Exquisite Taste is privileged to catch up with Corporate Chef of Double Six Properties and Executive Chef of Chez Gado Chef Quirijn “Quib” Rademaker at his flagship restaurant to chat about his past, his expanded role and what motivates him to create such innovative dishes.
E: You took up the challenge of chef training late by usual standards, what made you take the plunge and change career?
Quib: Quite late, yes. Well I was working at an insurance company when one day I realized that this just wasn’t making me happy. I always had the idea that I would move into the hospitality/hotel industry so I decided to follow a one-year hotel school programme in Bruges. It was there that I realised I had a true passion and flair for food and preparing it.
E: What brought you to Bali and Chez Gado Gado?
Q: I was working in Jakarta and I met up with a very close friend of the owner and I told her after two years in the city it was time for me to leave and was planning to take a job offer in Amsterdam. She asked me to wait a little and to consider a job opportunity in Chez Gado Gado. A few days later I was on the plane, did a food tasting and here I am, 10 years later, still here and loving it.
E: In your eyes, what makes Chez Gado Gado so special?
Q: Well the trees covering the deck, the views over the beach and Indian Ocean, the sunshine and the sea breeze create a relaxed Mediterranean ambience and flavour. I like this. Combined with the unique hospitality of the Balinese staff and authentic building and deck, it makes this a very special dining spot.
E: Under your stewardship the transformation of Chez Gado Gado has been nothing short of stellar, how do you maintain the success?
Q: We are working with a very loyal team here and some have been working at Chez Gado Gado for over 15 years. They are the basis of what we are doing and the basis of our past and future success. I see myself merely as the conductor, ensuring that everyone keeps to the same beat by following our high standards and restaurant identity.
E: Your seafood dishes are legendary, can you name a couple of dishes that guests should definitely not miss?
Q: It’s true I do love cooking with seafood, I find it more diverse and it suits the Bali climate perfectly. Many dishes come and go but at the moment we have a very classic seafood terrine on the menu. It is made with red emperor fish and inside there’s also salmon, pink scallop and prawns. It is a real classic dish. Another one is the tuna pizza. Thin slices of yellowfin on a very thin crispy taco shell with ricotta crème, wasabi mayonnaise and salmon roe.
E: Being a chef means long hours and hard work. How do you stay motivated?
Q: So far I don’t have issues staying motivated but I do go home between lunch and dinner to spend time with the family, which perhaps helps. It breaks the day, which is important for me.
E: How do you ensure you always have the best quality and freshest ingredients?
Q: We are very loyal to most of our suppliers. We know them and they know us and this creates mutual trust and understanding. They know what we are looking for in terms of quality and produce.
E: Known for your flair and innovation, how do you set about creating
something new?
Q: I always start with the main ingredient and the second step is how you want it prepared – raw, grilled, roasted, etc. The third step is creating the sauce, for me this is usually a vinaigrette, a jus or a combination, but the possibilities are endless.
For inspiration I look to anything, things I have seen, the internet, books – you are always able to create something new.
E: Chez Gado Gado is where you made your name on the island, as Corporate Chef of Double Six Properties, what do you hope to achieve?
Q: My aim is to have truly different menus in all the different outlets, but all still with my own signature style. I’m not looking for flowers, dots and gels on a plate just for decoration, for example, so expect honest, fresh, clean and straight to the point food, just like at Chez Gado Gado.
Capellini Prawns
Ingredients
- Capellini pasta
- Kombu
- Chilli
- Jumbo prawns
- Olive oil
- Lime
- Chilli flakes
- Chives
Method
- Soak the kombu overnight in cold water. The next day drain the water and chop the kombu into small pieces.
- Peel the prawns and set aside.
- Cover the shells and heads in olive oil and chilli to taste. Heat the shells, heads and chilli slowly to around 80 degrees and leave for 15 minutes to cool. Blend and strain to make a spicy prawn oil.
- Boil the capellini pasta in salted water for about 2 minutes.
- Take 2 tablespoons of the spicy prawn oil and heat in a frying pan, adding 4 to 5 prawns per portion. Sautée until almost cooked.
- Add ½ tablespoon of kombu and a handful of capellini and arrange on the plate.
- Finish by topping with a big squeeze of lime, some chilli flakes and finely chopped chives.
- Serve hot.
Chez Gado Gado
Jalan Camplung Tanduk No. 99, Seminyak
Bali 80361, Indonesia
T: (+62) 361736966
E: info@gadogadorestaurant.com
gadogadorestaurant.com
