Confessions of Sharon Eliatamby

Sharon Eliatamby, food services officer for The World Bank in Washington, D.C., loves noodles, wants to learn to dance the tango and wishes she weren’t so much of a workaholic.

Q. What is the best part of your job?

Meeting the needs of a diverse international and multicultural customer base.

Q. What is the worst part of your job?

Reading the different cultures and expectations in the diverse environment of corporate dining.

Q. What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

I was born and raised in Malaysia. I never thought I would have the opportunity to come to America by myself, but I did. I was always told that America was the land of opportunity and that you have to work hard to get what you want and don’t take anything for granted. This is so true.

Q. What is the most unusual foodservice/catering request you have ever received?

Celebrity [catering] riders are always very interesting. I had one that asked me to separate the M&M’s by color in separate bowls, and there was another celebrity who asked for a loaf of bread that had to be uncut and untouched.

Q. If you weren't in foodservice what would you be doing?

Teaching etiquette to underprivileged kids.

Q. Which talent would you most like to have?

To learn to dance the tango.

Q. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I am a workaholic and I am always putting work before myself.

Q. What food fad do you wish had never started?

Food trucks.

Q. What is the weirdest food you have ever eaten?

When I was in China, I tried bull’s testicles and a dish called Cobra Bite Chicken. The cobra kills the chicken, the cook kills the cobra and they are both cooked as a dish.

Q. What activity is at the top of your bucket list?

To eat fugu in Japan.

Q. What would be your dream vacation?

Being in Fiji and snorkeling all day long.

Q. If you had a time machine what historical event or era would you visit?

I would like to be at the banquet table of King Louis XIV, drinking wine from a golden goblet and experiencing the long table setup and the abundance of food that keeps coming.

Q. What is your favorite meal?

Noodles cooked any way, shape or form.