Bringing spicy Sichuan food to the Hong Kong masses, Chef Theign Phan knows how to handle the heat in the kitchen. As the culinary maestro in charge of Grand Majestic Sichuan, Theign juggles a myriad of tasks throughout the day, not least of which is keeping an eye on multiple woks during service. In-between dishing up fiery Sichuan dishes – familiar classics interspersed with innovative new twists – Theign spends her day shopping the markets for authentic Sichuan ingredients, managing a team, and doing research & development in the kitchen. Above the clamour of the woks, Theign makes sure to keep the humour and good-natured vibes flowing throughout a hectic dinner service. From her morning routine to late-night lock-up, she shares her Day-in-the-Life diary below.  

9am: Alarm goes off, and I hit snooze. I will usually snooze until around 9:30am before I’m willing to get out of bed…  

9:30am: Skim through the many messages on WhatsApp and WorkChat. Make a mental note to reply later.  

10am: Make myself a coffee just before leaving for work… maybe finish half of it before I’m out the door rushing for the bus, as I need to stop by Wan Chai before work. On the bus, I start replying to any urgent messages regarding reservations, events and menu requests. Start to skim through emails and again make a mental note to reply later today! 

10:20am: Stop by the Wan Chai market to buy some specific Sichuan ingredients before service. I’m in the midst of a new round of research & development for new dishes, so need to prepare!

11am: Arrive at Grand Majestic Sichuan. Set up the kitchen for lunch service and put away deliveries with the team.  

11:30am: Check SEVENROOMS for lunch reservations and pre-booked events. Communicate game plan to the team for a chef’s menu pre-order for 12 pax.  

11:45am: Briefing with the front-of-house team. Discuss who’s in charge for the chef’s menu, and any substitutions for dietaries.  

12pm: Lunch service starts. This is the calm before the storm… we’re expecting 60 pax between 12-12:30pm today.  

12:15pm: Tickets don’t stop rolling in, and all the woks are firing at once. The sous chef and I have to speak so much louder to be heard over the woks. The kitchen gets spicy and smokey. Luca comes in and says something in a hurry; I can’t catch a word, and tell him to speak English please! We have our first friendly fight of the day.  

1:30pm: Everything calms down again; we’ve managed to feed everyone on time. Clean down and continue to prep for the day with the team. 

2pm: A couple of walk-in tables arrive for late lunch, and the kitchen gets noisy with the woks again.  

2:15pm: Luca comes into the kitchen looking for snacks; I give him some poached chicken skin with sweet aromatic soy sauce. 

2:45pm: Leave the kitchen and sit down to reply to emails. A media opportunity has come in to feature GMS and myself. I take some time to do research before replying to the interview questions.  

3:30pm: Family meal is ready! Eat quickly before walking to the Gage Street markets to finish shopping for ingredients.  

4:30pm: Since I’m nearby, I stop by the old-school Kung Lee Sugar Cane Drink store for a drink. Buy a bottle for my buddy, Chef Danvee, who is now at Fukuro. Before leaving SoHo, I swing over to Ho Lee Fook to say hello to Jack and Jordan. I have a sentimental spot for both Black Sheep restaurants as they were the first I visited when I came to Hong Kong.  

5pm: Back at GMS, I take a short break (I realise I haven’t really sat down since morning). 

5:30pm: Evening briefing with the team. Ask for a big push on lobster and the seasonal greens, pea tendrils. Margaux jokes to the team to make sure I am informed on which tables to touch – especially those with eligible bachelors! Big laughs all around, and we end the briefing with a cheer of “HUSBAND”! 

5:45pm: Back in the kitchen for a last-minute walkaround and one-on-one briefings with my team members. 

6pm: Doors open and dinner service is on!  

6:30pm: The dining room is full, and all woks are on full blast. Two tables are feasting on the chef’s menu, and one of the guests has very strict dietaries: no onion, garlic, ginger, mushrooms and potatoes. Almost 99% of the dishes in GMS have ALL of the above ingredients. My head nearly explodes but I keep my cool and manage to arrange substitutes/modifications.  

8pm: Mid-service break to go in search of a cool drink. The team has deliberately placed cartons of bottled water at the back of the top shelf to tease me, because I am the shortest in the kitchen. 

8:30pm: Dining room is full again. Kitchen gets extra smokey, and seems to be getting worst. Take a video to show the maintenance team, asking for assistance. 

10pm: Dinner service slows down, and I am able to head out to the restaurant and greet some guests. Spot Jack at the bar and give him a hug. One of the guests is celebrating her birthday, and I join in the birthday song.  

10:35pm: Our wok cook makes Singaporean noodles for supper. I’m super excited since this means I don’t need to figure out what to eat when I get home. Also I love stir-fried noodles.   

10:45pm: Discuss with sous chef the next day’s reservations and events. Check for last orders one more time and dismiss the team for the night.  

11pm: Before leaving for the night, the bartender stops me for a drink. Can’t resist a good gin & tonic.  

11:30pm: Out the door and headed home.  

12:45am: In bed, I flick through my phone and check out some memes sent by my friends Danvee, Kirk and Taimur.  

1:30am: Phone’s out of battery, forcing me to finally put it down and switch off the lights.  

—

Craving more? Read more ‘Day In The Life’ stories here and here to find out what our teams do to make that Black Sheep magic happen every day.

Join The Herd for our latest news, weekly perks and exclusives. Sent directly to your inbox.