What is food? Is it a mere form of bodily sustenance, or is it also nourishment for the soul’s comfort? A carefully composed symphony where ingredients are the musical instruments, flavours are the melodies, and chefs are the concerto maestros? Or do its nuances go deeper than just what’s on the table, becoming a vessel for traditions and rituals, cultures and stories as it is passed and shared around the dining table? For four-time James Beard Award-winning celebrity chef Todd English, it’s all of the above.
It’s an outlook he has carried from his outset as a restaurateur back in April 1989 with Charlestown, Boston’s Olives, an homage to his family’s roots of running an olive business in Italy. Though his repertoire expands with different brands, including Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel’s blueZoo, The Stinger Cocktail Bar and Kitchen at InterContinental New York Times Square, and outposts across the United States, the Middle East, and the Philippines, the ethos of storytelling remains the same.
For Jade by Todd English, the story is about a melding of cultures. Finding its home in Canggu, an area where Bali’s agricultural and fishing traditions are underpinned by global modernism, the restaurant is fashioned as a reflection of the neighbourhood’s rhythms of life. The bistro-style space, with its high ceilings and all, functions as more than just a dining space. It’s a trove where memories are created. That’s the intention, after all. “One of the biggest things in a restaurant is the experience,” shared Chef Todd, “because once you leave, you may not always remember what exactly it was that you ate, but you’ll never forget the feeling that you had in a restaurant.”
E: After working around the world, why did you choose Bali, specifically Canggu, for Jade by Todd English?
A: Bali has a rare kind of energy. It’s deeply spiritual, creatively charged, and rooted in nature, yet it’s globally connected. Canggu in particular feels like where tradition and the future meet. Farmers, surfers, artists, chefs, and wellness seekers all coexist in this ecosystem. For Jade, I wanted a place that respected ritual and balance but was open to bold ideas. Bali doesn’t just welcome that; rather expects it, almost demands it even.
E: How does Bali’s culinary scene differ from what you’ve experienced elsewhere?
A: Bali’s food culture is intuitive and ingredient-driven. There’s a closeness to the land here that you don’t always feel in other major cities. Ingredients are fresher, cooking is more emotional than technical, and meals are often tied to ceremony and community. It’s less about ego and more about intention, and that changes how you cook.
E: What inspired you to blend your American-Italian roots with East Asian flavours at Jade?
A: I’ve always cooked from who I am and where I’ve been. Italian cooking taught me restraint and respect for ingredients, and American cooking gave me freedom and confidence. Meanwhile, East Asian cuisine brings precision, balance, and umami. Jade is where those worlds naturally collide: familiar, but unexpected. It’s not fusion for the sake of fusion; it’s evolution.
E: Your career has seen both highs and lows. How did you navigate the challenges and bounce back from difficult moments?
A: By being honest, at least with myself first. The lows force you to strip away distractions and remember why you started. I leaned into learning, humility, and rebuilding trust in my instincts, craft, and purpose. Resilience isn’t about pretending setbacks don’t hurt, it’s about using them as fuel instead of letting them define you.
E: After decades in the industry, how do you stay creative? Do you follow trends or rely on timeless techniques?
A: Trends come and go, but technique and taste endure. I stay curious: travelling, listening, mentoring younger chefs, learning about nutrition and wellness. Creativity comes from relevance, not novelty. If something doesn’t make sense on the plate or in the body, I’m not interested, no matter how popular it is.
E: Looking back on your journey, what has been the most rewarding part of your career, and why?
A: Impact. Watching people I’ve mentored grow into leaders, seeing restaurants become gathering places, and realising that food can truly change how people feel, physically and emotionally. I feel like food is our greatest democracy, and gathering around the table is our equaliser. The reward is creating that kind of environment, seeing how food can actually change people, how it can fulfil them, how there’s a nourishing aspect to it that gives people a sense of love and happiness in a place. Success isn’t the awards, it’s the lives you touch and the standards you raise.
E: What early lesson had the greatest impact on shaping you as a chef?
A: Respect the ingredients and the people behind them. Farmers, fishermen, cooks, dishwashers; everyone matters. If you lose that respect, the food loses its soul. That lesson has guided every kitchen I’ve ever built.
E: If you could leave behind one culinary legacy, what would you want it to be?
A: Food should nourish more than hunger. It should support health, bring people together, and reflect integrity from the soil to the plate. If I’ve helped push the industry toward more honest, responsible, and human cooking, then I’ve done my job.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Beef Carpaccio
- Linguine Vongole or Tagliatelle Ragu
- Crème Brûlée
Exquisite Taste Volume 50
Jade by Todd English
Jalan Pemelisan Agung, Canggu
Bali 80361, Indonesia
T: (+62) 81138822225
