The 20th night where 20 of us shined
Pillars Restaurant is the beating heart of our training at the University of West London. It is where we turn classroom knowledge into real hands-on experience.
Over these past three weeks, as part of our Innovation and Entrepreneurship module, we were given the opportunity to develop our own menus in separate teams and run a full dinner service. Although this is not an official assignment, it is an invaluable chance for us to learn, be creative and bring our ideas to life.
Even though they lead their own teams, Mustafa K and Alessandro Cimelli supported us throughout the evening, from plating to check-ons, ensuring the kitchen ran seamlessly and fostering a collaborative rather than competitive atmosphere.
I also want to mention Genaro, who supported me throughout the prep and service for my risotto dish. His dedication helped me deliver the dish just as I envisioned it.
Seeing everyone so focused and watching all our peers come together to support the core team was genuinely inspiring. The teamwork last night felt exceptional. I am especially proud of my core team which includes Anson, Aaliyah, Mrunal, Kaan, Solan and Makeda.
The dishes we brought to life
Starter Makeda: Roast pear and blue cheese salad Solan: Seared duck breast with cherry gel, Delica pumpkin and seasonal vegetables Paulo Oliveira: Scottish beetroot cured salmon
Main Course Anson: Sous-vide chicken ballotine Kaan Çetin: Pan-fried Atlantic cod supreme with butternut squash gnocchi, spinach velouté and brown butter sauce Shannon Bu: Almond and caramelised fennel risotto with dill emulsion
Dessert Aaliyah: Vegan fig and almond tart Mrunal Uttekar: Pistachio mango cake soaked in saffron milk with caramel tuile Paulo Oliveira: Gluten-free Black Forest roulade
We often joked about opening our own restaurant someday because as a team we share the same passion for food and enjoy working together. Through these Thursday dinner services, we aim to improve week by week, and now we are excited to make the Christmas menu in December even more special.
A heartfelt thank you goes to Paulo Oliveira, who stepped in when one teammate could not be there, allowing me to focus on supporting the rest of the team. Another thank you goes to Aldo for helping us refine each dish, for sharing ideas that elevated our components and plating, and for explaining the reasoning behind every improvement. We are also grateful to Peter Pelham Ed.D for his guidance throughout this module.
A warm shout-out goes to Dominic Zenga and the front-of-house students for creating a seamless dining experience, and to my cousin, Jie Leng Lam and her friend who came after their classes to support us. Their presence and feedback were truly appreciated.
I will definitely miss this class of beautiful people.
Michael Coaker Loredana Paval
