Happily for the astute diners of Bali, since 2013 he has been collaborating with Chef Mandif Warokka to create a stylish and exquisite dining experience for guests at Teatro Gastroteque, one of islandís most talked about and popular fine dining experiences. Teatro Gastroteque is a classy boutique restaurant where classic French cuisine gets a very sophisticated Asian make-over.
Q: After a great time at some amazing hotel restaurants in the Middle East it seems you wanted to return home to Indonesia, but with all the great restaurants in Jakarta – what brought you to Bali?
A: Of course Bali is a famous tourist destination and those who come to Bali mostly have more time to sit back and enjoy their meals as they are on vacation. Although the kitchen can be crazy, it’s a slower pace generally, which means I have more time to do more research and experimentation, which is a real draw for me. At Teatro Gastroteque I can explore my creativity and have the pleasure of seeing guests enjoying and appreciating my innovative cuisine.
Q: With so many international awards, you clearly love the competition – will this continue now you are here in Bali?
A: For sure, and what I love the most is to encourage the new upcoming young culinary talents to join me as well. So far, we have competed in a few culinary competitions through 2014 in Bali and Singapore, where we won 24 medals in total! We have an event in Jakarta next month and there are more competitions coming up in the near future. I am also going to participate in the upcoming Bocuse D’Or, the Concours mondial de la cuisine, or World Chef Championship.
Q: Who or what has had the greatest influence on your career to date?
A: Tough question and impossible to answer – I’ve worked with so many great chefs of differing nationalities and styles over my career and they all have great qualities that have been influential. My passion to learn constantly drives me. I am an avid researcher reading about famous chefs, the best restaurants, creativity and so on.
Q: Working at Teatro Gastroteque must be a dream for young creatively minded chefs like yourself – but if you had to single one thing out as being the best, what would that be?
A: I love the creative freedom and, as I said, working in Bali and at Teatro Gastroteque provides the opportunity to develop this even further.
Q: We hear the term fusion used a lot these days but it can be a very loose term – what does it mean to you?
A: For me the term fusion is simple to appreciate – to combine two or more things into a new form, either by cooking methods and styles, or by combining ingredients that might not normally be associated. Take the Foie Gras Terrine, for example – we combine this classic French terrine with local mango, palm sugar gel and indigenous flowers to create a fusion of presentation, style, tastes and textures – pure fusion!
Q: Do you have a favourite plate on the current menu? (and why)
A: It’s back to the terrine, it’s always a favourite; we combine techniques and ingredients to serve a fabulous foie gras here at Teatro – it’s beautiful, delicious and is always very popular.
Q: The presentation at Teatro Gastroteque is, at times, simply breathtaking. How do you balance the aesthetic with the taste, in other words is there a trade off?
A: There is no trade off and we work extremely hard to ensure a combination of indulgent tastes and dazzling presentation through all our menu choices. I like to say we choose the best ingredients and then “just add love…”!
Q: How is working alongside Mandif – one the island’s, if not the nation’s, most creative chefs?
A: I have known Mandif a long time and it is great. We might have different characters, but we share the same philosophy regarding food and dining.
Q: What does the future hold for Daniel Edward?
A: My goal is to open a restaurant that serves a range of comfort foods using fresh local ingredients and simple cooking techniques. I would also like to develop a school for professional chefs to teach avant garde cooking techniques and cooking competition skills.
Foie Gras Terrine
2 kg foie gras
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp white pepper
4 tbsp brandy
4 tbsp sake
Red Wine Jelly
400 g port wine
300 g red wine
9 sheets gelatin
- De-vein and clean the foie gras, marinate overnight with all ingredients and keep it chilled in the refrigerator.
- The following day, wrap or roll the foie gras with cheesecloth and tie at on both sides.
- Cook the foie gras for 1 hour at 60°C. After 1 hour, remove the foie gras and set into a mould that has been prepared and pour the port wine jelly into the mould as well.
- Keep chilled before serving.
Palm Sugar Gel
180 g palm sugar
150 g brown sugar
900 ml water
1 pc tamarind
1 pc cinnamon
2 pc star anise
5 pc clove
2 pc chili
5 g orange zest
100 g orange juice
25 g pectin
10 g agar
- Put the sugar, water, tamarind, cinnamon, star anise, clove, chili, orange zest and orange juice into the pot. Simmer to reduce the liquid by half, then add pectin and agar into the pot.
- Boil the liquid for few minutes and pour into a tray. Keep the liquid in the tray until properly chilled.
- Once chilled, blend it with a vita mix blender until smooth.
Fresh Mango
1 pc mango
2 tbsp white balsamic
Salt and pepper to taste
- Clean and peel the mango carefully, dice it into small pieces and add salt, pepper and white balsamic. Keep it chilled before serving.
- Serve the foie gras with palm sugar gel, fresh mango and brioche.
- Garnish with some edible flowers to enhance the presentation.
