“Nothing complicated, everything trialed and tested, as long as it’s done perfectly—and with love.” This is how Chef Jeremy Hunt sums up what one can expect at Saltlick, and inadvertently, perhaps also summing up his character as a chef.
The man behind the massive Josper and Parrilla grills at Saltlick’s open kitchen seems to hold a natural and simple demeanor, while eloquent in his knowledge of handling proteins, curious and creative in cutting, curing and aging meats, he finds comfort in everything that is close to nature. From his life in Bali, his travels around the world, his career as a chef, his passion for fishing, and with the ingredients that he uses, all of which seem to align with nature.
Described as a “modern steak concept,” Saltlick strikes the perfect balance of sophistication and comfort, without a hint of pretension, offering an extraordinary meal with premium quality meats at the forefront, enjoyed within the warm, cozy interiors, matched with breathtaking beach views.
Keeping guests wanting more, Saltlick lists an exciting charcuterie selection, dry-aged meats, and unorthodox steaks not typically found in common steakhouses. Worth to mention is their unique bread and butter selection, which to the chef, “sounds simple, but it works! And we don’t want to overcomplicate it.”
With Chef Jeremy leading the kitchen, the result is a steakhouse with both style and substance, where every detail invites guests to indulge in a refined yet grounded dining experience.
“Saltlick is my ultimate passion project which is everything that I love doing. I love working with beef, with all proteins. Also with the charcuterie, as well as the beautiful seafood section we have. It is simple but it is all grilled on wood fire using techniques that I have learned in the past 18 years,” Chef Jeremy shares, pensive of his early experiences as a chef, and of his South African roots.
Growing up in a farm connected to the Midlands Meander in South Africa, Chef Jeremy saw how food was produced farm-to-table, describing how he would help his mother (a cheese maker) collect cow’s milk to make cheese and sell it to tourists in the area together with other picnic items.
“That’s part of the product chain of supply and demand and I’ve seen that whole side.” And this experience now translates to Saltlick, where fresh sources are necessary, as close to natural as possible.
“All the produce that we use, where it comes from, it’s very important to me,” he asserts.
“Where the animal grew, where it was reared, what it ate, how old it was when it was closer to the abattoir. For our fruits and vegetables, we go as organic as possible—nothing sprayed with pesticides and have correct procedures in place. In Saltlick all the produce and ingredients that come through our doors are quality, and that’s an influence from my childhood.”
His roots are also seen in his style and taste, growing up in South Africa where food culture is diverse; a place where you can find different ethnic groups such as the Cape Malays that make Malaysian food, and there’s also a huge Indian community, making their food available everywhere. This is probably why Chef Jeremy loves Indian food.
Another interesting thing about South African food culture is cooking with open flame, which perhaps, has influenced Chef Jeremy most. “There’s also the influence of the Dutch – cooking in cold stone pots and open flames. I spent all my life cooking in open flames and nearly every household has a barbeque. An actual Bolton Barbeque, usually out of rocks and metal.”
Although he grew up in a naturally rich, unique, diverse culinary community and society, he never really set out to become a chef. In fact, he argues that this career and industry chose him.
“I was always going to be a farmer. I was going to go back and take over your parents’ farm. But having a gap year in a different city with my friends and ending up somehow working at a restaurant—from the floor side of the restaurant and ending up in the kitchen, that changed my mind.”
The kitchen culture is indeed magnetic, and from then on, he’s been attracted to the pulsating energy. “What struck me is the culture, the chaos, the crazy people you meet, your coworkers. Kitchens are a magnet for crazy, good people.”
From opening a small coffee shop in the family farm at the age of 14, spending his gap year at a 400-seater restaurant in Cape Town, traveling around the world, working in kitchens found on exotic islands like Seychelles and Mykonos, he now finds himself in Bali, living on the island he loves for over five years now.
It’s mainly the weather, the surf, the culture and the people that has kept him on the island. That and everything that’s been happening at Saltlick, a concept that’s been slowly brewing since 2019 when he started developing the local charcuterie for KU DE TA.
He started curing bacon which he found both easy and enjoyable. That process of finding good quality cuts of unfrozen meat to the end and watching it age, and this has now evolved into this space where one finds a unique range of house hung meats from beef and wagyu bresaola, pancetta, and chorizo.
“I don’t think anyone else is doing the charcuteries at this level, and I will say that we have the best bresaola on the island, including the pancetta.” A mouth-watering claim, one that you have to find out for yourself.
Saltlick does everything in-house from the butchery to aging, experimenting on different processes and cuts that’s not on the menu just yet. “We often do butchery courses and finding cuts that no one even knows about,” Chef Jeremy enthusiastically shares, while he describes a uniquely cut 200g pillow steak not found in any shop.
He’s now playing around with aging using lard or tallow, and also using these fats to replace seed oils in the kitchen. “No fat, no flavor,” as he would say.
There’s a simple, passionate and creative man behind the meats, and you’ll meet Chef Jeremy at Saltlick’s open kitchen, perhaps on the band saw cutting, prepping his cured and aged meats, or cooking with open flames on the grills, just as he’s always done.
