THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS

Indonesian’s F&B bigwigs share about the country’s gastronomy scene

Hans Christian chef-owner of August

The 27-year-old chef is currently preparing for the debut of his first restaurant in Jakarta. Slated to open next year, August will highlight local provenance and Christian’s prowess in marrying contemporary global flavours with Indonesian touches.

As part of a young generation of Indonesian chefs who has worked abroad and are now returning in Indonesia, what can you contribute to Indonesian gastronomy?

Through August, I have made a personal commitment to collaborate with my peers in the F&B community and work closely with local farmers, fishermen, artists, and food producers. I firmly believe that their growth will be

August’s growth and ultimately the growth of Indonesian gastronomy. I want to highlight as many indigenous ingredients as possible; in the long run, I hope it will result in a more sustainable production.

What do you think is the position of Indonesian cuisine in the world at the moment?

Indonesian cuisine enjoys a very strong standing due to its diverse culinary character. There are so many complexities in our regional cuisines. From the flavourful Manadonese woku (spice) to the tangy Javanese garang asem (soup), there is something for every palate. However, it does need more exposure, perhaps through food festivals, cooking demonstrations and Four Hands dinners abroad.

Technically, Indonesian food is known for its flavour complexity and laborious preparation. Is there a way to simplify the process?

There is always a price to pay if you take a process. It really depends on what you are aiming for, if it’s because of the tedious preparation and timing, then you just have to organise and plan better. If the shortcuts sacrifice the flavour, you better go back to the original technique. However, being open to new ways of doing things is also important. We used to make krupuk or crackers by drying it for days under the sun. Now we have a dehydrator to do that.

Mandif Warokka chef-owner of Blanco par Mandif

Blanco par Mandif, Warokka’s interpretation of modern Indonesian cuisine, is a fine dining destination that should not be missed in Ubud. He also spends his time consulting for restaurants and nurturing young talents across the country.

Is there such a thing as an Indonesian palate?

An Indonesian palate is wondrously complex. We are blessed with a natural biodiversity and inherent knowledge on how to make our food better through the use of herbs and spices. We can enjoy a wide range of flavours, from bitter to sour, and in a large amount, not just as a condiment. Our challenge as chefs is to play and balance all of those flavours on a plate.

Blanco par Mandif’s degustation menu highlights the complexity of Indonesian cuisine. Is that your way to please demanding taste buds?

Here, we are trying to please both the Indonesian and nonindonesian guests through using a contrast of flavours and presentation. I borrow different elements of Indonesian regional cuisine and the outcome is a diverse and dynamic degustation experience, very much like our nation. A guest from Palembang and another guest from East Java will probably have a different opinion about a dish because of their palate and cultural references. By offering them a contrast in textures, flavours and compositions, both of them will find something that they can relate to and savour together.

Is it possible to master Indonesian cuisine with such a diverse complexity?

Everybody is a master in their own right when it comes to their food. Nobody can make an exact version of a dish even when you share the same recipe. Every chef will bring something of their memory, experience, and culture into what they cook. It is highly personal. Yes, we can learn about the technique but when it comes to bumbu, the seasoning, everybody is a master in their own right. This is why it is hard to standardise Indonesian cuisine because we have different preferences. For example, when one chef can say the gulai is too thick, the others may find it just right.

Kevindra Soemantri food writer

With an upcoming book The Art of Restaurant Review and a recent appearance on Netflix’s Street Food Asia episode, Soemantri’s reputation as Indonesia’s leading food writer is firmly cemented. He recently co-founded the first Jakarta Dessert Week and published an independent food guide, Top Tables.

Is there a particular narrative that still needs to be told about Indonesian gastronomy?

We are experiencing a very interesting time, culinary-wise. Our big cities showcase a different character in terms of its dining experience. Yogyakarta is strong in its heritage, Bali is cosmopolitan and cultural, and Jakarta is an urban melting pot. It will be interesting, for example, if Jakarta can showcase a new take on modern Indonesian gastronomy. In Indonesia, we have the keepers of culinary traditions but we also have a young generation of chefs who has worked abroad and returned home, and now bring their own interpretations of modern Indonesian cuisine to the table. Each of them has their own roles to play — those who preserve and those who push for progress. It will be a new interesting narrative if both sides can collaborate.

What more can be done?

We need to look inward before we talk about going global. I see a gap between the generations, the culinary heroes, who intent to preserve the tradition versus the young generation who wish to redefine it. It shouldn’t be that way. The older generation must be willing to nurture and share while the young should be able to access their tradition, the correct way to cook things. It should be collaboration over competition.

William Wongso culinary expert

Often found leading culinary diplomacy programmes abroad, Wongso is lauded as the ambassador of Indonesian gastronomy. His cookbook, Flavors of Indonesia: William Wongso’s Culinary Wonders, won Best Book of the Year at the 2017 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

As a culinary diplomat for 20 years, which aspect of Indonesian cuisine are you most proud of?

Indonesian cuisine still offers an element of surprise. To the outside world, it is still a big mystery. More often than not, the people that I meet at dinner events in other countries have never tasted our food. They are constantly surprised to find this new mixture of flavours. When introducing Indonesian cuisine abroad, I always make it a point to understand the local’s palate and food culture. I always start by introducing our food culture first instead of just

presenting the food. When I introduce rendang, for example, I always explain its story first, and slow-cooking process and the fact that the technique was invented based on a necessity to preserve the meat for long journeys.

There has been a growing interest of regional Indonesian cuisine within the country. What can be done to ensure it is heading in the right direction?

There is still a lack of guidelines or an institution that teaches us

Helianti Hilman founder of Javara

As the leading purveyor of Indonesia’s artisanal food products, Hilman spends a lot of her time on the road, either foraging for a new ingredient in the forest of Sulawesi or sharing about Indonesia’s indigenous food culture at international forums. how to utilise the culinary traditions and adapt it to our modern landscape. Say, if a chef wishes to learn more about Indonesian regional cuisine, where can he or she go? I firmly believe that to master a dish, one has to master its original version first. This country is enormous. I learned its culinary traditions by going from one place to the other. We need a culinary centre as a way to make our heritage accessible to everyone. The world is constantly looking for a new flavour or technique and there is so much that Indonesia can offer.

One of the difficulties of making Indonesian cuisine more popular abroad is the absence of ingredients. Is this something that Javara tries to solve?

Javara works with more than 50,000 smallholder farmers, food producers and indigenous people across Indonesia. Together, we produce 900 different types of food products. Almost 200 of them are exported to 25 countries, from long pepper to coconut sugar. These numbers reflect Indonesia’s rich biodiversity and gastronomy but it can’t be done by Javara alone. There has to be an integrated strategy if we really want Indonesian cuisine to go global. When our tourism board promotes our culinary heritage abroad, it is often in the form of culinary promotion. The focus is rarely about the ingredients. How can a chef cook without a supply of ingredients? Substitution is always possible but it will cost us the authenticity of Indonesian flavours.

What do you think of the burgeoning farm-to-table and locavore movement? Does it truly benefit local farmers?

From what I see, the movement still needs partiality. To make farm-to-table or sourcing local produce more than just a marketing gimmick, the F&B industry must be unwavering in its support.

For instance, we work closely with Balinese sea salt farmers in Pemuteran, Kusamba and Amed, and we saw an increase in sales last year. But, this year’s sale went down because the salt import ban was lifted this year. Is cost truly more important than being a socially conscious buyer?