Take a few moments to read about the Blue Dragon head chef’s job: cooking meals for street kids and children from poor families.
Q: How did you come to work at Blue Dragon?
A: I’m married to the previous Blue Dragon chef (who is a former beneficiary of Blue Dragon), so I was already involved with the organisation. When my husband left, I was offered the job and I jumped at the chance to get in the Dragon House kitchen!
Q: What’s your biggest motivation to come to work?
A: For the kids that we feed here, being hungry is normal. Most don’t know where their next meal will come from. I am motivated to come to work each day knowing that the kids are eating nutritious meals without having to work for hours on the streets. That is more than enough for me!
Q: How many meals do you cook each day?
A: I work with a small team of volunteers and helpers, and together we prepare a healthy lunch for 100 people every weekday. Every day is different -there’s vegetarian day, some days there’s brown rice – but every day there are always loads of fresh fruit and vegetables!
Q: What do you consider your greatest achievement here at Blue Dragon so far?
A: Knowing that the food we cook is largely responsible for how tall and strong the kids become! Some of them are so small when they come to Blue Dragon. It makes me happy that they are getting the nutritional food that their body needs.
Q: What has been a crowd favourite?
A: Many children didn’t like potato salad initially, but now they love it.
Q: Is there any dish that you thought would be a success but turned out otherwise?
A: That’d be seaweed soup. Many children weren’t used to the smell so they didn’t eat a lot. I was a bit sad about the reaction. But I still keep trying new dishes!
Q: How do you design the menu?
A: I think of it as a home-cooked meal. I think about each dish and get some inspiration online. Then I work with the nutrition coordinator to make sure the meal includes all of the nutrients the kids need to grow!
