Young Indonesian Chefs Battle in Bali as New Culinary Chapter Opens

From morning to night, Saturday, 21 May 2022 was filled with the exciting events of ‘Disciples Escoffier’, a global culinary association which has recently opened its Indonesian delegation and Bali chapter. In line with the missions of the association, the Saturday saw a competition for young chefs, an official induction of new members and a fabulous gala dinner.

Starting at 5.30AM at the Politeknik International Bali school in Tabanan, 8 young chefs from across the Indonesian archipelago, all below 25 years of age, assembled for the first ever Disciple Escoffier Young Talent’s Competition in Indonesia.

The 8 chefs were tasked at cooking and presenting a classic dish by August Escoffier, to whom the association pays homage, which was a Stuffed Chicken Ballotine with a Sauce Poulette, served with two sides based on green asparagus and rice.  

With three hours to prepare, cook and present, the young chefs battled to create their dishes in time. Their creations were presented to a jury, presided by Chef Jean-Yves Leuranguer, voted Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Craftsman of France) in 1996, considered to be the most prestigious competition for culinary arts in the world. 

The winner of the competition was Kadek Sumiarta of The Apurva Kempinski Bali, impressing the judges with his mastery of flavour and finesse. Coming close behind was runner-up Wayan Pamawinaka of the St Regis Bali Resort; and second runner-up was Ni Luh Nita Wulandari from the Raffles, Bali.

Other contestants included: Jonathan Adriel (Botanica Dining, Jakarta), Gusti Arya (Mauri, Bali), Dito Dekrito (Bakerman, Jakarta), Meryani Sari (Jakarta) and Sherren Lorenza (Pomodoro University, Jakarta).

Chef Sumiarta will be sent to Hong Kong in September 2022 to represent Indonesia in the Asia Pacific Regional selections. If he wins that competition he will represent Indonesia in the World Finals in 2023. Creating these kinds of opportunities for young chefs are at the core of the association’s goals.

In the afternoon at the illustrious The Apurva Kempinski Bali, Nusa Dua, an inauguration ceremony of the new members of Disciples Escoffier Indonesia took place. 27 new members were inducted, for both the Jakarta and Bali chapters, including chefs, pastry chefs, restaurateurs, hoteliers, photographers, sommeliers, wine makers and purveyors of fine foods. The members are joined in the same mission: the promotion and improvement of the Food and Beverage industry in Indonesia.

The traditional induction ceremony — which uses a giant stirring paddle instead of a sword — was led by the President of the Disciple Escoffier Asia Pacific, Chef Robert Fontana, and President of the Indonesian chapter of the Disciple Escoffier, Chef Gilles Marx. President Robert Fontana stated, “It is an honour to be able to inaugurate a new chapter of the Disciple Escoffier in Indonesia. Indonesia has many talented chefs and epicureans who, with in collaboration with the Disciple Escoffier Association, can grow their worldwide presence as a leader of the food industry. We are really looking forward to grow the hospitality industry here in Indonesia.” 

Finally, the Disciple Escoffier Indonesia hosted hosted their first Annual Gala Dinner in Bali, which took place at one-of-a-kind the Koral Restaurant at The Apurva Kempinski Bali.

The restaurant, housed inside a giant aquarium teeming with sea life, hosted 120 guests. The dinner was yet another opportunity for Indonesian talent as the dishes were prepared by the sous-chef’s of Bali’s top restaurants, representing Mauri Restaurant, Blanco par Mandif, Maya Ubud Resort, Vincent Nigita Kanvaz Patisserie and of course Koral Restaurant.

The dinner featured an eclectic variety of dishes, showcasing the breadth of Bali’s food and beverage industry at its highest level.  The dishes were paired with a superb list of premium wines.

More to Come!

Disciple Escoffier Indonesia (DEI) has planned a total of 6 epicurean events over the year of 2022 – 3 in Jakarta and 3 in Bali.

With dinners, competitions and other events coming up, those working in the industry - from chefs to suppliers to food photographers - and of course gourmands can get involved and be part of the journey DEI has paved.

• Stay in the loop with updates and events in Indonesia, follow the association’s social media here: Facebook Page  |  Instagram Profile
• If you are interested in becoming a member of Disciples Escoffier (Asia Pacific Region) go to: disciples-escoffier.asia

Supporters:

All of the events taking place on May 21st 2022 would not be possible without the tremendous support of the Association’s partners and sponsors; Savencia Fromage & Dairy, Elle & Vire Indonesia, Mastrada, AS Foods, Multifortuna Sinardelta, Dwimitra Sukses Perkasa, Dygtal Marketing Solutions, Politeknik Institute Bali, Hatten Winery, Lotus Food Distribution, Bali Sustainable Seafoods, Chef Legacy, Dewandra Photography, Classic Fine Foods, Island Organics, Kaluga Caviar, Blades of the Gods and The Apurva Kempinski.