Work hard, be open to criticism and continually strive to improve yourself; just some of the tips offered by one of the original owners of Two Chefs, Billy Agren on the night of the chain?s 10th anniversary on 26 November.

The 2 Chefs originally started out as the brainchild of ? wait for it? two chefs and Swedish nationals Billy Agren and Henrol Ojelind, when they first met at a Scandanavian restaurant they were both working in, in Patong in 1999.

?We decided to open our own and opened the first Two Chefs in Kamala in 2000, which later
moved to Kata beach, where we are still today.

?Later in 2007 we met the third chef, Krister Westberg in Phuket. He had sold his pub
and restaurant in Sweden, and was ready for new adventures. So he helped us to open our
second branch in Karon later that year.

?After working with him for a while we decided to open a third Two Chefs in the centre of
Kata center in 2008, " said Billy.

The three ultimately moved to Phuket, like many on the island, because of the offer of an easy-going lifestyle.

The pursuit of which has certainly not affected the success of the eateries though and the ability to maintain three while others on the island struggle has as much to do with the three?s love of cooking and attention to detail than mere branding, or chance.

?We have worked hard from the beginning until now, always trying to improve ourselves and
our staff. We believe in doing things correct, and not taking any shortcuts."

?In the kitchen we try to do as much as we possibly can from scratch,? explains Billy, ?That way we can control the quality.?

So what?s next for the three at Two Chefs, possibly a fourth elsewhere on the island?

Billy?s philosophy is never say never, ?Nothing is planned, but we are always on the lookout for new opportunities.?Right now the biggest challenge is to maintain the standard
that we have achieved over the last ten years in business.?

The food on the night was, of course, of the high-quality that keeps customers returning
again and again to all of the Two Chefs' restaurants.

Fresh seafood, wonderful cuts of meat and Scandanavian specialities including Sk?rg?rdstallrik (?archipelago plate?; a platter of cold fish, including str?mming, gravlax, baked whitefish, a variety of herring and whitefish).
There are also a wide range of Thai dishes on the menu.