Description
In this new episode, I go to Taichung to meet Charles, the manager of Dominique's restaurant. It's an opportunity to reconnect with my former boss and strike a deal with him. Realizing that he is cheating his employees, I decide to reveal the truth to Charles.
Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.
Transcription
We meet once again for a new podcast. This time has come to reunite with Dominique. As I head to his restaurant, I'm not too surprised to find out that he's scamming his employees. I decide to drop a bombshell by revealing the whole scheme. Keep your wings, Le Podcast. Chapter 14. Battlefield. I just pushed open the heavy door of Dominique's restaurant. I almost feel like I'm at home. A waffle stand occupies the entire left side of the restaurant. The smell instantly brings me back to all the hours I worked in Taipei. Dozens of waffle packages, Thank you. are lined up on the same counter. Leonidas chocolate also take up a refrigerated space, where various Brusselbeer project beers are displayed. In another corner, the walls are adorned with tinted album posters. A real good feeling overwhelms me. I had no I didn't miss Belgium until now. I suppose it's because what I was working, talking about it so much, smelling the fries, preparing chocolate boxes, recommending Red My Lips over Cric to young women who didn't know much about beer, making Brussels waffle batter rice and packing liégeoises 4x4. I always felt a bit at home. The restaurant had the capacity to host many diners, but for now, it was mostly empty. Great start, I thought. Hello, I'm looking for Charles. I called to a Taiwanese bartender. Without responding, she called for Charles, who quickly emerged from the kitchen. It was strange, but just seeing him made me smile. He had that cheerful, laid-back way of walking, the relaxed vibe, often characteristic of Belgium. I had no doubt about his friendliness. Hey man, I'm Seb. We've chatted a few times on Facebook. I came to check out the place. Looks good.
Yeah, the decor is nice. Want to try a beer? You must miss a good Belgian beer.
Before I knew it, Charlotte poured me a golden drink that awakened my taste buds. Wow, this is not Taiwan beer. I said after my first sip. And how's the business here?
It's true, it's calm. But some nights we get a lot of people. It's crazy.
Char, a true enthusiast, started explaining the different recipes he had worked on with Dominique. And Victor, a chef who had been there for a few months. I had to admit, the menu was mode-wuthering. Mussels, mitraillette, waffle pizza, pizza topping on Brussels waffle dough. Hearty but original. The return of the craffle, croissant dough, cooking waffle iron, dusted with powder sugar or split o' thun to fill with ham and cheese and Andalus sauce, and even Flemish stew. It brought back memories and made me want to indulge even more.
Hey, who do we have here?
exclaim a voice behind me I turn around, surprised to hear someone else speaking french it was Dominic just as I had last seen him cap on, jeans, sneakers, looking busy without really being so how are you Seb? he asked, extending his hand lots to talk about but yeah overall I'm good shaking the hand that had underpaid me for months where were you before?
weren't you here at the east?
yeah I did the coast, then the south before coming here to Taichung did you see what happened in Wallien?
with the completely destroyed hotel?
Yes, I was in Hualien during the earthquake.
You really have no luck.
Yeah.
And where are you staying now?
Well, I lost my bank card and I have to wait at least a week for it to be delivered by DHL to Taichung. So yeah, I'm a bit tight on cash.
And where are you sleeping then?
In a hostel near the night market.
Listen, I have an idea. I have an apartment here in Taichung. If you want, you can stay there and in exchange, you can work a few hours at the restaurant to help Charles and Victor. You just have to do a bit of dishwashing.
Why not? The deal was sealed. The next day, I took my things and returned to the restaurant. Dominique was waiting for me and took me to his apartment. Perfect. Felt like I had scored a great deal. No rent for a week. Sure, I would have to work, but it wasn't too bad. I only had to help Charles after dark. Around 6pm, I headed to the restaurant. I'm walking and no one was eating in the restaurant. Charles greeted me and said,
It's very quiet at the moment. Have you eaten? You want something?
