The Phoenix Who Serves Duck
Sixteen years ago, Ko-Hsin Fan found herself sobbing over her restaurant’s giant wok. It was Thanksgiving Day. The chef had walked out in a fit of anger after a dispute with the sous chef.
She had to step in and take over the kitchen. “I had no idea what I was cooking,” she says, “my tears just drop and drop from my eyes, mixing with my sweat. I was counting every second of that day.”
The restaurant was fully booked for Thanksgiving, which had a set menu, but as of 9 A.M. on the morning of, Fan did not even know how to start a restaurant stove. Servers hid in the kitchen, afraid to tell customers what was happening behind the dining room. Her sous-chef couldn’t help, as he was busy with slicing Peking duck. Angry customers ran into the back and demanded their food or a manager to explain the situation. Fan was hopeless. “At one point, I told my servers it’s okay not to take the money for that night because I failed them.”...