Derek Cheung: From Busboy to Captain at Jimmy's Kitchen
From busboy to captain, Derek Cheung has been serving Jimmy’s Kitchen for 25 years. He gives TC Fung some food for thought.
HK Magazine: How did you get into the restaurant business?
Derek Cheung: There weren’t many choices and catering was one of the most popular trades back then. My uncles were working at Jimmy’s Kitchen, so they helped me get a job here. Of course, I had to start from bottom as a busboy. I did chores like washing the glasses and removing the wax from the candleholders. The work was tough sometimes, but to me Jimmy’s Kitchen was like a Shaolin monastery— a place where you can master all the important aspects.
HK: Tell us about your time working in Europe.
DC: Europe was a real eye-opener. I worked for my boss and his family on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean Sea. The ship was huge; it even had a library and a playroom. I learnt a lot in the years I spent onboard, things like cheese varieties and how to make an authentic cup of Turkish coffee. Working with people from various places also opened my mind to different cultures and languages.
HK: How is Jimmy’s Kitchen different now from when you started?
DC: The restaurant first opened its door in 1928 and most of our patrons back then were Shanghainese. In terms of the décor, it’s more or less the same – oak furnishings and a homely ambience, giving people a staple in an ever-changing society. Of course, the one thing we have changed along with the rest of the world is we’ve become health-conscious – our food is less salty and greasy than it used to be.
HK: What about the customers?
DC: Until a few decades ago, it wasn’t easy for locals to drop in because of the colonialism. I remember American G.I.’s used to come here in the 60s before heading off to Vietnam – they used to tip us quite a bit because money didn’t mean a lot to them, considering their lives were at stake. My uncle also told me that once a fire broke out when William Holden was here – he was having a bowl of onion soup and he ran out holding the soup in his hands! Then in the 80s, Jimmy’s became a place where bankers and brokers used to have lunch and make deals. You know, a multinational even spent $200,000 to get a computer in our restaurant so that their employees could get the latest financial news. But things changed after SARS – professionals still make up the majority of our patrons, but most have a quick lunch and then rush straight back to work.
HK: So what’s your secret to keep people coming back?
DC: All you have to do is treat every customer as an equal. I recognize nine out of the ten people who come to Jimmy’s Kitchen, because most of them are regular customers. A public figure that recently passed away used to always ask me to order his meal for him. And some younger patrons like sharing their memories about eating here with their parents.
HK: Are you worried that nouvelle or fusion cuisine will conquer the culinary world?
DC: I actually haven’t tried those cuisines yet, but I’m confident that old-fashioned food still has its niche market. We serve our customers with big portions and hearty dishes, while those fancy restaurants don’t. And people still come here for the sense of nostalgia.