AIHM hospitality student Andrew Rohrbach interviews the Opium Bar’s head mixologist and bar manager Matteo Cadeddu and learns there’s much more to mixology than crafting the perfect drink. Gain insights from an award-winning bartender on the secrets to success in the bar business.
What skills are needed to be ‘best in bar’? What are the differences between bars in Asia and Europe? Read the interview below for the answers, and gain a window into the kinds of questions our hospitality education students consider as they discover what it takes to be a leader in the hospitality industry.
Overview of the Opium Bar and its Concept
The whole building physically belonged to Chef Pam’s ancestors. In the past, there used to be a lot of Chinese medicine houses around this area. The building was therefore utilized wisely, with the first floor as the shop selling Chinese medicines and the second floor where the medicines were made. Then the third floor was the dining room where the family could get together. The fourth floor, which is now the Opium bar located, was then the bedroom and the space where people can smoke opium at that time. This is why the bar was named “Opium Bar”.
“So with the story being told, and with our current context that opium is not allowed legally in the country anymore, unlike, at that moment of time, the creations at Opium Bar is to offer a surrealistic vibe through our cocktails. The concept of beverages we offer here follows the liquid reality method. As we aim to create the look and feel of the cocktails to give our guests a unique experience for their new memories as well as to revive past memories through our cocktails”.
Mr. Cadeddu, his work is to create cocktails that bring experience through customers’ senses, a cocktail that can take you to travel back in time and sink in the subtle savor of the drink in a retro nostalgic ambiance. He reiterated that the concept of the Bar is not about putting opium into their work, but to create the vibe and keep the memory, of the past and especially of the building and its area alive. The focus is to create a memorable and unique memory for their guests. It is that makes Opium Bar special from others in China Town.
“We considered ourselves very lucky to have Chef Pam’s very historical building. What we do is to enhance the historical architecture of the building while at the same time blend it together with what we are trying to create in the bar as well as in the restaurant - keeping the memory and legacy alive” Mr. Cadeddu added.
The Bar has very good products, and decide to use them to create an exceptional look, taste, and feel for their guests’ experience. “Bangkok keeps moving forward, everything changes drastically, if you take a look around, you see all the modern architecture, new trends, and styles everywhere. But here in Chinatown, especially in the old town area, we tried to stay a little bit in the past, to preserve its charm and atmosphere. Here we do keep moving forward, but never forgetting the past or the root we have. We create something modern, new, and unique for our guests on top of our fascinating and impressive past we have”.
Why have you chosen a career in the field of mixology, particularly as a bartender?
“Basically when I was young, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do. But when I was like 15-16 years old, I saw one of my brothers, who worked as a chef. During summertime in Italy, we tend to go out and do some work, just sort of the way to earn money for the day, or for the year. So I went to work as a waiter and found myself enjoying working in the services industry. After that, I returned to continue my study at the hospitality school in Italy. At that time, I was fascinated by being a chef and very proud of my creative skills and enjoy very much creating something new to share with people. I love to cook, but not for myself, practically for people. I had a thought to pursue a career as a chef, however, I'm very sociable and enjoy meeting people so much that working in the kitchen may limit that chance. With that, I found bartending a right match between creating something for someone and meeting up front with the guests. In conclusion, my experience working as a chef, to be able to create something unique and special, brought me here, into the hospitality industry, and with my personality and how I enjoy meeting people, Bartending is a perfect match”.
Mr. Cadeddu added that bartender can be a job full of pressure. When people go to a restaurant, they are well aware that there will be a waiting time for the food obviously. However, in a bar, people tend to expect faster services. It doesn’t mean that work is more relaxed in the kitchen but it is different at the bar, especially when the bartender has a full bar and all the guests in front of him waiting for their drinks. In such a situation, the bartender needs to come up in a couple of minutes and attend to those who may need to wait a little longer than others to ensure that they will not get upset. This can be the stressful part of the job for any front liner. The key is to keep vigilant and correct any situations that may turn the guests down while ensuring that the wonderful creation is made and served. From his experience, the waiting makes difference at the bar since the guest expects the drinks to be ready pretty fast. However, Opium Bar is doing quite well and he will keep it steady. At the Opium Bar, the team has taken full pride and responsibility in what they do and serve the guests. There may be times that a little bit of waiting takes place in order to serve the best cocktails to their guests since their standards cannot be compromised.
