Working Dynamics

Sahar's Front Role

Sahar was only present two or three days a week, and when she was there, she acted as a stressed-out waitress, not a manager, unavailable, and never proactively communicative.

I was never invited to discuss my role or expectations. I was just a dishwasher, and she was the boss. She never introduced herself. .

From the outset, I quickly realised I had no clear point of contact.

She never asked me how I was doing.I never received an invitation to discuss problems or expectations with her. She gave me basic instructions—such as keeping the hotel corridor clean—but never engaged in any managerial dialogue.

Saahil's Shadow Strategy

Over time, I learned Sahar was married to the founder, who was best friends with Henrik. This lack of shared leadership permeated the workplace and made me rely on trial-and-error and informal channels to understand my role.

It was only after a few days on site that I discovered the restaurant was legally operated by HSSC Event AB—not Quan, nor Elite Hotel. The name appeared in the internal scheduling platform Personalkollen, which employees used to access shift information.

Despite this, quanbyquan.se has been actively used for internal communication. At least four domain-linked emails were confirmed as active: hs, se, hk, and sc@quanbyquan.se. Delivery receipts confirm messages reached these recipients.

Henrik Kei Sieber, publicly introduced as the lead figure behind Quan, maintained a discreet yet regular presence. I observed him working no more than two to three days a week, typically welcoming guests and overseeing the front-of-house with focused attention.

Fragmented Leadership Style

I had no HR, no staff coordinator, and no one in a defined role to address workplace questions. The entire structure ran on proxy and inference.

The result was clear: I had to manage on my own. I needed answers, but found no one to ask. Eventually I emailed the restaurant directly. No one contested this, but I could tell it wasn’t how things were supposed to be done. They had been looking for a dishwasher for months. I got positive feedback from many coworkers. Several told me I was doing a great job.

Henrik, the co-gerant, was polite but distant. We exchanged maybe three words in three weeks. He showed interest in the music I listened to once, and that’s how I learned he spoke Japanese. He never introduced himself. Everything else I learned about him came from colleagues. At no point could I tell he had any managerial role.

I tried to reach Sahar by email after an incident with cleaners I hadn’t been informed about. Her response confirmed the vague structure: I was offered to replace them, as if this was a known path.

The management triangle (Sahar, Henrik, and the co-manager) was disconnected. They rarely spoke. I never once saw Sahar and Henrik (co-gérant) interact or stand side-by-side.

Silent Power Structure

Quan operates physically within the premises of Elite Hotel Esplanade, at Mäster Johansgatan 15 in Malmö. While customers often believe they are dealing directly with hotel staff, the restaurant is managed independently, under separate legal entities.

The integration is logistical rather than visual: Quan shares the physical space of the hotel, but employment and managerial responsibilities are externalized to private companies with no direct affiliation to the Elite Hotels group.

When I first considered applying at Quan, I conducted a standard ownership check to tailor my motivation email. Henrik Kei Siebert was the only visible public figure linked to the restaurant, repeatedly cited in hotel communications and online articles as its founder.

No trace of a distinct legal entity operating Quan appeared in public records, which left me uncertain about whom to address—and forced me to send a generic, unpersonalized message.

Asymmetrical Relations

Henrik (the chef) gave me practical instructions early on, like where to put the trash and where to get cleaning supplies. He was courteous, distant but always respectful.

Sub-chefs quickly showed limits. They helped with small tasks but their body language made it clear not to insist. I stopped asking them anything beyond essentials.

So I stopped trying. I started talking more with the waiters. With a few exceptions, they were helpful and pleasant. The general vibe was good. People seemed happy to be there.

There was laughter, music, a sense of energy. Even if Sahar created some tension sometimes (like firing a waitress in front of me), the team was mostly upbeat. I believe this was largely due to good salaries. One bartender even told me this was the best opportunity he’d found after years in the field.

Only the waiters were approachable, mostly kind and supportive. There was a generally good atmosphere among staff—many seemed happy, possibly due to decent pay and tips.

Trust Deficit Patterns

Two chefs, Robin Albay Dinopol and Satoru Yoshizawa, who were regularly scheduled on evening shifts, were later identified as the sole partners of BURI Handelsbolag (org.nr 969798-6447). Their company is not listed as a subcontractor, but they both worked onsite as cooks.

This configuration raises the possibility of undeclared subcontracting, where staff are employed through a third-party vehicle without formal declaration. No document or contract was disclosed to clarify the terms of their engagement with Quan or HSSC Event AB.

Another external subcontractor was regularly observed on site every Friday night. A cleaning couple arrived at approximately 23:30 and remained on site until around 04:00, working four hours each.

Pseudo-Organic Structure

Their presence accounted for a total of eight hours per session. They were not listed on any official schedule, and no company name or contractual arrangement was ever disclosed. Management suggested I might be asked to replace them due to dissatisfaction with their work.

On that evening, I was struck by a mix of anxiety, impunity, and a form of adolescent insolence—openly assumed and left unchecked—that deeply puzzled me. It triggered a kind of electroshock, a confrontation, and a forced conversation to bring clarity I never had.