With Chef Diego Recarte leading the kitchen of Potato Head’s newest venture, the Peruvian chef proves that vibrance does not only come in sight but also in taste.
Using ‘funky ferments’ paired with local produce, putting these together with his personal techniques and style, he aims to create dishes that reflect character that is his own. His style in the kitchen stems from his Peruvian roots, coupled with his decade-long cooking experience in Europe, and now at Dome, guests can expect his signature mix of flavors that enhances, surprises, and awakens the senses.
“The most important and challenging thing for me as a chef is to create a style. Same with art or music, people recognize style. These are ideas in your head. In art, if you see a Monet or Picasso, you know it’s their work. You recognize. That’s what I want to do,” Chef Diego shares.
When asked about the Peruvian influence in his cooking, he shares that “fragrant flavor, acidity, spiciness: many things that are combined: punchy and sharp,” make this food current and trendy.
Food and cooking seem so natural to Chef Diego, with the way he shares his stories of travels and experiences so passionately. However, it was by chance and circumstance that led him to the culinary world. It was his adventurous spirit, love for skateboarding, and hanging out with friends that led him to study culinary in Buenos Aires, thinking it would be an easy and chill job.
“It was a random situation that I became a chef. When I finished school, my mom told me that I needed to go to university and not just hang-out and do nothing. All my friends went to Buenos Aires to do their university there, so I decided to go there as well. I wanted something easy and didn’t need to take much time.”
It was during his internship that he found his love for cooking, working as an intern in some restaurants in Buenos Aires, then joining his first big restaurant D.O.M by Alex Atala in Brazil. Through his career as a chef, he traveled around South America, before returning to Peru. There he got a chance to work with chef Gaston Acurio, who he notes is “the guy that brought Peruvian food to the world…He was the guy that made Peruvian food well known.”
As he dove deeper into the world of cooking, his passion grew together with the knowledge he acquired while working in some of the biggest restaurants in South America. He decided to go to Europe to expand his knowledge and had a chance to go to Italy where he continued his studies and got a chance to work at three Michelin-starred Le Calandre, and its sister restaurant.
He also worked in Palermo, Sicily for two years, where he marveled at the high-quality fresh ingredients he found in the street markets. “It’s the best place I worked at in my life for its best ingredients and products like almonds, capers, tomatoes, eggplant, and zucchini flowers. They had artisans supplying the market because they produced this on their own farms.”
Chef Diego also worked in Spain with the group of Albert Adria for 4 years. He worked in Enigma as chef de partie, and also explored opportunities in Doha, Singapore, and Amsterdam, before coming to Bali.
After a decade-long experience in the kitchen, he is now looking for something more personal when it comes to being a chef. “When I started cooking, I only followed. Now, I have realized, that following recipes is not the way.”
Now, he can create his recipes in the kitchen, leading his team, and creating ferments and flavors that are rooted to all his experiences and his Peruvian origins, all done in his way.
“My food is completely acidic, a bit spicy, sharp, and fresh. But this is coming back from my country, my childhood, but I do not do traditional Peruvian dishes. I try to bring the flavors that are provided to me with my own style.”
Currently, Chef Diego is discovering new things from his team while he leads and guides them in the kitchen. From the attitude in the kitchen, working style, and handling ingredients, there is a stark contrast from his experiences to what he finds in Bali. However, he uses this as a challenge and learning experience to further grow his curious mind.
“My goal in one year is to merge and show what I learned about Indonesian culture and food, and try to find something that is recognized as Indonesian. Now I am not at the level to do it because I just arrived and I am still learning how to cook in the way that they do.”
Speaking faster than the speed of light, Chef Diego’s energy, when he speaks about food, is truly animated and dynamic, much like the food that he prepares at Dome.
“The nice thing about playing with the ferments is that they provide you acidity but you can control the acidity that you have. It’s not the same as buying vinegar. When you make your ferment, in any form or kind, you can play around or mess around with the seasoning and the level of acidity you can have.”
He likes making fermented mushroom water and tomato water that he uses to season his sauces and stocks. In this way, he creates his signature flavors. He also uses his ferments as a form of umami, since when the ferment is ready it has flavors that are salty, balanced, and sour.
“Nobody has the same flavor because it’s your recipe and it’s your time allowance for fermentation. You only need to put some time and some amount of salt while fermenting. And after, the amount of time is your palate and personal touch.”
Some of his recommended dishes are the Beef and Oyster Tartare, Fish Terrine, and Cabbage Cannelloni, a dish he attributes to his experience in Italy.
When dining at Dome, one can expect energy, positive vibes, and an overall social space, while enjoying flavors that make the palate feel alive. With his experience and background, Chef Diego is here to make his own mark.
“In Peru we over season everything! Of course, there needs to be a balance, but I think people like that our food is super rich and tasty. In other countries like England, they have food like fish and chips which is also good but not vibrant, which I think is a point for us.”