I look at the menu and decide to get a mitraillette with flemish stew. Pretty good in the end. I still had to pay but I got a small discount. After my meal, I kept chatting with Charles. Since the restaurant was slow, we took the opportunity to talk about Belgium. About our childhoods, favorite movies and student parties. We even remember our shameless passion for jump style. We finished up the last bottle when the restaurant was almost deserted. We hooked up a laptop through speakers and blasted hardcore vibes by DJ Kool. The evening went smoothly, but it was getting late and Charlotte had to work in the morning.
Not even sure who'd need to work tomorrow if it remains that way.
He called out. I'll stop by anyway, I told him. Just in case we get a rush. You never know. The next day, right at 6pm, I show up at the restaurant. A miracle. There were some customers who seemed to know Charles well. He was chatting with them in Mandarin, a language that he had mastered quite well since he had been taking lessons for a while. Watching how he interacted with the customer, I could see his talent for hospitality. Charles was a hard worker, not of the body. He had wandered for a few years, managed a Belgian restaurant in Laos, and clearly had all the skills to do the same in Taiwan. No question about it. Since he was busy, I decided to head into the kitchen and chat with Victor, the chef. Need any help?
No, I'm good.
He said with a smile.
I'm just preparing a little something to eat for the team.
We kept talking. The young father was calm but seemed more assertive in his speech. He told me Charles was too nice and that sometimes he had trouble standing up to Dominique. What do you mean? Problems with Dominique? I ask. Let me guess. Payment issue?
Yeah I'm fine, but he owes Charles months of salary.
To Charles?
Yeah. He tells him he doesn't have the money right now, that he's struggling, and that he'll pay him a bit later, once the restaurant does better.
But the restaurant, it's...
It's a disaster.
He interrupted me.
It's not working at all. In the evenings, we even want to turn the restaurant into a bar, but no one shows up. It's not the kind of food that appeals to the Taiwanese. We get a few people who stop by, but it is mostly expats who come to eat here.
I was speechless, yet not entirely surprised. Later that evening, I had a frank discussion with Charles. Man, um, have you heard about Theo? He was the guy who worked for Dominique in Taipei,
right?
Do you know where he left?
Not really, but Dominique told me he hiked like a jerk, and he raised the welfare recipe from the board in the central kitchen.
Theo left because Dominique owed him money. He didn't pay for his overtime, and he scammed him several times, promising him things he never got. Promotion, a work visa, perks, and so on. None of it ever happened. I got scammed too, but you I didn't invest part of my life into it. I feel like I have to tell you because Victor told me you're having money issues with Dominic too. And I think you need to be careful, man. I had just dropped the bombshell. Charles was stunned. I could see in his eyes. It wasn't just a surprise. It was almost as if he was realizing something he had always tried to deny. Something he had refused to admit for many months. I think I figured out how Dominic works. He often targets people who are a bit lost. He promises them the world, gives them important responsibilities. and uses a bit of emotional manipulation to keep them around. But the problem is, while you're working yourself to the bone, he's doing nothing. You're killing yourself at work, but in the end, you don't get the recognition or the paycheck that comes with it.
He almost let me run the whole restaurant, alone at the opening.
Charles continued,
saying he was busy with the European Food Festival.
What? That's insane. He was always too busy with the restaurant prep to come in. Charles sighed and reflected. He began telling me, with growing frustration, about... all the time Dominique had taken advantage of his kindness.
Too nice, too naive,
he muttered.
I have plenty of stuff to bring him down. I need to talk to him and play my card openly with him.
Soon after, I decided to reveal my identity as a journalist to Charles and gave him Theo's phone number so they could share their experience and coordinate to take strong action against Dominique. Every day, until I received my credit card, I stopped by the restaurant. I could see Charles' motivation fading as time went by. As for Dominique, he wasn't around much anymore. as he was just tied up in Taipei. On the day I left Taichung, I almost begged my new friend to quit his job, to stop being a scam. He never truly answered me with a yes or no. He just murmured and... revealing the complicated situation he was stuck in. I left Taichung with a heavy heart, heading toward the Taiwanese capital. My journey was almost over, but I still had one more job to do in a hostel. Once again, in exchange for lodging. It was an opportunity to save money and spend my last two weeks in peace. But that, of course, was without counting my legendary bad luck.
