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An unexpected Thai meal at a newly-opened restaur Selangor, presents with an insp
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and the knowledgeable waitress is a great help in recommending the popular dishes. Coupled with my friend’s previous dining experiences here, we settle on the orders in less than 15 minutes. A record for me as I usually have lots of queries when it comes to food associated with our northern neighbour.
Taking advantage of the lull before the main dining crowd make their presence, I decide to take temporary leave of my friend and head off to explore the physical aspects of Thai Syok. The many eye-catching items on display certainly warrant a closer look.
While admiring the fine details on an attractive Asian elephant oil painting, I bump into the restaurant’s owner Jeffred Tham. My intense interest in his place must have prompted him to walk over for a chat.
An affable young man with a more than obvious passion for the good things in life, Tham regales me about his early days before he started Thai Syok, peeling back the years to the day he graduated with a Diploma in Hospitality Management from Sunway University College.
“Even though it was in 2007, I remember everything as if they happened yesterday. My goal then was to be successful in life and I was willing to do anything to achieve it,” Tham confides, conviction in his voice.
That very year itself, through the recommendation of a close friend, Tham applied for a job with Wynn Macau Resort. To him, overseas exposure would be most ideal as that would enable him to gain ideas and experiences that would otherwise not be available if he had opted to remain here.
“I started off as a novice restaurant captain serving VVIP and high roller guests. It was an eye-opening experience for me as I began adapting to the fast-paced working environment there,” shares Tham, adding that within three months of joining he was promoted to the post of F&B trainer.
A year later, after mastering adequate service skills and conversational Cantonese, he once again climbed the corporate ladder to become the F&B training manager. “I’m particularly proud of that achievement as I got it in record time. The new portfolio came with more responsibilities such as planning and developing a fully equipped learning kitchen from scratch. I also helped to rede-