Three modern maitre d’s on the challenges of delivering good restaurant service and the ‘theatre of dining’
- A maître d’hôtel is in charge of the front of house – everywhere the customers can see – in a restaurant. Their job is to ensure a smooth service
- We talk to three Hong Kong maître d’s about their daily duties and why they are so passionate about their jobs
It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time not so long ago when the star in a restaurant wasn’t the chef: it was the maître d’.
Chefs were rarely, if ever, seen by diners, so it was the person managing the front of house who was the celebrity of their day. Having a relationship with them would be critical in securing reservations, the best tables – and possibly, special treatment.
Maître d’ is short for the French phrase maître d’hôtel, a description denoting the “master of the hotel”. It was taken up in the 19th century as a term for the head waiter or restaurant manager.
At one-Michelin-star restaurant Roganic in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay shopping and entertainment hub, British cuisine is celebrated by a dynamic young team. Key to the restaurant’s success is the warmth of the welcome and the unobtrusive, flawless ballet of service. That’s the province of Sean Oakford, who chose to enter the hospitality business with a remarkable personal mission.
“I have cerebral palsy and it led to a lot of social anxiety, so I started working in bars to get over it, to force myself into social interaction. I was scared about groups of people, but if you push yourself into an uncomfortable position it usually leads to more rapid growth.”
After reading computer science at university, Oakford realised he wanted to make his career in restaurants.