Archan Chan recalls her first experience working in a Chinese restaurant more than 14 years ago. Employed as an apprentice (学徒) chef, she was one of just two women in the kitchen — the other's only job was to beat eggs. "She was unbelievably fast at beating eggs. I guess for a woman to survive in a traditional Chinese kitchen back then, you had to be the best in something," she says.
Today, Chan leads the kitchen of Ho Lee Fook, one of Hong Kong's most popular restaurants. After spending more than a decade working in fine dining restaurants in Australia and Singapore, she is one of a few female chefs who have risen to the top of a high-end Chinese restaurant. That's an impressive achievement, given how unbelievably challenging it has been for women to show in high-end Chinese kitchens.
Female chefs have long been a minority in professional kitchens around the world. But the situation is even severer in Chinese kitchens. There's no denying the work is physically demanding — an empty pot weighs about 2.2 kilograms. In the past, few chefs would risk employing a female trainee into that tough environment.
Given all of these barriers, not many women would even consider this male-dominated industry as an attractive career path. Thankfully, there are signs of a shift in mindset — the number of female Chinese head chefs has been rising in recent years.
"Even if it's a kitchen almost full of men, all everyone cares about is food — the cooking. They don't care if you're a male or female. Gender shouldn't matter," Chan says.
"Yes, there is a physical barrier but I think the mental barrier may be more of a barrier to the increase of women in Chinese kitchens,"Chan adds. "It isn't just about how much you want it but how much hard work you're willing to put into it. There are days when you feel like your arms are falling apart and you can't move them anymore, but the next day, you're stronger and may be able to work a heavier work."
