Cez Tan, Island Joe's Hawaiian BBQ

Cez Tan is the owner of Island Joe's a special restaurant in Onehunga, Auckland.  She kindly accepted my Q&A.  This is another instance of a migrant getting into business and adding diversity to the Kiwi palate.  I've never been to Island Joe's but the people who've been there have glowing praises and recommendations.  You'll notice that barbeque is spelt with a "q" just like how it's written in the American language.  Whether it's a c or q it is still a tasty meal.  I'll definitely make this a must-stop next time I'm in Auckland.

Q: What's the inspiration behind your business?
A: My favourite hobby is cooking and I've always wanted to try my hand at setting up a restaurant.  When the opportunity rose, I had to grab it.  Filipino food has always been the underdog in the international food scene when compared to Chinese, Thai, Japanese and other Asian cuisines but I know that our barbeque is far superior if only people can taste it.  The popularity of Hawaiian Barbeque in America gave me the idea to set-up a similar concept given that the original Hawaiian BBQ chain was co-founded by a Filipino thereby accounting for the Filipino influence.  Hawaiian cuisine is a mix of Asian, Polynesian and American food and our menu reflects this.

Q: What has been a challenge while building your business and how did you manage it?
A: The challenge has been to introduce our food, which is quite new to the Kiwi palate, to the general populace and not only to Filipinos.  We are slowly building up our non-Filipino customer base by word-of-mouth and participating in events like Pasifika.  Unfortunately, we don't have the resources to do a marketing blitz.  So we rely largely on people trying our food and loving it and inviting others to try.

Q: Name three people, dead or alive, you'll like to have dinner with, and why?
A: Simon Gault - I'd like to get his input as to how to get people to try our food.  Kim Dotcom - he would be an interesting person to talk to and also I might be able to convince him to invest in the restaurant business, ha ha ha.  Richie McCaw - I would love for him to try our food and endorse it.

Q: Are you a cat or dog person, and why?
A: Probably a cat, I'm not as sociable as a dog.  Although I like meeting people, I prefer one-on-one interactions rather than crowds.

Q: Where in NZ is the place you can call as your sanctuary, and why?
A: My house, where else would you feel relaxed and free?  When you get home from work, you can just sit in your deck and listen to bird songs.

Q: Something not many people know about you?
A: I'm very loyal to true friends.

Q: If you could travel back in time, where and when would it be, and why?
A: Nowhere.  If I change a thing in the past, I might not end up in NZ, and I don't want to be anywhere else at this point in time.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
A: Have a chain of Island Joe's here and abroad.

There you have it ladies and gentlemen.  It's definitely a place to check out in Onehunga, Auckland.  With technology, the present world is now smaller, with almost all parts discovered.  It's time to explore and discover the next world, Food From Many Nations.