GEELING CHING

When Geeling was offered the job of operations manager of Soul she'd never even been to the Viaduct. Judith Tabron had employed Geeling at her first restaurant, Ramses, in Newmarket a decade earlier but the sometime actor and television presenter had left to make her own way, even briefly flirting with her own restaurant, and was living in Titirangi and working in the film industry. Judith and Geeling, who are firm friends, had kept in touch but there had been no time, nor need, to even visit Soul.

Then one perfect winter's day Geeling was invited by Judith to celebrate her birthday with lunch on Soul's sunny terrace. Geeling was utterly seduced by the atmosphere that had been created in the restaurant's first year. Before the afternoon was out, Judith offered her a contract, which she accepted on the spot. Now, nine years on and as the restaurant approaches its tenth birthday, Geeling cannot imagine working anywhere else.

The fine art of being a great restaurant host runs in Geeling Ching's veins. The lighting needs constant attention, the tables need straightening, the food needs to keep flowing from the kitchen at a steady pace, the cocktails must be quickly and expertly poured at the bar, the staff must keep on their toes .... Geeling doesn't miss a beat and is there to fix, help or oversee. She's essential to the smooth running of the Soul machine. And she's also Judith's right-hand-woman, ensuring that the brilliant ideas for events, marketing and staff training that Judith comes up with are implemented with flair and finesse, down to the finest detail. 'I love the job of crossing all the "t"s and dotting all the "i"s for our special events,' she says. 'And I love to nurture and help the staff we have here as if they were my children.'

Geeling considers herself lucky. Her position in the restaurant allows her to spend time with people. 'That's what I love the best,' she says. 'I love the staff, I love the customers. I love suggesting and introducing new wines-' she has an excellent palate and is passionate about aromatic white wines, wines that perfectly suit Soul's food 'and I love the food here.' She'd walk across broken glass to eat a plate of oysters; just as well they are always on Soul's menu. Not surprisingly Soul's Bluff oyster celebration is her absolute favourite day of the year.

And what does this elegant, accomplished woman do away from the restaurant? Her other passion is running. She has finished several world-renowned marathons, including New York and Paris, and when the finish line is reached you can be sure she heads for the best restaurants. To eat, yes, but there's no doubt she will be looking at their service, their operations and their innovations, and bringing ideas home to Soul.