很高興Walter選了位於元朗鳳翔路5號偉發大廈地下17號舖的「思U廚房」作為今天的回訪對象，並安排了讓新加坡iCHEF辦事處來港考察的產品開發經理Crystal與店家Doris及Billy在店會談，讓她親自了解這類餐廳運用iCHEF系統遇到的問題。同行做回訪的有Crystal、Walter、Rocky與我。按指示最方便的途徑是乘港鐵到元朗站A 出口，再步行約6分鐘就可以看到CU Kitchen 英語字眼的牌匾，但由我們由觀塘辦事處出發，乘搭268C巴士更直接、更舒適！I was delighted that Walter selected “CU Kitchen,” located at Shop 17, G/F, Wai Fat Building, 5 Fung Cheung Road, Yuen Long, as today’s revisit destination. He also arranged for Crystal, the Product Manager from iCHEF’s Singapore office to participate during her study tour of Hong Kong to meet with the restaurant owners, Doris and Billy, to gain firsthand insight into the challenges of using the iCHEF system in such restaurants. Joining the revisit were Crystal, Walter, Rocky, and me. The most convenient route, as per instructions, was to take the MTR to Yuen Long Station Exit A and then walk about six minutes to find the signboard with the English name “CU Kitchen.” However, since we were departing from the Kwun Tong office, taking the 268C bus was more direct and comfortable!
抵達餐廳時留意到已拉下一部份防風閘，才知道已過了正常營業時間，老闆娘Doris熱烈歡迎我們進店坐下，解釋午飯時間已過，廚房員工已回家，目前主力經營早餐及午餐，下午茶及晚市客流不理想，決定暫時不營業。老闆Billy在外辦事，很快就會到店，有關系統的運作問題由他會詳細與我們討論。Upon arriving at the restaurant, we noticed that part of the windproof shutter had been pulled down. Only then did we realize we had arrived after normal business hours. The proprietor, Doris, warmly welcomed us into the restaurant and explained that lunch service had ended, the kitchen staff had gone home, and the focus of the business was mainly on breakfast and lunch. Afternoon tea and dinner services had not been profitable, so they decided to temporarily cease operations during those times. Billy, the co-owner, was out handling errands but would soon join us to discuss system-related issues in detail.
我們表明今天來訪其一重要目標是做顧客來幫襯，試試他們的美食，知道廚房已收爐確實有點失望，Doris說日後可安排點餐給我們試食，先為我們準備了美味可口的凍檸茶及凍檸水，在酷熱天氣警告生效的這個下午，享用這飲品如獲甘霖，我誇張地立刻飲下了半杯以降體溫！我很快地觀摩陳列在店牆上的餐牌，計劃下次再來時會店那幾道菜。We explained that one of the main objectives of our visit was to patronize the restaurant and try their food. Learning that the kitchen was already closed, we felt a little disappointed. Doris assured us that she could arrange for us to sample their dishes on another occasion. For now, she served us refreshing iced lemon tea and iced lemon water. On this scorching afternoon with a heat warning in effect, these drinks felt like a blessing. I exaggeratedly gulped down half a glass immediately to cool off! I quickly scanned the menus displayed on the walls, planning which dishes to try on my next visit.
Billy抵達後就加入了我們的會談，首先讚賞系統介面設計簡單易用，跟著建議包括怎樣方便在店外點餐時可選擇外賣或堂食，而店內不用手動就可自動作出安排等改善要求。我們很感謝Billy作出非常正面的建議，可以調教的我們會立刻向總公司相關部門提出行動，功能上要求增設的就希望Crystal可跟進是否有空間於短期內處理。When Billy arrived, he joined our discussion. He first praised the system’s simple and user-friendly interface and then offered suggestions for improvements, such as making it easier to select between dine-in and take-out when ordering from outside the restaurant and automating these arrangements within the system. We greatly appreciated Billy’s constructive feedback. We promised to immediately relay actionable suggestions to the relevant departments at the headquarters and hoped Crystal could follow up on the feasibility of implementing certain feature requests in the short term.
