and even a variety of consumer tastes and preferences. This is quite paradoxical as it could work for your benefit or against it – but what works well for us here is that the diners are well-travelled and well connected to the culinary world. They know what they want, they give credit when due and they show it with their loyalty.
“The high number of restaurants in the UAE means they’re not easily impressed,” he grins. “But that is not a problem for us.”