From her former life as a preschool teacher to catering at one of Korovou’s popular eateries, Sainimere Ravutale says she always serves with a smile.
“Korovou has been my home town for the past six years, this is where I’ve been serving and cooking food in this restaurant,” said Ms Ravutale.
The Matakilagi food court is no usual ‘fish and chips’ eatery and serves more local dishes such as sui and fish in freshly cooked coconut milk — not forgetting fresh lemons and chillies.
The little dingy restaurant is quite popular in the town, known for its hot meals and ample amounts served on a plate. Ms Ravutale, 62, says she has to choose the right menu for the people living in the Korovou area to match their appetite.
“That is why I have to cook sui and fresh fish with coconut milk because there are mostly farmers in this area and they love heavy meals. “I started work here in 2014 with three other women and serve mostly customers from Tailevu North, some of which are regulars but I do get new customers from time to time.”
Originally from Rukua in Beqa, she said that she loved to cater people with a smile because, not only is it one way to treat customers, it is also the way of things at the Matakilagi foodcourt.
Ms Ravutale said they also served other dishes such as fresh miti ota, with kaikoso, kokoda, mutton with rourou, lamb neck stew to meet what her customer wants. She said it was easy to maintain fresh supplies because of Korovou’s location close to farms and fishermen.
“There are only two of us working here now but we have been managing so far. We have a friendly male assistant who comes around often to scrape the dozens of coconut for the meals and even helps us lift the huge pot off the stove.
“For us at the restaurant, the most important thing is praying every morning before we start work,” she said.
Ms Ravutale said she completed secondary school at Ratu Sukuna Memorial School, before teaching in a pre-school in her village for 12 years and moved into the hotel industry where she broadened her experience in catering.
She said she plans to work in this restaurant for as long as she can because she loves her work.
