Kanto Journal 3 Volume 2 2017
The Culture and Diaspora issue. A quarterly collaborative journal on architecture, photography, art and design, literature, food, and travel
The Culture and Diaspora issue. A quarterly collaborative journal on architecture, photography, art and design, literature, food, and travel
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
PALATE<br />
Chef's Choice<br />
Comissary chef<br />
Andrea Baytion<br />
on moving in,<br />
and falling in love<br />
with the culinary<br />
heaven that is<br />
Hong Kong<br />
Interview Patrick Kasingsing<br />
images Andrea Baytion<br />
Hello! Please introduce yourself.<br />
My name's Andrea Baytion. I like ramming myself face-first into challenges<br />
which is how I ended up moving to Hong Kong. Clearly, I love to eat and<br />
because I'm unsettled by the knowledge of not being able to try all the good<br />
food there is to try, I spend my free time trying and exploring what I can.<br />
What sparked your interest in the culinary arts? Have you always<br />
been interested in gastronomy?<br />
It’s all my parents’ fault. My gastronomic awakening stemmed from their<br />
love for travel. Every time they came home, they had a variety of food<br />
with them that I would consume with utter curiosity. When it comes<br />
to cooking, ever since I was a kid, I’ve always craved the satisfaction of<br />
preparing my own meals, as well as the ultimate pleasure of eating and<br />
enjoying it with friends and family.<br />
You are a commissary chef working in Hong Kong, one of Asia’s<br />
most-visited culinary destinations. How is it working in such a<br />
vibrant culinary atmosphere?<br />
I have multitudes of emotions concerning life in Hong Kong, but all of<br />
them culminate in how it never ceases to be an exciting place to be in.<br />
Admittedly, my tastes have changed so much both in the way I eat and the<br />
way I work simply because the transience of the Hong Kong food scene<br />
has molded its patrons into a very tough crowd to please, and I've had<br />
amazing (and patient) mentors.<br />
When did you first move in into Hong Kong? What were some<br />
of the challenges and realizations you faced making a living in a<br />
foreign land? And how did this help you adapt?<br />
I moved to Hong Kong in July 2013, just a few months after graduating,<br />
and never looked back. The biggest challenge I had to overcome was<br />
shedding that veil of entitlement I had when I started working. I had to<br />
quickly learn to be independent, ride the wave of Hong Kong’s fastpaced<br />
lifestyle and continuously remind myself that people here are not<br />
rude. It's just how they are, nothing personal, so deal with it.<br />
183
Change language