GUANGZHOU - Graziano Pia, executive sous chef of a five-star hotel in Guangzhou, plans to stay in China for the time being, believing this part of the world has become more vibrant and is a good challenge for him.

After four years with the hotel, Pia, originally from Italy, has gained experience, management skills and knowledge of Chinese cuisine. He has previously worked in his home country, Singapore, Australia, the Philippines and Taiwan before taking on his present job.

With new hotels constantly being opened in Guangzhou, Pia believes the challenge "is good also for us, because it gives us more adrenaline that we want to be always on the top."

To this end, Pia keeps long working days.

Arriving at work at 6 am, Pia quickly checks his email to see whether there have been any last-minute event or banquet event orders (BEO).

Around 6:10 am, he goes to the all-day dining restaurant to check the buffet lines for breakfast, gives tips to the associates and staff, and checks the quality of the preparations before customers start to arrive at 6.30 am.

Then he goes to the executive lounge and checks all the hygiene records, such as fridge temperature and heating records for the main kitchens.

Around 7:30 am, he goes back to the buffet and helps the associates to prepare breakfast.

Around 8:30 am, he quickly checks the temperature records to avoid cross contamination between raw foods, and monitors the quality of goods.

He then returns to the buffet until 9:30 am, before going back to his office to check emails.

Pia attends the BEO meeting with the sales and banqueting team at 10 am, and another meeting with the food and beverage department from 10:30 until 11 am.

After a self-made espresso Pia goes to check on the Italian restaurant which is about to open, and then returns to the all day dining restaurant to check the buffet lines.

After a half-hour lunch, Pia goes to his office at 2:30 pm to check whether there have been any menu requests, and settles the list of goods for the following day to be sent to the purchasing department.

At 3 pm, he attends a chef briefing with all the senior chefs of the hotel. At 4 pm there is a check of the Latin restaurant, and then staff training till 5.30pm, setting new ideas or preparations for future.

He again checks the buffet food line at 5:30 pm, staying till 7:30 pm, and then goes to the Italian restaurant and serves dinner until 9:30 pm.

Summing up the secret to being a successful chef, Pia said: “I believe the key is to try my best always and use the brain more than legs. I believe I am successful because I have a good culinary background gained from work experiences and places.”

"I am lucky to be born in Italy, where food is a great culture. I work as a team with my colleagues and share with them my knowledge. In this job, people follow you only if you have something to give or they have something to learn."

Pia communicates in English with his team members, who come from Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Italy and China.

"In the kitchen, sometimes words are not essential for communication. Most of the time, it is practical also to demonstrate to our staff how to prepare food recipes."

Aware of the increasing emphasis Chinese people place on healthy eating, Pia said: "For me that is a very good sign. People have to understand that food is health and what you eat today will be your well being tomorrow, and years later."