Back when my restaurant was open, I would ask a series of questions in meetings with the managers. Questions like: Who won last year’s World Series? Who won last year’s Nobel Peace Prize? OWho was the MVP of the Super Bowl? They were fun questions and I got some fun answers, but I always kept the last question the same: Who is the teacher you remember the most?
The responses varied. Teachers from elementary and high school, as well as former mentors or bosses. My point is, when you nurture a connection with an employee or student, you never know how affective it can be until much later. It’s like your kids; you can try your best to create an environment where they will become the best version of themselves, but you won’t know the result until they’re older.
Managers, teachers, students, employees, and even events — they all come and go. But the people who touched you to the core, gave you confidence when you didn’t have enough, pushed you to do things you would not normally do on your own and encouraged you to persevere when you had doubts? Those are the ones you will remember the most.
Opera singer Luciano Pavarotti is quoted as saying, “It’s not about the teacher and not about the student, it’s about the time they spend together.”
Last month, I wrote about Albert Tsuru’s celebration of life at Side Street Inn. The next day, I went to the service of chef Robert Shigeru Chinen. He was my advanced cooking instructor at Kapiolani Community College, back when it was on Pensacola Street. It was a six-hour night lab class that prepared dinner for a student-run restaurant. I learned a tremendous amount of knowledge from him. If you came in early and stayed late, you were rewarded with a little more trust than everyone else.
That meant more responsibility in class, more assignments and — most importantly — more dialogue with him. He gave me confidence to cook, to question and to think. He showed me a freedom outside of what the recipe said to do. Little did he know those teachings would still affect me to this day.
During the long drive to and from Mililani Mortuary, I became nostalgic. I could not help but also think about all of the other instructors I had back then. I had many that I remember for certain things, but the one that always stands out is Joe Kina. Besides teaching cost control, he was the adviser for a culinary club called Professional Cooks of Hawaii Jr. Chapter. I interacted with him quite a bit, as I was the president of the club. We catered almost every weekend, raising funds for culinary arts classes, which is another story for another day. This is when I learned how to carve ice and vegetables, as well as decorate cakes and showpieces.
When I’ve participated in food events, I’ve been fortunate to have the help of chef instructor Alan Tsuchiyama of KCC and his students. I can confidently say that based on the way he teaches his students, along with how his students react to him, he will be one of those teachers who are remembered for a very long time.
The aloha spirit is so difficult to define and to teach. One of the things I try to emphasize is to do something for someone to make their day and not have any expectations in return.
We are upon a new year, so I assume many of you have made new year resolutions. Whether you are a parent, teacher, employer or a student, be mindful and aware that you can give the gift of you and your time, to help one person and make a difference in their life.
Mr. Chinen, rest in peace. Thank you for your teachings and encouraging me to go to the mainland. Okage sama de — I am who I am because of you.
Chef and restaurateur Alan Wong has wowed diners around the world for decades, and is known as one of the founders of Hawaii Regional Cuisine. Find his column in Crave every first Wednesday. Currently, Wong is dba Alan Wong’s Consulting Co.
