Indonesian treats with Chef Budi Hariyanto

Demi HEWAMANNA

Chef Budi Hariyanto is a man of a great personality, charisma and passion to cook great health meals. Chef Budi was down in Sri Lanka to participate in the World Spice Food Festival 2011 and give us a taste of Indonesia.

The Galle Face Hotel in Colombo, hosted Chef Budi and his amazing cuisine in fine dining at the 1864 Restaurant located in the Regency Wing of the hotel. Chef Budi had a great line up dishes to serve the guests and each day he changed the menu. What I was served as well was a great treat indeed. For starters he began with a bean cake sandwiches (Tempe lapis sayur), tofu and egg drop soup (Sup tahu telor), braised spicy tomato (Sambel goring tomat), the main - honey duck breast with mango jelly (Bebek madu dan mangga), rice with grated coconut (Nasi kelepa), and sweet coconut pancake with ice cream for dessert.

When I asked him, how he started his cooking career and what drove him to come into this field, he replied: "When I was small, I always watched my mother in the kitchen while she was cooking, and observed everything she was doing. I believe its Karma that brought me here".

Chef Budi added that most of the things are similar to Indonesia, it has over 33 provinces, and different languages and food are similar as well and that they have more spices than Sri Lanka. The main dish of the country is rice, chicken and beef. Cooking is easy and anyone can cook but how we compare it is in the way people taste it and think about it.

"Currently I am at the Echoes Boutique Hotel & restaurant The Edge - Uluwatu, Bali as Executive Chef - Executive Committee in-charge. I worked in Kupu Kupu Barong Villas & Tree Spa, Bali as Corporate Executive Chef, Kemang Icon by Alila, Jakarta as Executive Chef, Sheraton Maldives, Maldives as a Executive Sous Chef in charge of F&B, Bvlgari Hotels and Resorts, Uluwatu - Bali as Junior Sous Chef, Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah, Dubai UAE and Bab Al Shams Desert and Spa as Chef de Partie," he added. He has also traveled to Sydney and participated in a Food festival held in Hong Kong.

Budi collects antiques and does online trading, where he buys old stuff and sells them off at a good price and when he is not doing that he likes to paint. "To me, my plate is like my canvas and the food I put in the plate is my painting", he states.

Speaking about his family life, he said, "Married life is like kitchen life". And he also added that when he is home, he is not allowed to cook and is supposed to eat what's given without any complaints. He has two children a 16 and 7 year old. Chef Budi loves to make salads and serve his guests a healthy meal.