Kylie Kwong - Wok's Cooking

Kwong is the first to admit, as good as this may sound, it may not be the workplace for everyone, and so she looks for qualities in her staff which complement the working environment. "The sort of people we attract are creative, arty types … it’s not for everyone. And because cooking is such a creative thing, I think it’s very important to have a creative environment when you are cooking," she says. "And then at night we have structure, because we have to, everyone has their sections and we’ve got certain guidelines."

Identity & Ambience

Kwong attributes her success to establishing a clear identity and a strong sense of self. "When people come to this restaurant, they know they’ve been to billy kwong. Why do they know that? Because of the appearance, the style of service, because we’ve got the hand-written menus, we’ve got our little logo and the flowers—it’s got a really strong look about it and it’s got a very strong sense of self."

Part of establishing billy kwong’s identity meant answering questions about exactly what Kwong wanted her customers to get from the product, the service and the whole encounter. "Everything in the business reflects your essence."

Kwong had set her plan from day one: to create a Chinese eating house. "We knew we wanted to have a little hole-in-the-wall place that just served really great food, good value, and we always wanted it to be an easy place to come into."

And she has succeeded. When first entering the restaurant, its size is surprising. The dining room is small and intimate (despite the cabbages taking pride of place in front of the window) and the open-plan kitchen is only partly partitioned by two cabinets, so customers get a complete sensory experience from the sights, sounds and tastes of the food being cooked only a few metres away. "The kitchen is the heart of the place, so that’s why we have an open kitchen."

She also had a clear idea of the proposed suburb in Sydney, and clientele, the menu—strictly Chinese food—and even the suppliers she wanted to use. She knew the atmosphere she wanted to create, from the fresh flowers to the jazz. "I knew right down to the colour toilet paper—every single detail."

The biggest evolution has been Kwong’s attitude to the business. "In those first two years I held on to it very tightly because it was like a little baby," she says. Now, after taking a step back and with time for other things—including a popular ABC television series and cookbook, Heart and Soul, and being a guest at various cooking and non-cooking events—Kwong is looking forward to new directions.

"I am taking great pleasure in teaching people the beauties of Chinese food," she says. "And judging by the clientele, they’re into it … they are very discerning, foodie types."

She also looks to improving suppliers, one day making organic vegetables a part of the menu and continuing her commitment to quality. "I only do things I believe in, or that reflect billy kwong values," she says. "I guess that’s what’s changed, I’m having a broader view on everything. It’s not just a restaurant on Crown Street, this little business, it’s actually a whole way of life for me."