Hi everyone,
First, I would like to thank you all for watching The Kitchen Job series on TV3.
In the next few weeks I would like to fill you in on the progress of each restaurant from the show. I would also like to share with you some of the recipes I have created for the restaurants in these series.
It was a great show to work on and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to help people and to give them the necessary tools to succeed in their business.
The restaurant business is a very difficult and demanding industry to be involved in. There are so many variables and anything could go wrong at any moment.
Once you’ve created the appropriate atmosphere for a friendly hospitality venue, plus designed a menu, prepared the food, then hired and trained the staff, you’re all ready to go. But even then there are still no guarantees that you will have customers walking through your door.
People who do this job well make it look easy.
Once your customer flow begins, the hard work has only just started. It takes a lot of time, effort and experience to stay on the top of such a business. You need an artistic flair but also good business acumen. After all, this is an investment that needs to make profit to stay viable.
That’s it from me for this week, have a great one. Just remember you too can help the industry. First by going out dining as often as you can, and second by informing your host if anything is not up to your expectation. It’s a good way to help the industry and hopefully have a better experience on your next visit.
Next week I will let you know a bit about Haleems Indian Restaurant and how it’s been going for him so far.
Please feel free to ask anything regarding the show or the industry in the comments.
Regards
John Palino
This was a GREAT show!!!
Still feeling stoked……..
Can’t wait to see part II
Fantastic show – great seeing “behind the scenes” ! Hope there is another series !
What a fantastic show Mr Palino. I really hope to see another series soon.
New Zealand needs it’s own restaurant show. It brings it closer to home.
Also, your posts are great. I do wonder what happened to those restaurants you’ve helped.
Great follow up.
Thank you
Thanks John for such an awesome educational programme, not just for the general public but for all hospo people out there too.
I’ve watched this season drinking in the information & experience you seem to absolutely ooze, & I can’t wait to see any future seasons that you have under way.
Kind regards,
Sian =)
Hi John, this is just the kind of TV show I and my family like, and what a bonus…. no obscene language… thanks John for keeping it professional, yet clean.
I especially loved the “Vinnies” episode as Raglan is a favourite haunt of mine and Vinnies was always the spot we headed for when on holidays there in the summer. When last we visited Vinnies a few weeks after the show aired, it was great. The host was awesome and the meals superb. They were just getting busy around 8.30 pm when we left. So pleased.
I’m so glad they are going well and sure hope they continue to do so.
I look forward to more “Kitchen Job” shows to be filmed and screened, I will be watching out for them.
Here’s hoping,
Paul.
Hi John,
For too long New Zealanders have put up with sub standard food and services. I hope you are able to do a few more series to bring them up to international standards. We love Sal Rose and will definately visit your new venture in town. Cheers Janine and Grant Farquhar.
Hi Janine and Grant, Thank you for being part of the family at Sal Rose. I miss my mom’s cooking going on there.
Starks is now open and looks beautiful. I hope you all will come visit. We have created what the Italians call a Salumi Bar. Salumi is dried cured meats like Prosciutto, salami etc. A great place to come and have an Italian experience. Hope to see you there.
Kind Regards
John Palio
Hi Sian,
Thank you for your response. It is great to hear that people are able to take on board this information and use it to help them. I have been approached by people from all different jobs that have told me they are using the information and it feels great to know. We hope this year to do another show so I will let you all know when we know.
Again thank you
Kind Regards
John Palino
Hi John,
Is there a way I can get hold of a DVD for the “The Kitchen Job” episodes? I have a mate setting up a restaurant overseas and it would be so valuable for him to watch these. I would be most grateful if you can let me know.
Kind regards and great job by the way!
katrin
HI
Thank you for your interest in the show. You would need to ask TV 3 or Top Shelf productions. The show will be aired in Australia and The UK as well soon in case your friend is living in either of those places. It is great to think that the show can help other people as well. I hear people are using it to train their staff in many other types of business.
