Apprentice's Diary in Jamie Oliver’s Italian London－悠遊自在的魚

[[ Apprentice Chef's Diary in Barcelona, Spain ]] June 2013

Diary # 1 - http://jocelynlin.pixnet.net/blog/post/39292781

Diary # 2 - http://jocelynlin.pixnet.net/blog/post/39460295

Three months’ working / learning in Barcelona as an apprentice chef was an amazing splendid journey. Although I was worn to a frazzle everyday when I went home from work, some times even quite distressed, my exploration in Spain still lives up to all my expectations. Thanks all these new friends for your company and showing me smashing times. Everyday I wake up with smiles and extremely grateful to my beloved husband Richard and my family for everything they have done for me.

[[ Flying back in UK ]] September 2013
Although leaving Spain in a sad mood, I’m very looking forward to flying back to London and seeing Richard again. We had been separated for three months since May. Traveling around the tranquil picturesque Cotswolds countryside together and keeping on meeting fabulous unique people had been making us extremely happy and fulfilled. Spending some wonderful evening in classical music concerts in central London, catching up & hanging out with old friends in Greenwich pubs, and watching a fantastic musical show “Billy Elliot” were the highlights of our two weeks vacation. Just like escaping from reality.

[[ Apprentice Chef's Diary in Jamie Oliver's Italian Restaurant, Greenwich, London, UK ]] September 2013

After the short break, I am really blessed, again, to get a great opportunity to work / learn as an apprentice in Jamie Oliver’s Italian Restaurant in Greenwich, London.

Jamie’s Italian Greenwich Address: 17-19 Nelson Road, Greenwich, LondonSE10 9JB, UK / TEL +44 20 3667 7087 ‎ · jamieoliver.com

Early morning at 6:30 AM, the empty restaurant is like a contemporary modern art museum. It’s a quiet peaceful oasis from the hustle and bustle of London city.

↑↓ Although our delicatessen / deli opens at 7:30 AM, the restaurant opens at 12:00 noon, there are staffs and chefs like my maestro chef Mr. Augustus Frederick Jonah ↓ already arriving in the restaurant at 6:30 AM, concentrating themselves on every details like decoration & setting up the fire on the stoves, double checking the supplement and hight standard of hygiene & safety.

↑↓The chef Giordano has been making various fresh pasta and fresh Italian bread “ Focaccia “ EVERY SINGLE MORNING. I am so lucky to be one of the staffs in the restaurant and may have the fresh pasta & Focaccia for meals everyday which have been carefully prepared with lots of attention to the details. They are simply divine!

↑ With simply high quality ingredients - extra virgin olive oil, flour ( farino 00 ), salt, and fresh herb rosemary, the Focaccia is ready to the oven.

↑↓ Focaccia is a flat oven-baked Italian bread, which may be topped with herbs or other ingredients like olive, tomato, onion, etc..

↑↓ On the other side of the kitchen, the chef was preparing a feast for our delicatessen ( deli ). With some fresh ripe tomato, mozzarella cheese, basil, and pesto ( an Italian green sauce ), the fresh Focaccia became the delicious panini ( Italian sandwich ) which is so tasty.

↑↓ All the dishes I were helping the chef to prepare in the early morning were brought to the delicatessen / deli. Just few hours ago, the deli was still empty, but now it was full of fresh great food - grilled vegetable, carrot salad, Arancini, Couscous, and stew chicken ( with Thyme, Rosemary, Sage & tomato sauce ).

↑ The lovely staffs Lisa, Ferenc, Anna and Morgan in deli are absolutely our angels who were always preparing hot tea or coffee for every single staffs with different needs. You won’t believe it. They could even remember who needs double espresso with cold milk without sugar, who needs latte with lots of sugar, or tea with / without tea bag in or hot/cold milk… Just unbelievable.

↑More angels like Marlon who supply all the staffs with lovely cold drinks with beautiful smiles. Just love you guys.

↑↓ Our café with some cozy corners where people may enjoy the food from the deli and the restaurant.

↑↓ 9:00 in the morning, the restaurant is now open and ready for customers.