面談仍在進行中，Doris要短暫出外辦事，他們的另一業務是補習社，開放時間是下午兩點至七點，她與Billy應該是互相配合，讓他有充份時間與我們會議，非常感謝他們兩位。As the meeting continued, Doris had to leave briefly for other business. They also run a tutoring center, which operates from 2 PM to 7 PM. She and Billy seem to coordinate well, allowing him ample time for our meeting. We were deeply grateful to both of them.
在餐廳營運方面，Billy分享了與兩個外賣平台合作遇到的問題及解決行動，非常生活化，經營的艱辛可以感受到，經驗教曉了他的店員怎樣高速地準備外賣盒以應付送貨員的需求。言語中透露了餐廳的自家秘方名菜，包括自家現場明爐叉燒、秘製新會陳皮豬手（據Billy說陳皮來自Doris家族的果園）及秘製牛筋腩，意味著這三道菜我們安排來試菜時非點不可！亦留意到餐牌上有幾道用蝦膏炒的菜式，令食慾大增，到時起碼要點一道來試試。Regarding restaurant operations, Billy shared the challenges and solutions they encountered when collaborating with two food delivery platforms. His insights were very practical and relatable, revealing the hardships of running a restaurant. From his experience, he taught his staff how to quickly prepare takeout boxes to meet delivery drivers’ demands. During the conversation, Billy also mentioned their signature dishes with secret recipes, including in-house roasted char siu, braised pork knuckles with preserved tangerine peel (made from tangerine peels sourced from Doris’s family orchard), and braised beef brisket. These dishes are a must-try when we arrange our tasting session! I also noticed several shrimp paste stir-fry dishes on the menu, which instantly piqued my appetite—I’ll definitely try at least one next time.
臨近離開時我建議邀請Billy 的10歲兒子Sydney為我們出任攝影師拍一張大合照，他一直在店內的另一角坐著靜靜地做自己的事，但當我問他是否在放暑假時，他很成熟地和我談話起來，知道他仍要上課，現唸小四，下了課仍穿著校服就來到店。拍照時Billy很自豪地提到還有兩位女兒，一位唸中五、另一位中一，兒子家中排行最小。在店內拍完照，我想起要在店門前橫匾下再拍多一張，再請Sydney為我們效勞，他就當起導演來，指導爸爸把防風閘全部拉起才拍照，觀察力相當強，對自己的判斷又有自信，應做的事就敢作敢為，值得讚賞！Before leaving, I suggested inviting Billy’s 10-year-old son, Sydney, to be our photographer for a group photo. He had been quietly sitting in another corner of the shop, minding his business. When I asked if he was on summer break, he maturely responded, explaining that he still had classes. Currently in Primary 4, he came to the restaurant in his school uniform right after class. During the photo-taking, Billy proudly mentioned his two daughters—one in Form 5 and the other in Form 1—with Sydney being the youngest. After taking photos inside the restaurant, I thought we should take another one under the shop’s signboard outside. Sydney enthusiastically rose to the occasion, directing his father to fully raise the windproof shutter before taking the photo. His keen observation, confidence in his judgment, and decisiveness were highly commendable!
我們決定了下次再來回訪時會特別安排一頓10個人的晚飯，我問Sydney什麼菜式是他最喜歡的，他說他們的每日例湯是最好飲的，我說一定要試他們的湯，他不知道我對湯是情有獨鍾的，可能他剛找到知音人了！We decided to arrange a special 10-person dinner for our next visit. I asked Sydney which dish he liked the most. He said their daily soup was the best. I told him I would definitely try their soup, though he didn’t know that I am a soup enthusiast—perhaps he had just found a kindred spirit!
離開店後，我們步行到附近食元朗著名的B仔涼粉，跟著往港鐵元朗站時再經過「思U廚房」，看到Doris已回來，三人正準備回家，我爭取機會在大門前拍一張有她在內的大合照，再請Sydney幫忙，今次做自拍！After leaving the restaurant, we walked to enjoy the famous “B Boy Grass Jelly” in Yuen Long. On our way to the MTR station, we passed by “CU Kitchen” again and saw Doris had returned. The three of them were preparing to head home. I seized the opportunity to take one last group photo with Doris included, once again enlisting Sydney’s help. This time, he took a selfie with us!
