The Girl Who Loved To Bake

My name is Gitu. It was my childhood dream to be a professional chef.

But I didn’t start out knowing that I wanted to become one.

I’m the youngest of three girls. My two sisters are 8 and 6 years older than me.

When I was a young girl, they were already teenagers and had very different interests and lifestyles.

Bonding over a special hobby

Using a built-in oven in my home, baking cakes was one of the few ways I could really bond with my sisters.

When we grew older, I started baking cakes for family and friends.

I liked baking and creating confections so much I even took a Diploma in Food & Beverage Business with Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP).

I even took a Degree in Food Business Management with the Culinary Institute of America after that.

Gitu and a classmate during her studies at the California campus of the Culinary Institute of America in 2016. (Credit: Gitu)

Working at one of the highest restaurants in Singapore

Today, I am part of the pastry team at Spago Singapore (by Chef Wolfgang Puck).

Most customers will know that Spago is on the 57th level of the Marina Bay Sands. Where I work, the view is also great during the day, and amazing at night.

It’s been one year into this exciting job as a commis or junior cook.

I’m currently working on preparation and plating, and can rotate within the department to work on a wide variety of dishes and learn new skills.

Food & Beverage careers: what do employers value?

The F&B industry has a skills-based progression where you’re valued by the skills and attitude you have.

This is why I took up a Molecular Mixology masterclass run by Nanyang Polytechnic in collaboration with e2i (Employment and Employability Institute).

Photo: Together with other student and adult F&B learners, Gitu (not in photo) learnt about Molecular Mixology from Chef Immanuel Tee at an e2i masterclass. (Photo: e2i)

Appreciating workers in F&B

With every passion, there are trade-offs F&B professionals have to be willing to make.

If you work on the dinner or weekend shift, you won’t get to see your family and friends as often compared to working typical office hours.

Standing up for 10 hours in the kitchen is common and there’s so much effort behind the scenes to feed the rest of Singapore that isn’t often noticed.

F&B professionals are human beings too, and a little appreciation and understanding of our craft and job goes a long way.

Special thanks to the e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) for arranging the interview with Ms Gitanjali Kumar Moolani (Gitu), commis at Spago Singapore.