From Army Dreams to Kitchen Skills — How My Path Changed

Hi, I'm Biki. I'm from Dhading, and I've been working at T's Your Palate for almost two years now. This is my first real job. Honestly, I didn't come to Kathmandu to work in a kitchen. I came here to study grades 11 and 12.

But life doesn't always go the way you plan it. There's something I think about a lot: "Things never happen the way you expect — that's what life is."

One of my dai's friends told me about this job. My family thought restaurant work would be good for me, so I took it. That’s how I started working at T’s Your Palate.

My childhood dream was to join the army — Singapore's army or police. I'm from a village, and that's what a lot of people there dream about. But things changed. When it was time to pick what to study, my cousin told me to try hotel management. So here I am.

And honestly? I like it now. I'm learning things I wouldn't have learned anywhere else. Subjects like CS or law need a lot of reading. Hotel management is more practical. You work with your hands. You see results right away. That's what I like.

In college, they teach us about hotels and dishes. At T's, I'm learning Italian, Indian food, burgers, pasta. Sometimes I experiment at home too. I once tried making butter chicken — mixed yogurt and milk, played with spices, and it actually tasted close to the real thing. That felt good.

What I really like here is the people. Everyone's friendly. We go on picnics once a year after T's anniversary — we've been to Nagarkot and Wicked Villa. Those are the best moments. The kitchen team — Chef Sir, Sagar dai — they've helped me a lot. When I started from zero, I made mistakes and got scolded, but they taught me.

Even the owners are different. At other places, owners feel distant. Here, they're like friends. If I need time off for family reasons, they understand.

I won't lie — the first 2-3 months were really hard. I made mistakes. I got yelled at. Some days I wanted to quit and go back to the village. But I didn't. I stayed. And I'm glad I did.

This job taught me more than cooking. It helped me communicate better. It taught me to control my anger. I used to get frustrated easily, but now I know that getting angry doesn't solve anything. You have to stay calm.

Sometimes customers complain that the burger isn't big enough for the price. They want quantity — a full stomach. But they don't always see the quality, the cooking method, the care we put in. Foreigners appreciate it more. They notice the quality and the service.

I cook at home too, but without proper ingredients, it's just okay. I'm used to eating rice, so burgers don't always fill me up. But I've learned to appreciate making them. Presentation matters. If food doesn't look good, it feels incomplete.

I used to play football and volleyball back in the village. Now I don't have time. Between work, college, and assignments, I'm packed. I tried Free Fire and PUBG, but they didn't stick.

If you ask people at T's about me, they'll probably say I get angry quickly. But they'll also say I care about my work. I get fired up because I want things done right. I wish I could learn more at Sicily too — cook their dishes, get trained properly, maybe even get a certificate. That would mean a lot.

If you ask me what to order, everything here is good. But if you like spicy, try the Spicy Fried Chicken. If not, go for the Chargrilled.

I came here to study. But I'm learning something different — something more real, more practical.

And honestly? That's not a bad thing.