Helming the well-known and much-loved French-Mediterranean MÉTIS Restaurant, Lounge & Gallery in Bali, Dove has an unmatched passion for cooking and the drive to always keep learning. He talked to Exquisite Taste to share his views, from his humble beginnings to his future goals.
E: How did you get into the culinary world?
Dove: I was inspired by MÉTIS chef-owner Nicolas “Doudou” Tourneville after seeing his work. I’ve been working with him from back when I was still in my high school sophomore year. I didn’t start as a cook, I was a dishwasher first, but I was a curious kid; I really wanted to know how to cook and to learn thoroughly. I told Doudou this, and not only did he allow me, he also provided the platform, shared his skills and taught me everything I needed to know to make me who I am today.
E: Where do draw your inspiration to cook from?
D: Mostly from Doudou, but I also observe some of the best Michelin-starred chefs. Looking for inspiration can be tricky, but these days we have social media, and of course books have always been there – and these channels help us see what’s out there. We learn about the latest trends and see if we can incorporate these into our restaurant. But we never copy and paste, we always modify ideas and tweak them to fit MÉTIS’ concept and standards.
E: What is the most important factor or philosophy that you apply to your career and in the kitchen?
D: Discipline is always my number one priority. When you’ve got the discipline part down pat, you will get consistency in many things – quality, service and more.
E: What goal do you have for MÉTIS as a chef?
D: Every chef must have different dreams and goals. For me, I want to keep improving MÉTIS and to make it even more well-known and liked in Indonesia and abroad.
E: What’s the most memorable moment in your career?
D: Sometimes we have guests who ask for a particular dish made in a particular way – something that reminds them of their hometown, or something that their mothers used to make. We always try to accommodate these requests. When we do, and it’s exactly what the customer wants, we get good feedback – and that’s the ultimate moment for me. We always try to tailor the dishes to some extent to cater to our diners’ preferences and dietary requirements.
E: What has been the biggest challenge in your career so far and how do you overcome it?
D: The biggest challenge for me is always to make MÉTIS a bigger name, and I try to do that by always upgrading the products, maintaining the quality and maintaining good team work here.
E: What tips could you share with anyone looking to break into the culinary industry?
D: You have to have the will to learn, and you have to know how to beat your ego – and it’s not easy. You have to have patience and go through the process, step by step, with no shortcuts.
L’ŒUF DE POULE
Crispy Soft Boiled Egg with Iberico Ham and Black Truff
Ingredients
Custard
- 1 boiled organic egg
- 30g phyllo pastry
- 1g wild arugula
- 3g Iberico ham
- 3g shaved parmesan
- 30ml black truffle foam
- A pinch of espelette pepper
Method
- Wrap the boiled organic egg with phyllo pastry and fry until crispy.
- Put crispy egg on the plate.
- Add black truffle foam, shaved parmesan, Iberico ham and wild
MÉTIS Restaurant, Lounge & Gallery
Jalan Petitenget No. 6, Seminyak
Bali 80361, Indonesia
T: (+62) 3614737888
Exquisite Taste December 2019 – February 2020