Description
In this new episode, I go to Taichung to meet Charles, the manager of Dominique's restaurant. It's an opportunity to reconnect with my former boss and strike a deal with him. Realizing that he is cheating his employees, I decide to reveal the truth to Charles.
Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.
Transcription
We meet once again for a new podcast. This time has come to reunite with Dominique. As I head to his restaurant, I'm not too surprised to find out that he's scamming his employees. I decide to drop a bombshell by revealing the whole scheme. Keep your wings, Le Podcast. Chapter 14. Battlefield. I just pushed open the heavy door of Dominique's restaurant. I almost feel like I'm at home. A waffle stand occupies the entire left side of the restaurant. The smell instantly brings me back to all the hours I worked in Taipei. Dozens of waffle packages, Thank you. are lined up on the same counter. Leonidas chocolate also take up a refrigerated space, where various Brusselbeer project beers are displayed. In another corner, the walls are adorned with tinted album posters. A real good feeling overwhelms me. I had no I didn't miss Belgium until now. I suppose it's because what I was working, talking about it so much, smelling the fries, preparing chocolate boxes, recommending Red My Lips over Cric to young women who didn't know much about beer, making Brussels waffle batter rice and packing liégeoises 4x4. I always felt a bit at home. The restaurant had the capacity to host many diners, but for now, it was mostly empty. Great start, I thought. Hello, I'm looking for Charles. I called to a Taiwanese bartender. Without responding, she called for Charles, who quickly emerged from the kitchen. It was strange, but just seeing him made me smile. He had that cheerful, laid-back way of walking, the relaxed vibe, often characteristic of Belgium. I had no doubt about his friendliness. Hey man, I'm Seb. We've chatted a few times on Facebook. I came to check out the place. Looks good.
Yeah, the decor is nice. Want to try a beer? You must miss a good Belgian beer.
Before I knew it, Charlotte poured me a golden drink that awakened my taste buds. Wow, this is not Taiwan beer. I said after my first sip. And how's the business here?
It's true, it's calm. But some nights we get a lot of people. It's crazy.
Char, a true enthusiast, started explaining the different recipes he had worked on with Dominique. And Victor, a chef who had been there for a few months. I had to admit, the menu was mode-wuthering. Mussels, mitraillette, waffle pizza, pizza topping on Brussels waffle dough. Hearty but original. The return of the craffle, croissant dough, cooking waffle iron, dusted with powder sugar or split o' thun to fill with ham and cheese and Andalus sauce, and even Flemish stew. It brought back memories and made me want to indulge even more.
Hey, who do we have here?
exclaim a voice behind me I turn around, surprised to hear someone else speaking french it was Dominic just as I had last seen him cap on, jeans, sneakers, looking busy without really being so how are you Seb? he asked, extending his hand lots to talk about but yeah overall I'm good shaking the hand that had underpaid me for months where were you before?
weren't you here at the east?
yeah I did the coast, then the south before coming here to Taichung did you see what happened in Wallien?
with the completely destroyed hotel?
Yes, I was in Hualien during the earthquake.
You really have no luck.
Yeah.
And where are you staying now?
Well, I lost my bank card and I have to wait at least a week for it to be delivered by DHL to Taichung. So yeah, I'm a bit tight on cash.
And where are you sleeping then?
In a hostel near the night market.
Listen, I have an idea. I have an apartment here in Taichung. If you want, you can stay there and in exchange, you can work a few hours at the restaurant to help Charles and Victor. You just have to do a bit of dishwashing.
Why not? The deal was sealed. The next day, I took my things and returned to the restaurant. Dominique was waiting for me and took me to his apartment. Perfect. Felt like I had scored a great deal. No rent for a week. Sure, I would have to work, but it wasn't too bad. I only had to help Charles after dark. Around 6pm, I headed to the restaurant. I'm walking and no one was eating in the restaurant. Charles greeted me and said,
It's very quiet at the moment. Have you eaten? You want something?
