Private chef business in Sai Kung is hot, ex-CX Flight manager Jennifer Kaur says 

Former CX Inflight Services Manager Jennifer Kaur reports her catering business, just over a year old, is hot. “I guess it’s because we have a monopoly in Sai Kung,” Jennifer said. “I am the sole private kitchen operator here.” Kaur Cuisine does catering in her Tui Min Hui home, at the houses of clients, and for corporate and private functions.

“Most of my food and wine knowledge comes from the travel industry,” she said.  Jennifer was with Cathay Pacific for 25 years, retiring early in 2002. Her two children were born in Hong Kong and now live in London, Tom, an acupuncturist and Laura (Westbrook), the BBC news reader and producer. Jennifer grew up in a food-loving Sikh family in Malaysia exposed to traditional means of cooking. “I learned you don’t just throw spices into food, spices such as coriander, cumin, caraway. I use 11 spices in my meat. You toast them, pound them, infuse them in the lamb or chicken and marinate it for 12 hours.”

After leaving Cathay Jennifer moved to South Africa. She stayed in the beautiful country for seven years before the crime caused her to move back to Asia. Jennifer studied at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School in Bangkok for a year, looked after her ailing Mum in Malaysia until she died in 2014 and then moved back to Hong Kong. For 15 months she worked for Brad Gotfried at the Tikitiki Bowling Bar.   ” I was Head Chef, then General Manager, then back to Head Chef …” Jennifer left to start her private chef business.

Jennifer says she has found her niche in catering, but remains open to opportunities.  While flexible in response to client requests, Kaur Cuisine offers set lunch or dinner menus with varying themes: Capetown Cuisine $476 per person, Mediterranean Cuisine, same price, Northern Indian, same price and Traditional Malay $467.

Here is a sample Capetown Cuisine menu:

• Roasted prawns and calamari with chili oil and coriander
• Lamb bototie was basmati rice, chili jam and Greek salad
• Cappucino cheesecake
• Coffee/tea/cookies

Wine is BYO with no corkage, but Jennifer says she has at her Tui Min Hui home a selection of affordable wines from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. “I don’t do French wines, because the expensive wines are unaffordable and the cheaper ones are undrinkable and don’t complement the food.”

Jennifer can be reached at corecusine2014@gmail.com or 5416 0854.  Her food and table displays can be viewed at plateculture.com, kaurcuisinehk.com and on Facebook.