JOSHUA HARRISON
Director of Culinary, Soul Cafes
“We have long recognised that our people are our most important asset and will continue to be the reason why our restaurants are successful. As a company, we are committed to keeping all our staff employed, and frankly, we have been overwhelmed by their understanding and commitment.”
Juggling Soul in the Bowl, Soul on the Beach and the upcoming brewhouse-cum-beer garden, Shotgun
Social; Harrison already has a lot on his plate. Then, the pandemic happened. At the time of writing, both cafes are back in business, offering dine-in with strict physical distancing, take-away and delivery services. “We have always prided ourselves on maintaining international HACCP standards, but since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic we have become far more aware of sanitary processes. We check staff temperatures, provide hand sanitiser for guests, and have adopted a seating plan designed to ensure physical distancing can be maintained. We also sanitise workspaces frequently, as well as tabletops, floor surfaces and bathrooms,” explains Harrison in a brave attempt to embrace the new normal.
With tourism as the main source of economy on the island, Bali’s restaurant industry is badly hit by the travel restrictions. No government’s subsidy or aid also means that each restaurant has to struggle and survive on its own. “There are restaurants that will remain closed until the tourists start to return and perhaps, some that may never re-open unless the global situation changes quickly,” says Harrison. His advice for home-chef: the quality of the ingredients is paramount; practice makes perfect and always cook with love.
Semi-smashed Avocado on Toast
Serves 4 Prep time 15 minutes Cook time 10 minutes
Ingredients
• 4 avocados, medium to large size
• 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 5-10g sea salt, to taste
• 2-10g freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 chopped bird’s eye chilli
• 50g spring onion sliced finely
• 4 pcs limes, juiced and strained to remove the seeds
• 4 large slices of sourdough bread
• 8 eggs
• 20ml white vinegar
• 2l water
Cooking method
1. Halve the avocados, remove its seeds and scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Using a fork or a whisk, work the flesh into your desired texture.
2. Add salt, pepper, chopped chilli, and olive oil and mix it well.
3. Mix white vinegar with water and a pinch of salt in the ratio of 10ml white vinegar for 1l water. Heat it until just below the boiling point before stirring it with a spoon in a slow circular motion. Gently lower and submerse the egg into hot water for three minutes. The result should be poached eggs with soft and runny yolks. Using a slotted spoon, gently remove the eggs onto kitchen towel to absorb the excess water.
4. Toast the sourdough bread to the desired texture. 5. Dress each piece of toast with the avocado mixture. Gently place two eggs on top of the avocado mound and drizzle a bit of olive oil.