I look at the menu and decide to get a mitraillette with flemish stew. Pretty good in the end. I still had to pay but I got a small discount. After my meal, I kept chatting with Charles. Since the restaurant was slow, we took the opportunity to talk about Belgium. About our childhoods, favorite movies and student parties. We even remember our shameless passion for jump style. We finished up the last bottle when the restaurant was almost deserted. We hooked up a laptop through speakers and blasted hardcore vibes by DJ Kool. The evening went smoothly, but it was getting late and Charlotte had to work in the morning.
Not even sure who'd need to work tomorrow if it remains that way.
He called out. I'll stop by anyway, I told him. Just in case we get a rush. You never know. The next day, right at 6pm, I show up at the restaurant. A miracle. There were some customers who seemed to know Charles well. He was chatting with them in Mandarin, a language that he had mastered quite well since he had been taking lessons for a while. Watching how he interacted with the customer, I could see his talent for hospitality. Charles was a hard worker, not of the body. He had wandered for a few years, managed a Belgian restaurant in Laos, and clearly had all the skills to do the same in Taiwan. No question about it. Since he was busy, I decided to head into the kitchen and chat with Victor, the chef. Need any help?
No, I'm good.
He said with a smile.
I'm just preparing a little something to eat for the team.
We kept talking. The young father was calm but seemed more assertive in his speech. He told me Charles was too nice and that sometimes he had trouble standing up to Dominique. What do you mean? Problems with Dominique? I ask. Let me guess. Payment issue?
Yeah I'm fine, but he owes Charles months of salary.
To Charles?
Yeah. He tells him he doesn't have the money right now, that he's struggling, and that he'll pay him a bit later, once the restaurant does better.
But the restaurant, it's...
It's a disaster.
He interrupted me.
It's not working at all. In the evenings, we even want to turn the restaurant into a bar, but no one shows up. It's not the kind of food that appeals to the Taiwanese. We get a few people who stop by, but it is mostly expats who come to eat here.
I was speechless, yet not entirely surprised. Later that evening, I had a frank discussion with Charles. Man, um, have you heard about Theo? He was the guy who worked for Dominique in Taipei,
right?
Do you know where he left?
Not really, but Dominique told me he hiked like a jerk, and he raised the welfare recipe from the board in the central kitchen.
Theo left because Dominique owed him money. He didn't pay for his overtime, and he scammed him several times, promising him things he never got. Promotion, a work visa, perks, and so on. None of it ever happened. I got scammed too, but you I didn't invest part of my life into it. I feel like I have to tell you because Victor told me you're having money issues with Dominic too. And I think you need to be careful, man. I had just dropped the bombshell. Charles was stunned. I could see in his eyes. It wasn't just a surprise. It was almost as if he was realizing something he had always tried to deny. Something he had refused to admit for many months. I think I figured out how Dominic works. He often targets people who are a bit lost. He promises them the world, gives them important responsibilities. and uses a bit of emotional manipulation to keep them around. But the problem is, while you're working yourself to the bone, he's doing nothing. You're killing yourself at work, but in the end, you don't get the recognition or the paycheck that comes with it.
He almost let me run the whole restaurant, alone at the opening.
Charles continued,
saying he was busy with the European Food Festival.
What? That's insane. He was always too busy with the restaurant prep to come in. Charles sighed and reflected. He began telling me, with growing frustration, about... all the time Dominique had taken advantage of his kindness.
Too nice, too naive,
he muttered.
I have plenty of stuff to bring him down. I need to talk to him and play my card openly with him.
Soon after, I decided to reveal my identity as a journalist to Charles and gave him Theo's phone number so they could share their experience and coordinate to take strong action against Dominique. Every day, until I received my credit card, I stopped by the restaurant. I could see Charles' motivation fading as time went by. As for Dominique, he wasn't around much anymore. as he was just tied up in Taipei. On the day I left Taichung, I almost begged my new friend to quit his job, to stop being a scam. He never truly answered me with a yes or no. He just murmured and... revealing the complicated situation he was stuck in. I left Taichung with a heavy heart, heading toward the Taiwanese capital. My journey was almost over, but I still had one more job to do in a hostel. Once again, in exchange for lodging. It was an opportunity to save money and spend my last two weeks in peace. But that, of course, was without counting my legendary bad luck.
