Mexican nachos, pizza, icecream, sushi and Indonesian gado gado are just some of the dishes found on the Mood Food menu. That’s a lot of different flavours! But all these dishes are prepared by just one man, our star Head Chef Xiao Wen. “I actually first met Xiao Wen when his friend came to interview for the job of Head Chef at Mood Food,” say’s Master Daniel Li Ox. “His friend seemed like a good cook, but there was something about Xiao Wen, his energy, that made me like him straight away. It turned out he was also a chef, and when his friend was unable to take the position as he was at a wedding, we hired Xiao Wen instead. I hope his friend wasn’t too disappointed!” Earlier this week, Xiao Wen took some time out of his busy schedule to tell us a bit more about his work… Can you introduce yourself? I am Xiao Wen, from Guangxi Province. I grew up very close to here, and I have lived in Yangshuo for about 2 years. Before that I lived in Guilin. What is your role at Wandering Dao? I am the Head Chef for the Mood Food Energy Cafe. Everyday I choose what fresh produce to buy from the local markets. Then I bring it all back to Mood Food and work in the kitchen preparing dishes for our customers. I also work closely with Daniel (Li Ox) to create new dishes. We are always looking for new ways to develop the menu. It changes a lot, depending on the season and what produce is available. How...
Could you introduce yourself? My name is Ann, I’m from Guangdong province and I live in Yangshuo. Before I moved here, I went to college in Guilin for 3 years, where I studied to be a Chinese tour guide. How long have you been working at Wandering Dao? About 10 months What is your role at Wandering Dao? You know there is a lot going on here, so my work has many parts. I meet the customers, I work in the hotel, I serve food. I also book clients in for massages and classes. There’s a lot of variety. Do you enjoy it? Yeah! I love this work. It’s not just like, it’s love! The people are so friendly, they are like my family. And the atmosphere is happy and relaxed. What is your favourite thing about working here? When the customer tells me that they really like their meal, or this place, I feel so happy. Appreciated. Sometimes I check our restaurant on Trip Advisor. When there is a good review, it makes me smile and I know I’ve done a good job. Can you tell us your favourite dish on the menu? For me, um, there’s so many! It will probably be the Mood Food Power Smoothie, and the Pizza Mood and the different salads. Oh, and the desserts! Almond Cream, my god, so amazing! Do you feel you have learnt more about health and nutrition through working here? Yeah, after I began working here, I really started to enjoy this healthy lifestyle. My body feels more relaxed now, and there is a kindness there too,...
