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The Man Behind ALICE’s Wonderland, Chef Serhat Mizrakli

The Man Behind ALICE’s Wonderland, Chef Serhat Mizrakli

Auli Cinantya
26 March 2022

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The Langham, Jakarta Executive Pastry Chef Serhat Mizrakli brings Lewis Caroll's Alice in Wonderland to live with his sweets delicacies at ALICE, The Langham, Jakarta.

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The Langham, Jakarta presents the sophisticated grand café, ALICE, a new gourmet European rendezvous offering scrumptious brunches, the most elegant afternoon teas, and exquisite dinners. Drawing inspiration from Lewis Carroll’s timeless British tale of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, published in the same year as their flagship hotel opened in 1865, ALICE is as playful as it is elegant. Every moment embraces the moment with artistically-presented food and beverage against a stunning Art Deco-inspired interior while chic French music offers a stylish soundtrack. With Executive Pastry Chef, Serhat Mizrakli’s skills, ALICE brings the fairytale of Wonderland to life.

Hi Chef Serhat, Please tell us a bit about yourself!

My name is Serhat Mizrakli; I’m the Executive Pastry Chef of The Langham, Jakarta. Before becoming a pastry chef, I used to study computer software. But I like food, even until now; I love to explore different kinds of food and taste different cuisines that I discover when I travel. My family also loves food; my father has very good taste when it comes to food; you can say that he is my inspiration for becoming a chef.

Even though studying computer software and being a pastry chef are two different worlds, since I’m good with numbers, it helps a lot on my journey as a pastry chef. As of now, I have 15 years of experience in pastry, and I have worked abroad on three different continents. From Turkey, Jordan, Dubai, Vietnam, South Korea, Oman, and now I’m in another beautiful country, Indonesia, Jakarta.

How do you describe your style of pastry? 

My style of pastry leans toward more classic pastries. But, at the same time, I like to experience and put a modern touch on classic pastries.

What’s your philosophy when it comes to your food?

Do things that no one has ever done. I like my creation to be neat, not too complicated, but at the same time, there is a twist in every product. When I made pastries or cakes for a particular place, I made the design, the taste according to the specific area, looking at what is trending in the country or what is the local likes to eat. I want all the items that I made to become a signature of the places that no one has done before; that is my philosophy. 

What do you enjoy the most in your line of work?

I enjoy working; I love my work. There are days that I need to come in the morning and go home late at night, but I don’t mind. When I see my guests are happy, I will also be satisfied. Whether it’s for a guest, my team, or anyone, I will put my very best into the dishes that I make, it is not essential for me who enjoys my food, but I would like to present something nice to the people who will enjoy it. I have to offer something that I can be proud of, whether for a customer, a friend, or my team. I like to put my best into every creation that I make.

How do you find the inspiration for your creations?

My inspiration comes depending on the country where I’m based. For example, in the Langham Afternoon tea set, you will have an Éclair filled with Dates, it’s a combination of sweets from the dates and a touch of salty from salted walnuts.

Before I go to certain countries, I love to do some research on the food trend there, how people eat, what they love to eat, and what the popular ingredients in that place are, so then I can create a suitable dish for their palettes. I noticed that Indonesians love the combination of sour, sweet, and salty together. Thus this is how the creation comes to be.

For ALICE, there are two sets of afternoon teas that you can choose from. The Langham Afternoon Tea set combines pastries and sweets that represent London’s traditional Langham Afternoon Tea. While the other one is the ALICE Afternoon Tea set, where guests could taste a different and unique experience of classic pastries with a modern touch. 

Like the Kough Amann with Dates, a classic French pastry that I combine with locally produced dates from Indonesia, meanwhile, the Turkish Baklava is usually very sweet; I made it with a touch of rose pudding, to give it more of a Turkish taste, but less sweet and more light.

The inspiration for these afternoon tea sets comes from Lewis Carroll’s famous Alice in Wonderland story. I have read the book and watched the movie, so you will find many details representing the literature.

How do you want people to see your creation? 

I want it to be memorable. Maybe they can’t remember me or my name, but at least I want them to be able to remember the sensation of enjoying what I have made. I want them to have a lasting impression on my creations. I want them to say, “Oh, I ate a very nice Mille-feuille at the Langham Hotel, Jakarta.

ALICE at The Langham Jakarta

District 8 SCBD, Lot 28, Sudirman Central Business District (SCBD, RT.5/RW.3, Senayan, Kec. Kby. Baru, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12190

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