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Description
In this new episode, I go to Taichung to meet Charles, the manager of Dominique's restaurant. It's an opportunity to reconnect with my former boss and strike a deal with him. Realizing that he is cheating his employees, I decide to reveal the truth to Charles.
Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.
Transcription
We meet once again for a new podcast. This time has come to reunite with Dominique. As I head to his restaurant, I'm not too surprised to find out that he's scamming his employees. I decide to drop a bombshell by revealing the whole scheme. Keep your wings, Le Podcast. Chapter 14. Battlefield. I just pushed open the heavy door of Dominique's restaurant. I almost feel like I'm at home. A waffle stand occupies the entire left side of the restaurant. The smell instantly brings me back to all the hours I worked in Taipei. Dozens of waffle packages, Thank you. are lined up on the same counter. Leonidas chocolate also take up a refrigerated space, where various Brusselbeer project beers are displayed. In another corner, the walls are adorned with tinted album posters. A real good feeling overwhelms me. I had no I didn't miss Belgium until now. I suppose it's because what I was working, talking about it so much, smelling the fries, preparing chocolate boxes, recommending Red My Lips over Cric to young women who didn't know much about beer, making Brussels waffle batter rice and packing liégeoises 4x4. I always felt a bit at home. The restaurant had the capacity to host many diners, but for now, it was mostly empty. Great start, I thought. Hello, I'm looking for Charles. I called to a Taiwanese bartender. Without responding, she called for Charles, who quickly emerged from the kitchen. It was strange, but just seeing him made me smile. He had that cheerful, laid-back way of walking, the relaxed vibe, often characteristic of Belgium. I had no doubt about his friendliness. Hey man, I'm Seb. We've chatted a few times on Facebook. I came to check out the place. Looks good.
Yeah, the decor is nice. Want to try a beer? You must miss a good Belgian beer.
Before I knew it, Charlotte poured me a golden drink that awakened my taste buds. Wow, this is not Taiwan beer. I said after my first sip. And how's the business here?
It's true, it's calm. But some nights we get a lot of people. It's crazy.
Char, a true enthusiast, started explaining the different recipes he had worked on with Dominique. And Victor, a chef who had been there for a few months. I had to admit, the menu was mode-wuthering. Mussels, mitraillette, waffle pizza, pizza topping on Brussels waffle dough. Hearty but original. The return of the craffle, croissant dough, cooking waffle iron, dusted with powder sugar or split o' thun to fill with ham and cheese and Andalus sauce, and even Flemish stew. It brought back memories and made me want to indulge even more.
Hey, who do we have here?
exclaim a voice behind me I turn around, surprised to hear someone else speaking french it was Dominic just as I had last seen him cap on, jeans, sneakers, looking busy without really being so how are you Seb? he asked, extending his hand lots to talk about but yeah overall I'm good shaking the hand that had underpaid me for months where were you before?
weren't you here at the east?
yeah I did the coast, then the south before coming here to Taichung did you see what happened in Wallien?
with the completely destroyed hotel?
Yes, I was in Hualien during the earthquake.
You really have no luck.
Yeah.
And where are you staying now?
Well, I lost my bank card and I have to wait at least a week for it to be delivered by DHL to Taichung. So yeah, I'm a bit tight on cash.
And where are you sleeping then?
In a hostel near the night market.
Listen, I have an idea. I have an apartment here in Taichung. If you want, you can stay there and in exchange, you can work a few hours at the restaurant to help Charles and Victor. You just have to do a bit of dishwashing.
Why not? The deal was sealed. The next day, I took my things and returned to the restaurant. Dominique was waiting for me and took me to his apartment. Perfect. Felt like I had scored a great deal. No rent for a week. Sure, I would have to work, but it wasn't too bad. I only had to help Charles after dark. Around 6pm, I headed to the restaurant. I'm walking and no one was eating in the restaurant. Charles greeted me and said,
It's very quiet at the moment. Have you eaten? You want something?
