UP CLOSE & PERSONAL

Find out how talented chefs worked hard to get where they are now as we sit down with Edi Pancamala from Swissôtel Jakarta PIK Avenue, Josh Tyler from The Ungasan Clifftop Resort and Dove Sudarsana from MÉTIS Restaurant, Lounge & Gallery. This issue brings something special as we also talk to the culinary team from Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve.

With 20 years of culinary experience, Edi Pancamala remains creative in the kitchen. Exquisite Taste talks to this Indonesian-born chef about creativity, the influence of Gordon

Ramsay and his F&B mission for the newly opened Swissôtel Jakarta PIK Avenue.

: When did you first discover you had a passion for cooking?

Edi: It actually never occurred to me to get into the hospitality industry, let alone to become a chef. I wanted to be a soldier, but it didn't happen, so I took the next best opportunity. Graduating from a tourism institute was the stepping-stone to me working as an F&B trainee at a hotel in Jakarta. At that time, I didn't get a real opportunity to cook because I was in banquet operations, where one of the duties was to make tomato soup. Even so, I didn't take it lightly and continued to learn, even making tomato soup for the family every time I returned to my mother's house.

: You spent 14 years working in Dubai. How did you end up there?

E: With the knowledge I had gained as a trainee, I was desperate to work in Dubai. In my interview, I said I would work twice as hard as everyone else and I was accepted at Verre, Gordon Ramsay's restaurant at Hilton Dubai Creek. I didn't know who Gordon Ramsay was. At Verre I found pleasure working in the kitchen and also confidence, so I knew that I wanted to continue exploring the world of F&B. After Verre, I became a sous chef at Hunters Room & Grill at The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina and developed a reputation as a grill chef. Then I moved to West 14th Steakhouse and settled in Beirut, Lebanon, as a restaurant chef at Four Seasons Hotel Beirut.

Because of the situation in Beirut, I decided to return to Dubai to Mövenpick Jumeirah Beach as chef de cuisine. After 14 years in Dubai, I returned to Indonesia in 2012.

: How much did working with Gordon Ramsay influence you?

E: It enlightened me that a chef is not just a cook. A chef has his own ego, charisma and pride. He is the persona that leads the kitchen. Gordon Ramsay might be controversial in the kitchen, but that is his trademark. Ramsay is also proficient in his professionalism; the chaos that occurs in the kitchen is never brought into the personal realm. Honing my cooking techniques for seven years with him, starting from the bottom until I became a junior sous chef, I gained knowledge that became a solid foundation for me as a chef.

: In your opinion, what's the most important quality for a chef?

E: Honesty. This is also what I learned from Ramsay. For example, if you have a dish that promises US prime beef, and the business side advises you to use a cheaper meat to reduce costs, I would refuse. We have to be honest with our guests.

: What one dish would you recommend visitors try at Swissôtel Jakarta PIK Avenue?

E: You can't miss our tuna gohu. This is a crowd-stopper at Summers at The Pool, featuring hand-cut marinated tuna, pickled shimeji and avocado. Move on to iga bakar dabu-dabu with generous yet tasty cuts of beef short ribs topped with dabu-dabu salsa. Let me take you on a culinary journey when you dine at our hotel.

: You spend your working day in the kitchen, do you cook at home and if so, what is your go-to dish?

E: Honestly, I rarely cook at home, but when I do I make sambal goreng Cirebon, where I cut red chillies into thin strips, fry them in hot oil, drain, then mix with yellow herbs and water. Finally, I add meat, prawn or quail eggs, according to how I feel.

: Away from the kitchen, what do you enjoy doing?

E: Gardening. I support Accor group's program Planet 21, which encourages sustainability and reduces food waste. There is a backyard garden at Swissôtel Jakarta PIK Avenue that we use to grow herbs.

: What tips do you have for anyone looking to break into the culinary industry? E: Never feel satisfied because a culinary journey has no limitations. Life is always changing. For example, if you find someone's risotto recipe is better than yours, don't be shy about acknowledging this and learning from it. Stay open to knowledge.

Swissôtel Jakarta PIK Avenue

(swissotel.com)