Like
any other
normal child, he had his own level of
naughtiness. However, his version was
more than the ordinary; it went on excite
and ignite latent energies within him. It
ignited a passion that has formed an indispensable part of his life.
He vividly recalls those days when he
and his cousin engaged in all forms of
boyhood escapades. The most memorable
and significant episode was when they
would forcibly toss away a layer chicken
from its eggs, find any scrap kitchen
utensils in the household and make a rudimentary fire complete for a makeshift
kitchen. From this setup, a culinary masterpiece would evolve, at least in their
own standards.
He was also fascinated by his chef uncle’s
dexterity with the knife. Watching
him meticulously chop vegetables
and meat was enough food for
thought.
Charged up, a young Roy took his
hunger to local restaurants. As the
saying goes great things are a series of small things brought together, he kick-started his journey as a
waiter in a hotel, in 1996. By incessantly showing passion for his vocation, he quickly made his way
into the kitchen. As if that what
not enough, in 1999 a seventeenyear-old Roy moved to Paris, where
he plied his trade in the world’s
famous French cuisine. It was a
dream come true.
However his stay in France was interrupted after only two years, then twenty
years old. He had to come back home as
father had passed on and had to assume
his position as head of the family. This
development was tantamount to more
responsibility. He had his mother and a
twelve-year-old brother to provide for.
His responsibilities were also heightened by his marriage, which produced
two children.
Through all these tribulations, the food
was his sole source of solace. Roy started to work in a family shop as a cook for
about four years and later worked for an
established hotel, where he stayed for
two years. He later moved to a bigger
one, where he worked for an uninterrupted fifteen years.
His hotel work ran concurrently with
his side businesses. He started a catering company to serve an array of
clients, from small parties to even
esteemed institutions like embassies.