I look at the menu and decide to get a mitraillette with flemish stew. Pretty good in the end. I still had to pay but I got a small discount. After my meal, I kept chatting with Charles. Since the restaurant was slow, we took the opportunity to talk about Belgium. About our childhoods, favorite movies and student parties. We even remember our shameless passion for jump style. We finished up the last bottle when the restaurant was almost deserted. We hooked up a laptop through speakers and blasted hardcore vibes by DJ Kool. The evening went smoothly, but it was getting late and Charlotte had to work in the morning.
Not even sure who'd need to work tomorrow if it remains that way.
He called out. I'll stop by anyway, I told him. Just in case we get a rush. You never know. The next day, right at 6pm, I show up at the restaurant. A miracle. There were some customers who seemed to know Charles well. He was chatting with them in Mandarin, a language that he had mastered quite well since he had been taking lessons for a while. Watching how he interacted with the customer, I could see his talent for hospitality. Charles was a hard worker, not of the body. He had wandered for a few years, managed a Belgian restaurant in Laos, and clearly had all the skills to do the same in Taiwan. No question about it. Since he was busy, I decided to head into the kitchen and chat with Victor, the chef. Need any help?
No, I'm good.
He said with a smile.
I'm just preparing a little something to eat for the team.
We kept talking. The young father was calm but seemed more assertive in his speech. He told me Charles was too nice and that sometimes he had trouble standing up to Dominique. What do you mean? Problems with Dominique? I ask. Let me guess. Payment issue?
Yeah I'm fine, but he owes Charles months of salary.
To Charles?
Yeah. He tells him he doesn't have the money right now, that he's struggling, and that he'll pay him a bit later, once the restaurant does better.
But the restaurant, it's...
It's a disaster.
He interrupted me.
It's not working at all. In the evenings, we even want to turn the restaurant into a bar, but no one shows up. It's not the kind of food that appeals to the Taiwanese. We get a few people who stop by, but it is mostly expats who come to eat here.
I was speechless, yet not entirely surprised. Later that evening, I had a frank discussion with Charles. Man, um, have you heard about Theo? He was the guy who worked for Dominique in Taipei,
right?
Do you know where he left?
Not really, but Dominique told me he hiked like a jerk, and he raised the welfare recipe from the board in the central kitchen.
Theo left because Dominique owed him money. He didn't pay for his overtime, and he scammed him several times, promising him things he never got. Promotion, a work visa, perks, and so on. None of it ever happened. I got scammed too, but you I didn't invest part of my life into it. I feel like I have to tell you because Victor told me you're having money issues with Dominic too. And I think you need to be careful, man. I had just dropped the bombshell. Charles was stunned. I could see in his eyes. It wasn't just a surprise. It was almost as if he was realizing something he had always tried to deny. Something he had refused to admit for many months. I think I figured out how Dominic works. He often targets people who are a bit lost. He promises them the world, gives them important responsibilities. and uses a bit of emotional manipulation to keep them around. But the problem is, while you're working yourself to the bone, he's doing nothing. You're killing yourself at work, but in the end, you don't get the recognition or the paycheck that comes with it.
He almost let me run the whole restaurant, alone at the opening.
Charles continued,
saying he was busy with the European Food Festival.
What? That's insane. He was always too busy with the restaurant prep to come in. Charles sighed and reflected. He began telling me, with growing frustration, about... all the time Dominique had taken advantage of his kindness.
Too nice, too naive,
he muttered.
I have plenty of stuff to bring him down. I need to talk to him and play my card openly with him.
Soon after, I decided to reveal my identity as a journalist to Charles and gave him Theo's phone number so they could share their experience and coordinate to take strong action against Dominique. Every day, until I received my credit card, I stopped by the restaurant. I could see Charles' motivation fading as time went by. As for Dominique, he wasn't around much anymore. as he was just tied up in Taipei. On the day I left Taichung, I almost begged my new friend to quit his job, to stop being a scam. He never truly answered me with a yes or no. He just murmured and... revealing the complicated situation he was stuck in. I left Taichung with a heavy heart, heading toward the Taiwanese capital. My journey was almost over, but I still had one more job to do in a hostel. Once again, in exchange for lodging. It was an opportunity to save money and spend my last two weeks in peace. But that, of course, was without counting my legendary bad luck.
