Kazakh restaurateur's passion produces cultural harvest
«I feel happy watching mycustomers join in,» he said. «They enjoy themselves, and I'msatisfied. I have worked for so many years to build a place just like this. Itis the wheat that I reap.»
It is not unusual for Hellat, anethnic Kazakh from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, to drop farming termsin this way. In fact, it's in his blood.
For centuries, the Kazakh peoplewere nomadic herders who drove their cattle and sheep across the pastures ofXinjiang. They shunned the idea of commercial activity, even going as far asregarding business as a disgrace.
«Fifty years ago, it wasshameful for a Kazakh to even sell a cup of milk tea to someone else,»Hellat said. «If someone ate at your house and you charged money for thatmeal, other Kazakhs would look down on you-it would be worse than death. Butthe times have changed, and now it is OK to earn money from your hardwork.»
Today, more Kazakhs have lefttheir flocks and yurts to lead modern lives with access to education and healthservice.
Growing up in a city, youngHellat excelled in the arts, but he took his parents' advice and majored inRussian at college. That led to a respectable job in the local administrationfor foreign trade.
The job meant travel. A lot oftravel, to far-flung countries where he developed obsession-restaurants. Hedrank up the exotic atmosphere, admired the unusual decorations and reveled inthe amazing performances. The more places he saw, the more he knew that hewanted a career that he was really passionate about.
In 2001, he quit his job andopened his first venture, a Kazakh-style milk tea shop in a tiny 43 squaremeter space in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang.
He decorated the shop like thecafes that had impressed him and named it «Father of Apples» afterthe saying «the three apples that changed the world». The first wasthe one eaten by Eve, the second fell on Isaac Newton, and the third wascreated by Steve Jobs.
Hellat was determined to find hisown apple that would change his world.
In 2007, the tea shop wastransformed into a restaurant, and singers and dancers were hired to perform.
«It's not about making moremoney,» he said. «For me, my restaurant is like a container whichhouses all my hobbies, from decoration design to singing and dancing. I'verealized a childhood dream.»
The restaurant soon moved to an 800sq m space, then 1,600 sq m and again to 2,800 sq m.
«I often joke that we Kazakhpeople traditionally lead a nomadic life,» Hellat said. «We live in aplace for just a few years and will then migrate to new pastures. In mycatering business, our moves are about business and the need to expand.»
He said that instead of takingclasses or reading books on management, he mainly relied on his intuition.«I stick to just one principle-follow my heart.»
After a decade of expansion,Hellat opened a second restaurant. Both restaurants are now household names inXinjiang.
Diners sit in surroundings thatare opulent and full of character as they enjoy some of the best food on offerin Xinjiang. And then, of course, there is the traditional singing and dancing.
Dina, also a Kazakh, studiesdance at Xinjiang Arts University and works part-time at Hellat's restaurant.
«It's my dream to become a dancer,» she said. «This joballows me to improve my movements and learn how to interact with the