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Bring Indonesia to Your Kitchen with the Recipes from These 5 Chefs!

The abundance of cultural wealth in Indonesia makes this country a perfect place for those who are interested in a culinary adventure. Furthermore, culinary is considered one of the most significant creative economy subsectors in Indonesia due to its popularity amongst international tourists. However, what if you can’t visit Indonesia just yet? No worries, there are some Indonesian top chefs that love to share their techniques and recipes through social media. You can visit their Instagram pages and start learning how to master some of the Indonesian traditional dishes.

In welcoming International Chef Day, which comes on 20 October every year, here are some of our recommendations on five Indonesian famous chefs that you can learn from.

 

1. William Wongso

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Image by : liputan6.com

Born on 12 April 1947, William Wongso is widely known as a culinary expert in Indonesia who mastered the art of European and Asian cuisine. In the beginning, his expertise in cooking is not obtained through formal education, but from studying directly with the owner of roadside hawkers and chefs in restaurants or five-star hotels.

He then participated in various professional cooking training programmes in many countries, including Switzerland, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan. He also had collaborated with one of the most famous international chefs, Gordon Ramsay in exploring West Sumatra and making the authentic rendang. Currently, William also owns several restaurants and serves in several international culinary organizations. You can check his Instagram profile here or learn about his authentic rendang recipe on this page.

 

2. Sisca Soewitomo 

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Image by : kompas.com

Popular because of her catchphrase, “Bagaimana, mudah bukan?” or “It’s so easy, isn’t it?” Sisca Soewitomo is a renowned television host for an Indonesian cooking show titled “Aroma” which was aired on a private television channel in the early 2000s. After graduating from Trisakti Hospitality Academy, she was granted a scholarship to attend the American Institute of Baking di Manhattan, Kansan, United States. Then, she became famous as a hotel lecturer as well as a culinary expert.

Until this day, she has written more than 150 recipe books (written in Indonesian and English) and has received several prestigious awards, including the Ubud Food Festival Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. You can check her Instagram page here to find out more about her recipes of Indonesian traditional cuisine.

 

3. Farah Quinn

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Image by : fimela.com

Starting her culinary career at a famous Italian restaurant in Pittsburgh in the United States, Farah Quinn is an Indonesian celebrity chef who is famous for being a host in a television cooking show “A La Chef.” After graduating from the Indiana University Of Pennsylvania, she continued her studies at Pittsburgh Culinary Institute and specializes in pastry.

Currently, she has her own YouTube channel and is still active in sharing her favorite Indonesian traditional pastry recipes. Check out her Instagram page to find out more about her and the recipes she shares.

 

4. Juna Rorimpandey

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Image by : nowjakarta.co.id

Started gaining popularity after being assigned as one of the Masterchef Indonesia judges, Juna Rorimpandey or Chef Juna is a celebrity chef with a lot of experience in Japanese, French, and Indonesian cuisine. He was once a pilot academy graduate before he became an apprentice chef in a Japanese traditional restaurant in the United States and started his culinary career then.

After 12 years of honing his cooking skills abroad, he came back to Indonesia in 2016 and began to be actively involved in the Indonesian culinary industry. On 22 May 2022, he received the “Chef of the Year 2022” award from the Chef Expo 2022 event. Find out more about Chef Juna and his Indonesian cuisine recipes on his recipes on his Instagram page.

 

5. Renatta Moeloek

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Image by : liputan6.com

Still from the row of Masterchef Indonesia judges, there is Renatta Moeloek, a chef and restaurateur who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Art in France and received a diploma in Superior Cuisine and Superior Pastry title in 2018. In the same year of her graduation, she got the opportunity to work in Garance Saint Dominique in France.

 

In 2019-2022, she was trusted to be one of the judges in Masterchef Indonesia from Season 5 to Season 9. Currently, she is working on various private dinner activities which are commercial events for companies, embassies, groups, and pop-up kitchens in a number of restaurants in Indonesia, in addition to being a menu and restaurant consultant. She also actively introduces Indonesian cuisine through international culinary activities, especially in Europe. Check out her Instagram profile to find out more about her and what she’s cooking!

 

Learn and master two or three recipes at home while planning your next holiday to Wonderful Indonesia, to taste the authentic dishes here by yourself. Before then, you can also perfect your skill with these recipes. From Indonesian most popular foods, Indonesian breakfast ideas, Indonesian immune booster herbal drinks, as well as Indonesian icy desserts. As always, if you’re planning to visit Indonesia, we want to kindly remind you to comply with all the health protocols, be a responsible traveler, and keep practicing healthy habits such as wearing a mask in public places, washing hands frequently, and implementing social distancing. Learn about the latest international travel regulations and follow our social media channels on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok for updated information regarding travel and creative economy in Indonesia.