Again Thank You
John
Hi John
I heard that you were opening another restuarant some time this year and was wandering if you could let me know where it is. My daughter has asked me if I would like to go to any particular place and I would like it to be at your new one.
cheers
anne
ps, I dont think you are nz’s answer to Gordon Ramsay, I think you are much much more diplomatic and sensitive to human beings
Hi Anne,
Thank you very much. You made my day. It is so wonderful to get such kind comments in this industry. I have recently renovated Starks. It is now an Italian Wine bar. We call it a Salumi Wine bar. Salumi is the Italian name for the dried meats like salami etc. We do have a menu of antipasto, small dishes like meatball, ravioli, Italian breakfast and sandwiches. If you plan on coming to the city for a show or any other reason please stop by for a small bite or drink. we are at the entrance of The Civic Theatre.
Thank you for enjoying The kitchen Job.
Regards
John Palino
Hi John,
So glad to have found this website and to be able to leave you a bit of thankful feedback.
Your show has been airing in Perth, Western Australia on the ABC on Thursday afternoons. We’re not home, but we make sure it’s scheduled for record! Then we all sit down as a family and watch how you transform what often seems like a lost cause into hope for the future.
We are especially touched when we see struggling families finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. I agree with the other comments that you are 100 times better than Gordan Ramsay (a show which we cannot watch as a family!).
Thanks for such an inspiring show and all the effort you obviously put into it.
I can’t remember the name of the restaurant, but I loved the renovation you did for the seaside cafe with the Surfboard signage. Great!
Looking forward to another season!
Shauna
Hi Shauna,
Thank you for making the effort to find me and write this wonderful message. The greatest part of working on the show was to be able to meet the people in these restaurants and also hearing the comments from those who enjoyed watching the show. We are working on getting another show up in the new year, So lets hope hope we can do that. I am actually in China right now enjoying the culture and the wonderful food. Visiting many restaurants.
Take care and thank you again.
Kind Regards
John Palino
Hi John,
Does Janine and Grant Farquhars’ comment and your reply mean Sal Rose is now under new management (or has been since May 09)? I hope whoever is running it now has kept your standards. I’ve enjoyed my visits to three visits Sal Rose in 2009 (though not recently). Thanks. Lin Nah
Hi Lin
Thank you for both watching the show and coming to Sal Rose, True I don’t own Sal Rose any more. I do hope they keep up the service and food. Also I did see the changes in the Shahi restaurant. Well I am in NY for the holidays and I understand the show is airing right now on TV3. The good news is we will be filming a new season soon. I will be able to tweet for the show and let people know some things, maybe not all of course. The account will be thekitchenjob@twitter, so be a follower and I will keep every one informed. Thank you again and also for the email. Happy New Year
You are awesome!!!!!
I am a massive fan…
You totally are the best and hey…quite a looker too
All the best for 2010
Ria
xx
I realise I am two years too late, but I’ve only just been watching this in Australia. WOW and yay for someone telling it like it is. I wish you’d do this to a wholllllle bunch of restaurants and cafes here in Melbourne. Everyone thinks they can retire and just run a little coffee shop but they have no clue about food or service. I used to work on a resturant guide book as a fact checker and so many owners had no clue.
That chocolat cafe lady, holy crap. it was her dream to make chocolates so she opened the shop before she learnt how to make decent chocolates? what the hell? i mean sheesh learn how to make them, start selling them on weekends at a market, learn more, take classes and then maybe take a business course or get a casual job working in a cafe to learn the ropes and THEN open a business! why would i want to go there when she learn her chocolate making from that expert dude? i’d be better off going to that guy.
the WKA cafe dude? holy crap. no effin’ clue when you came back and he put the plastic back on. i hate pre wrapped external supplied sandwiches, so many cafes use the same supplier and as someone who is veggo, i’m never catered for, if i wanted no ham, the cafe wouldn’t be able to accommodate me which is piss poor.
anyway enough ranting, i love this show.
Hi John….just watching this one in greymouth….I’m a bit of a casserole cook…very cold down there…maybe a bit of beef and guinness or lamb and cider….all with additives of onion,garlic ,carrot,leeks etc…sure you get the jist…cheers