Free State born Puleng Moshoaliba grew up eating and cooking hearty home-cooked meals with her mother Matlakala, and knew she was going to be a chef from a young age.
She attended Seotlong Agricultural and Hotel School in Phuthaditjhaba where “it was either economics and commerce or becoming a chef,” she laughed.
Today the 34-year-old is the Executive Sous Chef at Sun International’s The Maslow Hotel in Sandton, working under Executive Chef, Hector Mnyayiza, responsible for the Lacuna Bistro, conferencing, banqueting, room service and the bar areas. She works with a team of 17 chefs across hot breakfast, cold kitchen, banqueting chefs, dinner service, pastry, sushi and the staff canteen.
Moshoaliba holds a Professional Cookery Diploma from the International Hotel School in Durban, during which time she gained practical experience in different environments, at city conference centres and game lodges.
She spent 10 years at a corporate company that specialised in events and weddings working her way up from Chef de Partie to Pastry Sous Chef and then Executive Sous Chef, running a team of 10 chefs and six cleaners. “By the time I left, I had learnt a lot and gained so much experience.” She has attended food shows and conferences in the United States of America and has a Chef of the Year nomination from the Institute of Culinary Arts to her name.
The Executive Sous Chef is responsible for all aspects of the kitchen such as menu plans, operations, recipes, financial responsibility, portion and inventory control, food quality, and employee supervision, also providing leadership training and hands-on management of the kitchen staff. “One of my passions is developing people, especially those who want to learn,” she said.”
When Moshoaliba joined The Maslow in December 2019, she admits she was nervous. “I’d been away from hotels for 10 years, working in a corporate environment. I thought it would take me time to adjust but I was surprised how easily I fell back into it. I walked into a great team, who were very welcoming, eager and willing to show me how things are done here before I could make my own changes.”
Some of those changes include menu design, another of her passions. “Our Christmas menu is a touch of the traditional with some modern elements. It is always a time for sharing and loving and this Christmas will be even more special after not seeing friends and family for months due to COVID-19.”
At The Maslow, the way in which food is presented has changed to ensure Covid-19 health and safety protocols. “Things have to be done in a more restricted way. Presentation-wise, impressive installations are no longer the order of the day. But we want people to enjoy themselves and forget for a moment we are living through a pandemic.”
Some of Moshoaliba’s favourite ingredients are thyme, paprika, wholegrain mustard, olive oil and black pepper. “From this I could make a simple but delicious meal like steak and mashed potato.” Her dislikes include cottage pie and cereal, and asks “Can I start my meals with dessert? I am a big cheesecake fan, but it has to be baked”.
“I like natural flavours, natural spices. I am old school and believe in investing time in preparing dishes, not taking shortcuts and using things from jars but making things from scratch. Beautiful food, simply prepared that tastes like home.”
Her workday starts at 05h00 and ends around 15h00, five days of the week on a rotating schedule. “I get breakfast ready before most of the team arrives at 06h00, as breakfast opens for our guests at 06h30.”
After this, she reviews the lunch bookings, checking with section chefs if they know what to expect for the day. “Then I place orders, check stock levels and emails before joining my team on the pass, co-ordinating orders so that our guests don’t wait too long for their hot breakfasts.”
She has a standing morning meeting with the front desk and F&B team to discuss any feedback and the focus for the coming days. “After that, it is turning around the kitchen for lunch, where if it is busy, you will find me on the pass again. I still cook every day – I feel guilty if I don’t grill a steak or make a sauce.” While the chef admits that paperwork is the worst part of her job, she also says that being stuck behind a desk permanently makes one lose their touch.
In her spare time, Moshoaliba binges on series, and enjoys travelling and exploring. “I am motivated to work hard so that my nine-year-old daughter Khahliso has a better life.”
