Angus An Part IV
Angus An is the executive chef and co-owner of Fourth Avenue’s newest restaurant, Gastropod. He will be documenting his restaurant’s first hundred hours for us with a signature dish called Gastropodblog.
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Archive for November, 2006
Angus An Part III
Our Second Day
I woke up realizing we have just completed one service at Gastropod, our very first and it felt special. It didn’t feel like much last night, probably because of fatigue, but today it feels like it’s the beginning of something. Finally you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it makes all the frustrations worthwhile. I smiled and enjoyed my moment for only a brief second, and then remembered how much mise en place I had to do.
I got to the restaurant only to realize there’re already stains on our brand new carpet. Already I started to calculate how much 105 sq of carpet would cost to get cleaned once a month. I missed that expense when I did budgeting.
The day got rolling after a cup of coffee and a couple of hours worth of paper work before I could start cooking, of course. Setting up today was much better (the staff meal was ready on time). Things were much more organized compared to yesterday. We planned the books for a real smooth service, blocking off 20% of the reservations. It went real smooth, and we decided to take a few walk-ins as well. The last order was around 10:30 and we were able to clean up and leave for some late night Korean BBQ by midnight.
Apple tart for the last dessert
After the BBQ beef rib and the pork stew, Kate and I felt complete. It was time to end the day and think about tomorrow.
Angus An
Angus An Part II
I have formulated my first hour of the day.
Lack of Sleep + Stress + Sound of Fire Alarm going off + Last Inspection + 8:30 in the morning
= major headache.
We have the final Schedule C from our engineer, now I just need to run to the city to get permit to operate! To be quite honest, at this point, it hasn’t really hit me that we are going to be open in a few hours. I had some old friends come in to help with setup, Cameron (Joy Road Catering of Penticton) and J.C. (of Chow — coming soon). It was every bit of fun as I remembered it.
Profile | Gord Martin
Gord Martin, owner and executive chef of the hugely successful Bin 941 and Bin 942 restaurants and Go Fish seafood emporium on Granville Island, is one of the driving forces that has made Vancouver’s tapas and small plates scene what it is today.
URBAN DINER: Any learned advice for an aspiring restauranteur?
Gord Martin: Be careful if you don’t have any experience in restaurants. You need some skill to bring to the table to help run the business. You can’t be an owner/spectator and expect to become a huge success. It’s not all glamour like many people think. It’s long hours and a lot of hard work.
Angus An Part I
After last minute paint touch ups, it looks ready to go!
Pre-Opening Day:
The day began early as usual – picking up Adam from the airport. Adam is our architect consultant, who we flew back from Calgary (he was babysitting his grandkids) just to inspect the restaurant and finish the Schedule C for the city. After the inspection and the Schedule C, the day got going. We realize that we are opening tomorrow and have yet to have a single menu printed – all the drama. Then, my bartender tells me our POS system isn’t working properly, and we don’t have the proper cables to connect it. Looks like we might have open without a functional printer in the kitchen. Old school.
