Parenthood & Entrepreneurship with Craig Wong, Jamaican Chinese Restauranteer
Written by Craig Wong
Photography Courtesy of Patois
How did Craig become a chef and what does Patois mean to him personally?
Patois is a personal story to me because I’ve been cooking for 20 years and I was always cooking other people’s foods. My experience is in fine dining + french cuisine. My nature is a storyteller. I want to show my uniqueness as a Jamaican Chinese. Nostalgia is really big for me. Jamaican Chinese food is a very inspirational thing -- tasting flavours atypical in other cultures. These are things I want to share.
What are some highlights from such a difficult year?
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I’ve grown as a restauranteer. You never learn from your wins, you learn from your losses. Restaurants have lost this year. No one is really up, unless you’re talking about fast food and delivery services. They’re doing well, but it doesn't make it worthwhile. The restaurant industry is suffering.
We’ve been forced to a spot, I became more savvy, became more resourceful. Some people sink and some people swim. Atypical things and get out of thinking of the restaurant setting. Grown as an entrepreneur.
Keeping motivation as an entrepreneur, motivating your staff to keep things going with you. They want to know what they’re doing before coming to work, people have to change and adapt. To do what is right in the moment. Makes us better entrepreneurs.
“Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Whether it be your parents or friends with kids or family without kids, take some time for yourself.”
How were your children affected and what message would you like to encourage other parents with during this time?
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Working from home a lot more. Getting work done while being a parent is an extremely difficult thing. I’ve also embraced spending more time with my sons. Spending more time with them. It’s been a real pleasure to see them grow and be able to grow with.
To other parents: don’t be afraid to ask for help. Whether it be your parents or friends with kids or family without kids, take some time for yourself. Don’t be ashamed. Don’t try to be a hero. If you give everything to your children, you have nothing left for yourself. You become less of a happier person. You’ll be surprised how many people are willing to help and give you a hand but you have to ask for it.
How can the community support you?
Be kind to your servers, to make other people happy. We are open not because we want to be open, we miss our guests and miss making people happy. We’re not trying to enforce mask-wearing because we’re trying to be difficult, we’re trying to do our part. We are trying to show some joy!
Ready to Eat. Hot food on Uber Eats, Door Dash, Ritual, Skip the Dishes. Call in for delivery.
Ready to Heat. Food that comes chilled, that you can enjoy at the convenience of your time. You can heat up the whole meal pack or the smaller portion. Peak restaurant freshness, and not sitting in a delivery bag for a while before it’s served. Our team delivers it to you! Set the oven to set temperature, and timing. Very simple recipes and packages.
Pick ups are obviously welcome.
http://www.patoistoronto.com/
Sponsored by Porsche.
