Guilt-free Goodness

Mother-of-three and owner of Seriously Keto in Singapore and Garam_Lada in Jakarta, Janti Brasali, shares with Indonesia Tatler her journey as a ketogenic baker

Keto is one of the most popular diet regimes around at the moment, and Janti Brasali could not have made her mark in the industry at a better time. The Indonesian owner took her brand, Seriously Keto, to Singapore in February 2019 to introduce the benefits of a low-carb, high-fat diet. Other than being a solution to shed extra weight,

Janti aims to educate the community on the benefits of adopting a keto lifestyle.

What was your educational background, and how has it shaped you today or helped you in your business?

I went to USC in Los Angeles for college and got my degree in economics. But to be honest, I learned almost everything about how to run a business from watching my dad. My dad is a businessman and has worked hard his entire life—he’s built so many businesses on his own, so I really could not have wished for a better role model than him.

Who or what event inspired you to be a baker?

I guess today’s theme is going to be my dad! As I mentioned earlier, my dad is a businessman, but he has always been involved in the food industry. He is an amazing chef, so I spent a lot of time growing up watching him in the kitchen. When I picture my childhood, a lot of it goes back to our kitchen: it was a space where the whole family could interact and spend time together. So I guess cooking and baking have always been a huge part of my life, and it’s a love that grew organically and a love that has passed down to my children, too.

How do you adapt Asian desserts to make them keto—how long does it normally take for recipe development? Any new products coming up?

It isn’t just for Asian desserts, but all of the desserts we make honestly come from constant trial and error, as we want to get the perfect recipes. All keto desserts have more restrictive ingredient options, so I find it my mission to try and make the most delicious desserts that are 100 per cent keto. Coming up, we have a lot of exciting things—just as a sneak peak, we’ll have a whole range of ice-creams and sorbets, pizza crusts, pies, and so much more.

What’s your vision for setting up Garam_Lada (Jakarta) and Seriously Keto (Singapore)?

My goal is to be able to set up KetoKorners everywhere. I would love for keto desserts to be more available and accessible to people everywhere. It’s also important to remember that our keto desserts also aren’t only for people on keto diets: they are a healthier option that anyone can enjoy. So if we are able to have a more widespread reach, then there are no more excuses for why people can’t make healthier choices.

What are the challenges you’ve faced along the way (resources, regulations, research, etc.) and how have you solved them?

In Jakarta, the biggest challenge we faced was getting the right ingredients because all of our ingredients are imported, and locally they don’t have the best selection. But I want to ensure that we are making the best quality of everything, and so if this is what we have to do then we will do it! In Singapore, for me the big challenge was adjusting to and learning all the rules and regulations that are much different from those in Jakarta.

What do you consider as your biggest achievement? What is success to you?

My biggest achievement is that I never thought I’d be an entrepreneur. Seriously

Keto is truly my baby that I have put so much of myself into, and I am just really happy that I was able to see it through. It is amazing how this simple idea turned into a real business. Success to me is so much more than a successful business, though. I think to be successful is to truly believe you are exactly who you are meant to be and exactly where you need to be.

Any dreams relating to keto-based diets, or your business that you still have not achieved yet?

There’s still a long way to go for this business, which is what is so exciting. I believe we came in at just the right moment where we fill this niche in the market. Since the keto industry itself is relatively new, it’s exciting because the possibilities are truly endless. I think my dream would be to just continue seeing my business grow alongside the growth of the entire keto industry. With that, we can hopefully spread to other parts of the world, too!