Description
In this new episode, I go to Taichung to meet Charles, the manager of Dominique's restaurant. It's an opportunity to reconnect with my former boss and strike a deal with him. Realizing that he is cheating his employees, I decide to reveal the truth to Charles.
Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.
Transcription
We meet once again for a new podcast. This time has come to reunite with Dominique. As I head to his restaurant, I'm not too surprised to find out that he's scamming his employees. I decide to drop a bombshell by revealing the whole scheme. Keep your wings, Le Podcast. Chapter 14. Battlefield. I just pushed open the heavy door of Dominique's restaurant. I almost feel like I'm at home. A waffle stand occupies the entire left side of the restaurant. The smell instantly brings me back to all the hours I worked in Taipei. Dozens of waffle packages, Thank you. are lined up on the same counter. Leonidas chocolate also take up a refrigerated space, where various Brusselbeer project beers are displayed. In another corner, the walls are adorned with tinted album posters. A real good feeling overwhelms me. I had no I didn't miss Belgium until now. I suppose it's because what I was working, talking about it so much, smelling the fries, preparing chocolate boxes, recommending Red My Lips over Cric to young women who didn't know much about beer, making Brussels waffle batter rice and packing liégeoises 4x4. I always felt a bit at home. The restaurant had the capacity to host many diners, but for now, it was mostly empty. Great start, I thought. Hello, I'm looking for Charles. I called to a Taiwanese bartender. Without responding, she called for Charles, who quickly emerged from the kitchen. It was strange, but just seeing him made me smile. He had that cheerful, laid-back way of walking, the relaxed vibe, often characteristic of Belgium. I had no doubt about his friendliness. Hey man, I'm Seb. We've chatted a few times on Facebook. I came to check out the place. Looks good.
Yeah, the decor is nice. Want to try a beer? You must miss a good Belgian beer.
Before I knew it, Charlotte poured me a golden drink that awakened my taste buds. Wow, this is not Taiwan beer. I said after my first sip. And how's the business here?
It's true, it's calm. But some nights we get a lot of people. It's crazy.
Char, a true enthusiast, started explaining the different recipes he had worked on with Dominique. And Victor, a chef who had been there for a few months. I had to admit, the menu was mode-wuthering. Mussels, mitraillette, waffle pizza, pizza topping on Brussels waffle dough. Hearty but original. The return of the craffle, croissant dough, cooking waffle iron, dusted with powder sugar or split o' thun to fill with ham and cheese and Andalus sauce, and even Flemish stew. It brought back memories and made me want to indulge even more.
Hey, who do we have here?
exclaim a voice behind me I turn around, surprised to hear someone else speaking french it was Dominic just as I had last seen him cap on, jeans, sneakers, looking busy without really being so how are you Seb? he asked, extending his hand lots to talk about but yeah overall I'm good shaking the hand that had underpaid me for months where were you before?
weren't you here at the east?
yeah I did the coast, then the south before coming here to Taichung did you see what happened in Wallien?
with the completely destroyed hotel?
Yes, I was in Hualien during the earthquake.
You really have no luck.
Yeah.
And where are you staying now?
Well, I lost my bank card and I have to wait at least a week for it to be delivered by DHL to Taichung. So yeah, I'm a bit tight on cash.
And where are you sleeping then?
In a hostel near the night market.
Listen, I have an idea. I have an apartment here in Taichung. If you want, you can stay there and in exchange, you can work a few hours at the restaurant to help Charles and Victor. You just have to do a bit of dishwashing.
Why not? The deal was sealed. The next day, I took my things and returned to the restaurant. Dominique was waiting for me and took me to his apartment. Perfect. Felt like I had scored a great deal. No rent for a week. Sure, I would have to work, but it wasn't too bad. I only had to help Charles after dark. Around 6pm, I headed to the restaurant. I'm walking and no one was eating in the restaurant. Charles greeted me and said,
It's very quiet at the moment. Have you eaten? You want something?
