Thuy Mai Dung (Amy)
New Zealand Diploma in Cookery (Advanced) Level 5
After studying international relations and business at
university in Vietnam, Thuy Mai Dung was looking for something new. A working
holiday to New Zealand fired-up her interest in cookery, so she joined NSIA to
launch a career as a chef.
Why did you want to
be a chef?
When I came to New Zealand to work and travel for a year I fell in love with
the country and the people, so I decided to come back and study. Cookery really
appealed to me. It’s interesting and I
wanted to learn something new. Before coming to New Zealand I didn’t have any
knowledge at all about cooking but now I’m really keen to become a professional
chef and learn how to run a kitchen efficiently. Chefs have the opportunity to
work and travel, plus they get to try foods from lots of different countries.
How are you enjoying
NSIA?
I’d heard about NSIA from my agents and friends – it’s a pretty famous school
for cookery. I decided to enrol because
I knew I would learn a lot here, and it was definitely the right decision. The
tutors are friendly, supportive and very experienced, and they have taught me
so much. I’ve improved my knife skills, learnt how to cook food from all over
the world, plan menus and manage my time in a busy kitchen. The facilities at
NSIA are excellent and students have the opportunity to work in the school
restaurant, which provides valuable work experience. I have made so many friends
from other countries and now I am on the path to a really good career.
Tell us about your
job.
I work as a commis chef for Gina’s Italian Kitchen. It’s my first cooking job
in New Zealand and I love it! The staff are so supportive and we have so much
fun – we work as a team, we cheer, we laugh, and we celebrate at the end of
each night. When I first started I was in charge of desserts and entrees, but now
I’ve been promoted and am in charge of pasta and main course. The foundation
skills and knowledge I have gained at NSIA help me a lot at work. In fact, I
think it would have been quite difficult to learn on the job without my NSIA
training.
From here I plan to keep cooking and keep learning, and
eventually work my way up to head chef or sous chef in a big restaurant. I
believe that when you try hard and work hard you will be successful.
Gina’s Italian
Kitchen
Gina’s Italian Kitchen is an almost legendary Auckland
restaurant that has been popular for decades, thanks to its flamboyant Italian
owners, home-style Italian cuisine, and fun, vibrant atmosphere. Open for lunch
and dinner, Gina’s prides itself on offering generous Italian hospitality, and
delicious Italian favourites such as pizza, pasta, gnocchi and tiramisu.