↑ We have open kitchen in the restaurant and people may take a look while the chefs are busy for preparing the great dishes.

↑ The General Manager Mr. Jason Ray and the head chef / my maestro Mr. Zak Gregory and Mr. Augustus Frederick Jonah ( right and left ↓ ) who are ones of the most intelligent marvellous people I've ever met. They are the general commanders who leading the army, the whole team in the restaurant, to fight in the battle during the "war" every day. Poeple have to see it and then believe it. Just amazing!

↑↓ Each meal may start from the delicious antipasti like this. What a feast !

↑ Another brilliant chef in Antipasti, Ruben.

↑ Fried Three-Cheese Gnocchi.

↑ These are some of our briiliant chefs ( left to right ) Andrea, Daniel, and Frederick.

↑ The fresh pasta we make every single morning.

↑ Land and Sea Risotto.

↑ Fresh Spaghetti " Black Angel " with Scalops.

↑ These are some other marvellous chefs ( left to right ) Daniel, Andrea, and Francesco. Just love them.

↑ The Free-Range Grilled Chicken.

↑↓ The Spaghetti Arrabiata that the great chef Barry prepared for me. I'm so grateful.

↑ The Baked Shetland Salmon.

↑ The Jamie's Italian Burger.

↑ The Wild Truffle Risotto.

↑ The Rump Steak Salad.

↑ The Jamie's Farm Italian Sausage.

↑ ↓ The lovely Austin, just like the other staffs in the restaurant, who alway gives me smiles and warmest greeting while hard working. All these warmest smiles and greetings have been giving me strength to carry on working in the kitchen, That is because of THE PEOPLE who help me to keep MOVING ON, and STILL HAVING FUN.

↑↓ The Canelloni I prepared in the kitchen. Before storing into the fridge, we put our name and the expired date label on the food.

[[ All about people ]] Not Only About Italian Cuisine

For the past couples of days, I've been seeing a lot and learning a lot FROM THE PEOPLE. It is truly a exhausting and demanding work in the restaurant. All the staffs and chefs gain extreme pressure and have been pushing to the limit to achieve the tasks day by day, but they are ones of the most brilliant marvellous people I have ever met in my life. They have been an inspiration to me. While hard working and offering the high standard of service and food, they are vital, warm, passionate, and still have fun. They serve the food with pride and dignity that you have to see it, feel it, then believe it. What a honor I could be part of them.

[[ Great Appreciation to Jason, Zak, and Frederick ]]

I’d like to express my great gratitude to the General Manager Mr. Jason Ray, the head chef / my maestro Mr. Zak Gregory and Mr. Augustus Frederick Jonah in Jamie’s Italian Greenwich. Thank you for giving me this splendid opportunity, being always generous to me and supporting me whenever I need. I'm going to hand around and transmit your love and passion to my people by sharing all these great food you've been teaching me to prepare. I promise and I will show you one day when I make it! Thank you very much again.

Dinner for tonight which was prepared by my maestro dear Zak. A big love! It was definitely the most delicious pasta I've ever had for years. I could taste the love and passion from each mouthful. Thank you so much. It really made my day ~

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[[ Keep on Traveling & Meeting Fabulous People ]]

After living in London for less than a year in 2011, Richard and I were moving to Italy for another two months in November. We’re very lucky to take the same flight with Mr. Jamie Oliver & Mr. Gennaro Contaldo, and we had a wonderful chat. For just few minutes’ conversation, we knew we are the same kind of people who are warm, passionate, caring, and love to share. For me, that is all about traveling. Not sight seeing or conquering different lands or countries, but to keep moving on taking adventure, seeking divine inspiration, and connecting to fabulous people by sharing the same passion toward life.

Jocelyn in London

Sep. 30, 2013

~ the end ~

More articles about my travel and living

in Italy -

http://jocelynlin.pixnet.net/blog/category/1422366

in United Kingdom of Great Britain -

http://jocelynlin.pixnet.net/blog/category/1778277

in Greek Islands -

http://jocelynlin.pixnet.net/blog/category/1422367

in Spain -

http://jocelynlin.pixnet.net/blog/category/1422368