MÁLÀ PROJECT | Amelie Kang and Meng Ai
Meng Ai (left) graduated from NYU with a degree in financial engineering. She and Amelie have been good friends for over 12 years and is the ultimate food lover.
Amelie Kang (right) is from Beijing and studies abroad at the Culinary Institute of America, a leading American dining school specialized in catering art and management. She has worked for Michelin three-star chef Daniel Boulud's restaurant and also served as a manager at the China Star, a boutique Michelin star restaurant in New York.
Together, Meng and Ai started Málà Project. Their mission is to bring unaltered Chinese food to NYC that anyone can enjoy.
Why did you choose to open this restaurant?
A: The choices in the food and beverage industry are limited. Because I studied food and beverage management in college, I either work in a restaurant or start a business myself, so I chose the latter. After graduation, I wanted to open a Chinese restaurant here and decided that spicy hot pot was relatively low risk.
What are the most memorable moments of entrepreneurship?
A: The time I spent with the team is very unforgettable because we were all young and have no experience. In the past few years, we all grew together. In the restaurant industry, employee turnover is pretty high, so having this team is pretty rare. We also have a lot of support from customers, which is also rare.
What are you most grateful for?
A: I am most grateful for the team and the people in our restaurant. Because we didn’t understand anything in the beginning, I am glad they can bear with me.”
Whether it's for Amelie, Meng, or the diners who come to the restaurant, Málà Project is not just a simple restaurant in their minds. It is like a boat equipped with mutual encouragement and support from friends, family. Most importantly, Málà Project is also a valuable part of their pursuit of dreams.
麻辣香锅的诞生－一种容易‘上瘾’的美味?
A：“因为一开始选择了餐饮这个行业，餐饮这条路的选择比较有限，要么在餐馆打工，要么自己创业，于是就开始创业了。大学的时候我学的是餐饮管理，到这里之后觉得没有什么像样的中餐馆，毕业之后就想在这里开一个像样点的中餐馆。打工了一段时间，觉得这种方式产生的力量太小，就决定自己开一家。而麻辣香锅，在中国比较有代表性，第一比较容易上瘾，第二制作比较简单。当时很年轻，觉得麻辣香锅相对来说风险小。”
最难忘的时刻－从无人知晓到喜闻乐见?
A：“在创业中跟团队一起的时间是很难忘的，因为我们店里的人都很年轻，没有经验，然后我们希望能够自己培养他们。我们自己很年轻，店里的人比我们还要小，最开始有些设计师朋友，就十几个人，虽然现在也是不到三十个人。这两年以来大家一起成长过来。在餐厅employee turnover 很高，所以这个团队在餐饮里还是很难得的。另外，我们比较喜欢跟顾客或者跟外界办party，请大家来吃饭喝酒。从一开始没人知道，到现在有很多特别支持的顾客群体，这个也很难得。”
最感谢的人－“团队、团队”?
A：“最感谢的是团队，店里的人。因为我们是从刚开始什么都不懂到现在一点点摸索过来，他们真的是挺能忍我的。”
不论是对Amelie、艾萌，还是对来餐厅吃饭的食客们来说，麻辣计划在他们的脑海里不仅仅只是一家香锅店那么简单，那一锅香喷喷的麻辣香锅就像是一张船票，船上搭载的是朋友间的互相鼓励及支持，对家人、家乡的思念，最重要的是这家香锅店同时也是她们在追寻梦想道路上的一个宝贵的里程。