I look at the menu and decide to get a mitraillette with flemish stew. Pretty good in the end. I still had to pay but I got a small discount. After my meal, I kept chatting with Charles. Since the restaurant was slow, we took the opportunity to talk about Belgium. About our childhoods, favorite movies and student parties. We even remember our shameless passion for jump style. We finished up the last bottle when the restaurant was almost deserted. We hooked up a laptop through speakers and blasted hardcore vibes by DJ Kool. The evening went smoothly, but it was getting late and Charlotte had to work in the morning.
Not even sure who'd need to work tomorrow if it remains that way.
He called out. I'll stop by anyway, I told him. Just in case we get a rush. You never know. The next day, right at 6pm, I show up at the restaurant. A miracle. There were some customers who seemed to know Charles well. He was chatting with them in Mandarin, a language that he had mastered quite well since he had been taking lessons for a while. Watching how he interacted with the customer, I could see his talent for hospitality. Charles was a hard worker, not of the body. He had wandered for a few years, managed a Belgian restaurant in Laos, and clearly had all the skills to do the same in Taiwan. No question about it. Since he was busy, I decided to head into the kitchen and chat with Victor, the chef. Need any help?
No, I'm good.
He said with a smile.
I'm just preparing a little something to eat for the team.
We kept talking. The young father was calm but seemed more assertive in his speech. He told me Charles was too nice and that sometimes he had trouble standing up to Dominique. What do you mean? Problems with Dominique? I ask. Let me guess. Payment issue?
Yeah I'm fine, but he owes Charles months of salary.
To Charles?
Yeah. He tells him he doesn't have the money right now, that he's struggling, and that he'll pay him a bit later, once the restaurant does better.
But the restaurant, it's...
It's a disaster.
He interrupted me.
It's not working at all. In the evenings, we even want to turn the restaurant into a bar, but no one shows up. It's not the kind of food that appeals to the Taiwanese. We get a few people who stop by, but it is mostly expats who come to eat here.
I was speechless, yet not entirely surprised. Later that evening, I had a frank discussion with Charles. Man, um, have you heard about Theo? He was the guy who worked for Dominique in Taipei,
right?
Do you know where he left?
Not really, but Dominique told me he hiked like a jerk, and he raised the welfare recipe from the board in the central kitchen.
Theo left because Dominique owed him money. He didn't pay for his overtime, and he scammed him several times, promising him things he never got. Promotion, a work visa, perks, and so on. None of it ever happened. I got scammed too, but you I didn't invest part of my life into it. I feel like I have to tell you because Victor told me you're having money issues with Dominic too. And I think you need to be careful, man. I had just dropped the bombshell. Charles was stunned. I could see in his eyes. It wasn't just a surprise. It was almost as if he was realizing something he had always tried to deny. Something he had refused to admit for many months. I think I figured out how Dominic works. He often targets people who are a bit lost. He promises them the world, gives them important responsibilities. and uses a bit of emotional manipulation to keep them around. But the problem is, while you're working yourself to the bone, he's doing nothing. You're killing yourself at work, but in the end, you don't get the recognition or the paycheck that comes with it.
He almost let me run the whole restaurant, alone at the opening.
Charles continued,
saying he was busy with the European Food Festival.
What? That's insane. He was always too busy with the restaurant prep to come in. Charles sighed and reflected. He began telling me, with growing frustration, about... all the time Dominique had taken advantage of his kindness.
Too nice, too naive,
he muttered.
I have plenty of stuff to bring him down. I need to talk to him and play my card openly with him.
Soon after, I decided to reveal my identity as a journalist to Charles and gave him Theo's phone number so they could share their experience and coordinate to take strong action against Dominique. Every day, until I received my credit card, I stopped by the restaurant. I could see Charles' motivation fading as time went by. As for Dominique, he wasn't around much anymore. as he was just tied up in Taipei. On the day I left Taichung, I almost begged my new friend to quit his job, to stop being a scam. He never truly answered me with a yes or no. He just murmured and... revealing the complicated situation he was stuck in. I left Taichung with a heavy heart, heading toward the Taiwanese capital. My journey was almost over, but I still had one more job to do in a hostel. Once again, in exchange for lodging. It was an opportunity to save money and spend my last two weeks in peace. But that, of course, was without counting my legendary bad luck.
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