An interview with the Owner of Eastern Pearl Seafood Restaurant: Success Built upon Life-long Accumulation

Eastern Pearl Seafood Restaurant
(604) 474-2992
6102-2850 Shaughnessy Street
Port Coquitlam, British Columbia

In his shifting roles from an unknown food runner and kitchen helper to a prominent head chef and to the owner of a restaurant, Mr. Liang has turned all the ups and downs in his life into a rich mine of experience that eventually fueled his success.
 
Being food lover ever since his childhood, Mr. Liang learned culinary arts after many dim sum masters and was eventually allowed to work in the kitchen after 3 years of accumulated experience. At that time, he would try to complete his daily assignments ahead of time so he could humbly consult with experienced head chefs about all sorts of professional questions. After that, he would systematically sieve through what he had learned and practice the cooking procedures for multiple times at home. That became his routine for the next 5 years. Over time, his efforts eventually paid off as his experience and knowledge continued to grow. He subsequently worked as a head chef in multiple prestigious restaurants in Canada like Neptune Seafood Restaurant and Western Lake Chinese Seafood Restaurant for another 20 years. After returning from the U.S., 
Mr. Liang found that there was a lack of good restaurants in Port Coquitlam and the location of the area was also quite advantageous. All these favorable conditions had laid a solid foundation for the successful launching of Eastern Pearl Seafood Restaurant. 

Mr. Liang fathers a daughter and a son and leads a happy family life. Both children, with the daughter being 23 and the son 13 years old, are well-behaved and considerate kids. Mr. Liang started to teach them how to cook ever since their childhood and paid particular attention to the development of a good life habit in their life. Both kids have learned a lot from Mr. Leung who insisted upon teaching by precept and example. 

The Eastern Pearl Seafood Restaurant marks a starting point for Mr. Liang's entrepreneurship. He always regards the restaurant as his own child where he has put in years of devotion. Starting from a scratch, Mr. Liang even went so far  as to sell his own house to raise money as the start-up fund. The success of the Eastern Pearl Seafood Restaurant is inseparable from the firm support of Mr. Liang's wife, substantial help of his children and the diligent, hardworking quality of Mr. Leung himself, as well as his prowess in cooking, for which he is still highly grateful even today. 

Another restaurant - Grand Palace Restaurant - is a 10-minute drive from the Eastern Pearl Seafood Restaurant. The restaurant is also specializing in Cantonese seafood and was launched 5 years earlier than Mr. Liang's. Presently, it is a major competitor for Mr. Liang. However, concurrently working as a restaurant owner and head chef, Mr. Liang has his unique experience and methodology in terms of kitchen management and dish preparation. A persistent emphasis on high standard and meticulous processes has made Mr. Liang's restaurant no less prosperous than its competitors. 

Accommodating about 160 seats, the Eastern Pearl Seafood Restaurant is decorated in a way that offers a touch of warmth and coziness and an environment that is clean and tidy, and more importantly, distinguished. 

The major offerings of the restaurant are Cantonese dishes, seafood, dim sum snacks and some Szechuan dishes. The menu is properly updated seasonally based on the availability of fresh and nutritionally balanced ingredients. Decorated with energy-efficient lights, the restaurant does not catch up with the current hype of delivery service. Customers have to personally pick up what they have ordered at the restaurant. To some extent, these measures help retain the freshness and original flavor of dishes. The restaurant also insists upon a fixed pricing policy and forbids the use of any inferior ingredients and any form of reduction in dish quantity or quality. 

Every dish is prepared with attentive care by Mr. Liang, whether it is just a dim sum snack or signature delicacies. Mr. Leung strives to cater to the needs of every guest in terms of appearance and taste. Sparing no effort to ensure the quality of his offerings, Mr. Liang always brings the best to guests coming to Eastern Pearl. He believes it is worth all the efforts when satisfied customers extend their praises and encouragement. 
Every night, the restaurant is thoroughly cleaned by designated personnel. In the meantime, general cleaning activities are also implemented on a weekly basis, and professional sanitary service providers are hired for maintenance operations. The restaurant also undergoes stringent inspection and approval process for cleanness. 

Mr. Liang always puts a priority to empathy in team management. As an approachable man who started his career from the very bottom, Mr. Liang shows particular understanding of what difficulties employees may encounter at work and never exhibit any touch of bossiness. 

Considering that fact that every employee may experience more or less negative sentiments, Mr. Liang avoids any form of face-to-face criticism or accusations. Instead, he would choose an appropriate time to interact with his employees by showing timely respect and help in order to create a relaxing work atmosphere with shared goals. These measures have not only significantly boosted the efficiency of the entire team, but also deepened the emotional connection between team members. 

Mr. Liang says he is quite gratified with his increasingly prosperous business. While maintaining robust management in Eastern Pearl, he is also considering launching his second restaurant. Mr. Liang firmly believes that he is bound to bring his business to another level when an ideal time and location for his new restaurant are in place. With a reputable image of Eastern Pearl, the new restaurant is expected to attract more Chinese food lovers to enjoy and savor the great pleasure of its offerings.