Chef Patron at BLANCO par Mandif
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Born in Biak, Papua, and unquestionably one of Indonesia’s true contemporary culinary stars, like many great chefs, Mandif Warokka cites his first and foremost inspiration as his mother’s cooking.
After qualifying in Bandung, he started his career as sous chef de partie at the Al Raha Beach Hotel in Abu Dhabi before moving to Desert Palm where he continued to establish a reputation for excellence and creativity.
As guest chef, he has worked in some of Europe’s most impressive establishments, including Schloss Elmau Spa and Resort and Eisvogel in Bierkenhof, Germany, before moving back to Indonesia as sous chef of Ju-Ma-Na restaurant at Banyan Tree Ungasan Bali.
Mandif’s considerable talents truly developed as he opened the first of his own restaurants, the theatrical Teatro Gastroteque, which features robust favours with Japanese precision. This was followed by the refined and exclusive BLANCO par Mandif, proudly showcasing Indonesian heritage flavours with the elegance of fine French cuisine to satisfy his vision of taking Indonesian flavours cooked with local ingredients, made with passion and precision, to a whole new level.
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Mie Cakalang
Perhaps nothing sums up Mandif’s culinary philosophy better than a simple, uniquely Indonesian dish from BLANCO par Mandif – Mie Cakalang. This beautifully plated dish of homemade noodles and smoked skipjack tuna has a gorgeously rich taste thanks to the tuna being smoked over coconut husks for six hours every day for two months and is his interpretation of a dish his mother often served at home.