What is the skill required to be successful in the role of a head bartender?
To be a bartender or the head bartender, people might think that serving drinks is the main task. However, from his experience, and especially from what he learned back in school, making drinks is the least part of the job. There are a lot of good bartenders, there are full of recipes and with the right amount of alcohol, slight modification, well shaken with the right garnish, anybody can make the drink.
“But why guests go back to a bar, it is because of the ambiance, the comfy feeling, and the feeling connected to the bar and the bartender”. Mr. Cadeddu, the great bartender is the ability to connect with people. Bartender has to be good not only to entertain people but to understand people’s needs and be able to respond professionally. Look at Bangkok, the city offers many great places with a variety of great cocktails, but the successful ones are those that stand out from the others. They are those who pay attention to details, their ambiance, drinks, snacks, and even the napkins, and also know how to engage and treat their guests. That is why a bartender is one of the main reasons guest return to the same bar.
Mr. Cadeddu shared his experience of how he enjoyed returning to the same bar where the staff are attentive and able to engage in any chat remarkably. This kind of place makes people want to return, not the place with the stunning presentation but no lives and no story. As a bartender himself, when there is any guest who chooses to sit on the bar instead of the table, it is a sign to keep the guests engaged while keeping a proper distance, this is where the good bartender comes in. As a head bartender, Mr. Cadeddu ensures that his team has the skills and understanding of the drinks and services delivered to the guests.
Where do you find inspiration when creating drinks?
“The inspiration is constantly changing, it came from life experience and how you perceive everything around you”.
When it comes to creation, Mr. Cadeddu tends to keep things simple yet unique, it is about how to blend things together, the ingredients, the look, the taste, the smell, and the sensation the drink can deliver. He was basically like mixing the ingredients together, but it was created based on the experience he has working in various bars in various places with various mixology methods, and most importantly with various colleagues he have opportunities to work with.
“Everything made me who I am today, all living memories, experiences, and my own self” he added.
Another approach he has in order to bring the guest back to his bar is to tickle his guests’ curiosity. For Mr. Cadeddu, it always makes his day to receive a question like “what new drink do you have today” from his guest. For him, this is very rewarding and shows how he is successful in what he is trying to do.
What does winning the sustainability award for your Flor de Caña cocktail mean to you and the bar?
Earlier this year, The Opium Bar has crowned the winner of the Thailand Grand Final Flor de Caña Rum Sustainable Cocktail Challenge Competition. The Competition was won by Mr. Matteo Cadeddu himself, who was announced and crowned winner of Thailand. In the Interview Mr. Cadeddu stated that they had to participate in the competition as it was their philosophy from the beginning, he also said as a bar they need to be really mindful and pass on the message to the customer.
“ I really felt I had to do this competition not only to be close to the brand but also for the value. Nowadays, there are a lot of things being produced and wasted,. As a bar as well, I see there is a lot of waste, especially with citrus. We are trying to do something on our own as well to tackle these issues of producing which tie into issues with global warming and also coupled with reducing the carbon footprint. If we can do something to change this perspective of overbuying to only buying what you need but not only that but also helping out the local community. As a bar in Chinatown, we are very lucky because we can find local ingredients and items to use.”
How would you describe the different drinking cultures in the west and the east?
Mr. Matteo Cadeddu has had the privilege of working in many various different countries around the world from countries like Singapore to Australia and now Thailand and has had many different experiences with the different types of people, tastes, and drinking cultures in the different parts of the world.
“Even in different parts of Asia, they have a slightly different approach and palate. I will say in Thailand especially, I would find it more on the sour side however in Singapore it can be a little more on the drier side, but I noticed it throughout the whole of Asia. On the western side, especially in Europe, we tend to lean a little more to the drier and bitter side and in Australia, I noticed it was on the bitter side. So you to have adjusted, wherever you are but still keep true to yourself because what we do here at Opium, we are trying to give a western feel to the customer while still accommodating to the needs and different tastes of the customers”
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