Ben McRae

EXECUTIVE CHEF AT COPPER KITCHEN & BAR, BISMA EIGHT

Inspired by his mother, Bisma Eight’s new award-winning Executive Chef Ben McRae cut his teeth in Australia before heading to New Zealand, ending up at The House of Ales in Nelson where he won the first of many culinary awards for his creative beer-paired mains.

He spent several months “eating his way through Europe” on route to an executife chef role at Tamarind House in Rarotonga, then a year later, headed back to New Zealand and the renowned Iguacu Restaurant in Auckland before his first venture into Asia with three years in Bangkok with Thailand’s prestigious Issaya Group, followed by a stint in Indonesia’s Sumba.

Backed by over 18 years’ experience, he now helms the fabulous Copper Kitchen & Bar in Ubud, telling Exquisite Taste: “I think people come to Indonesia to eat Indo-Asian food, so my idea is to have a menu that offers contemporary Asian food, with an international twist.”