The "spirit of hospitality" he learned in Japan. He never compromises on the "beauty" of his food. (Nam, from Vietnam / Tsurutontan Kinshiro Branch)

[Staff Profile]

Le Dinh Nam (from Vietnam)

He came to Japan as an international student and returned to Vietnam once, but he couldn't let go of his desire to work in Japan, so he came back to Japan with a specific skills visa. He is currently in charge of kitchen work at Tsurutontan Kotoshourou, an udon restaurant that serves authentic Japanese cuisine.

【Company】

K Express Co., Ltd.

Kato Pleasure Group is a major food and beverage company that operates a variety of brands, including the popular udon restaurant "Tsurutontan," and operates restaurants loved by customers both in Japan and overseas. Utilizing the Specified Skilled Worker System, the company is also actively recruiting and training global human resources.

This time, we visited Tsurutontan Kotoshourou branch and spoke with Nam, who is originally from Vietnam!

Tsurutontan Kinshoro Branch

──Why did you want to work in Japan?

I originally came to Japan as an international student at a Japanese language school. I later returned to Vietnam due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but I had a strong desire to work in Japan , so I decided to take advantage of the Specified Skilled Worker visa system and find employment in Japan.

──Why did you decide to work as a specific skilled worker?

I had experience working part-time in the kitchen of a major Japanese restaurant chain, and felt that the Japanese restaurant industry was a good fit for me. I wanted to continue working in the restaurant industry more fully , so I decided to obtain a specific skills residence status.

The Specified Skilled Worker visa is a system suitable for working in the food and beverage industry, and once you gain experience you can aim for Specified Skilled Worker No. 2. Obtaining No. 2 visa not only allows you to work in Japan for a long time, but also allows your family to stay in Japan and broadens your career possibilities , so I wanted to take on the challenge.

──Please tell us about your current job.

It's been a year and a half since I started working at Tsurutontan Kotoshourou. When I first joined the company, I was in charge of serving customers and working the cash register. Naturally, I had to memorize all the menu items and explain the courses to customers. It was difficult at first, as I had almost no experience in serving customers. However, I gradually began to find interacting with customers very enjoyable .

Then, a little over a year after I joined the company, and just as I was getting used to floor work, I was transferred to cooking due to a shortage of kitchen staff. I had originally wanted to work in the kitchen, and my one year of experience on the floor had given me a good knowledge of the menu, so I was able to learn cooking work relatively smoothly . Our restaurant mainly serves udon, but we also serve a variety of other Japanese dishes. I am currently in charge of cooking the entire menu, including sushi and fried foods.

──What do you value most in your work?

After all, it's all about providing customers with delicious, beautiful food . I think the appearance of udon is especially important. No matter how delicious the food is, if the person who puts the tempura on top at the end arranges it carelessly, the impression it leaves on the customer's table will be ruined . That's why I'm so particular about the appearance of the food, and if I notice something odd about the way other employees are arranging it, I'll definitely point it out. I want to always make the best possible food without compromising.

I think this commitment is due in large part to the fact that I first worked on the restaurant floor after joining the company, where I served customers . I got to see the customers' reactions directly, so I became constantly conscious of what kind of food would please them and how I could make them even more satisfied . To be honest, I didn't like being in charge of the restaurant floor at first (laughs), but now I'm really glad that I was able to gain experience starting from serving customers.

──What do you think of the environment and atmosphere at work?

The store manager has been directly training me since I was in charge of the floor, and he is kind, so we still have a relationship where I can talk about anything. In addition to the store manager, there are several other employees who are also from Vietnam, and we often go out to eat together and talk about various things.

Because Japanese is a foreign language to us, there are times when we still can't express ourselves well, and it requires a lot of mental effort, so we get tired of speaking. At times like that, the store manager once said to us, "You two (Vietnamese people), it's okay to talk to each other in Vietnamese." These words really saved us. When we were feeling stressed about the language barrier, being able to express our feelings in our native language, even for just a short time, gave us a sense of relief .

Of course, this happened in the back room and not in front of customers, but at a time when many companies have a policy of "prohibiting conversation in one's native language," the store manager's kind words that were considerate of how we felt made us feel at ease and made us more positive about communicating in Japanese.

--In 2023, the restaurant industry will also be subject to Specified Skills No. 2. Are you considering obtaining it?

Yes, I am aiming for Specified Skilled Worker No. 2 status and am scheduled to take the exam this May. Specified Skilled Worker No. 1 status has a maximum period of stay of five years, but I would like to continue working in Japan for longer. I enjoy working in the food service industry, and I would like to gain more experience here and improve my skills and knowledge. If I obtain Specified Skilled Worker No. 2 status, there will be no limit on the period of stay, and I believe my future career options will expand .

──Finally, please tell us what your future goals are, Nam!

First of all, I would like to further hone my cooking skills and eventually become a head chef or sous chef . Head chefs at Tsurutontan require a high level of skill in kaiseki cuisine and concept creation, so I would like to work hard to achieve that goal.

My dream is to open my own restaurant in Vietnam. I want to put the hospitality culture I learned in Japan into practice when I return to Vietnam. I would like to use the experience I have gained in the Japanese food and beverage industry to create a restaurant in Vietnam that will please customers .

We also spoke to the store manager, Mr. Ishibashi!

──As the store manager, what do you think of Nam's work?

He's extremely talented. When Nam joined the company, he had almost no experience in customer service, and it was even his first time serving food. He has grown dramatically since then, and is now able to perfectly explain the contents and courses of kaiseki cuisine. Our restaurant has many inbound customers, and we sometimes serve around 40 people at once on tours. Even when the menu is decided, there are many situations where flexible and accurate responses are required, such as accommodating allergies. I now trust Nam enough to leave such important floor work to him with peace of mind.

──Was there any particular episode where you felt that Nam-san had grown?

During busy seasons, there were times when it was difficult for me to take a break as the store manager, but at those times Nam-san said to me, "Manager, please leave the store to us and take a break!" He actually ran the store together with the other staff, and I could rely on him. I really felt his growth.

Nam-san also has a strong commitment to not only the taste but also the appearance of the food he serves to customers. If he had started in the kitchen when he joined the company, it would have been difficult for him to realize the importance of customer service and hospitality. I think that this is proof that he has grown through his experience on the floor .

--What do you expect from the two employees we are supporting?

Both of our interviewees, Nam and Hoa, who is also from Vietnam, are extremely talented and work hard every day. We hope they will aim to become head chefs or sous chefs . In fact, no foreign employees have ever held these positions at the Kato Pleasure Group. We hope they will become pioneers and blaze new trails.

They also have a goal of going independent and opening their own restaurant in the future. To that end, acquiring management and educational skills at our company will be of great help to them in the future. To that end, we will do our utmost to support them in improving their skills.

──Finally, please tell us about your future prospects for utilizing foreign talent.

Our store would like to continue to actively accept specific skilled workers and create an environment where we can grow together . It is especially gratifying to see their Japanese language skills and work attitudes improve day by day. Of course, there are times when customers give us harsh feedback, but we want to continue to provide them with the fullest support, including through that.

Many of the foreigners working under the Specified Skilled Worker System have dreams and goals for the future. Seeing such motivated staff grow and gain confidence gives us a great sense of accomplishment . We would like to continue growing together with our foreign staff and aim to create a store that satisfies our customers.

Thank you to store manager Ishibashi-san and Nam-san for sharing your valuable experiences!

Nam is a leader at the store who even the store manager highly recommends.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what he does in the future!

The Food and Beverage Association will continue to support you.

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The Japan Food and Beverage Association for Foreign Employment

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