Hi Chef! Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your day-to-day activities?
Hello, my name is A.B without an E. I used to be a chef but now I’m working as a Food and Beverage Consultant. And once in the blue moon, I become a sandwich magician for Lucky Dips.
Did you develop new recipes or discover a new type of food you have enjoyed in the recent year?
I love to be more ingredient-centric. Playing around with Indonesian ingredients and create my own version of Indonesian food.
If you were given the chance to make one certain Indonesian dish loved/acknowledged by the western market, what dish would you choose and why?
I’ll go with Rawon because it’s intriguing for our foreign friends. No bule in the right mind would eat a portion of food made from fermented poisonous fruit.
Do you have any go-to venues for hanging out with friends, or maybe for special occasions with family?
My family and I love to host our own “party” or “gathering” at our house.
If you have visitors from abroad/out of Jakarta, where do you take them to give a genuine taste of Indonesia?
Pagi Sore, Daun Mudo, Kaum or makanan embak di rumah.
What are your favourite local dishes, and where do you go to eat them?
Babi Guling, Sariastri in Denpasar
Is there any food you can eat every day without getting bored?
Indomie
What is the most recent dining destination you visited that left a good impression?
August Jakarta, Shelters in Bali, and Sate Tambak Segaran in Solo.
Do you have your favourite simple and quick recipe that you made yourself?
A 5-minute Mac & Cheese using store-bought Mac & Cheese. I rendered the smoked bacon on the pan, and then put the bacon, milk, cream, in a blender then blend until it’s smooth. After the macaroni is al-dente, I put the macaroni, the sauce, and the cheese powder from the Mac & Cheese package. Finish with a bit of room temp butter.
But, if that’s too complicated, half-cooked fried Indomie with soft-boiled egg can never be wrong hehe.
What is your all-time favourite recipe to make for yourself or at home?
A simpler and short version is Indomie (I mentioned Indomie 3 times, this is not sponsored though hehehehe). But the long version is brined then dried, then smoked, then broiled pork belly for me. I do it sometimes at home and it is worth the time and and labored.
What is the most unique ingredients you have ever worked with?
Aged Secreto Iberico, cut from the outside of the pork shoulder originated from Spain. It was mind-blowing.
What are your favourite foods?
Balinese Spit Roast Pig and Bubur Ketan hitam with coconut milk and Biji Salak. I like to eat it cold rather than when it is still warm.
What is your favourite home-cooked meal?
Mie kocok Mba Amin (she can really cook yo, like for real.)
What is your favourite midnight snack?
Mc Spicy with Large Coke and Fries. If I’m hungry at night, I go big. HE HE
What is your favourite Jakarta Hawker food?
It used to be at Jalan Lombok. Not sure where they are now.
What is your plan for 2022?
Definitely, I will continue to work hard. Hmmm, I’m currently handling my own FnB consultant establishment now. My clients are across Indonesia, obviously, I want to have a bigger team to cater to more clients. But If possible I would like to have my own FnB restaurant group. My very own baby you know, like my own pride and joy.
What kind of food do you think will be trending in 2022?
Healthy, well-balanced, and sustainable will still be the talk of the town; from sustainable packaging to everything about plant-based. Going back to the roots; cooking with fire, fermentation. Also, I see that a lot of Chef is getting back to their roots/tradition/heritage.
