Two chefs, 12,000km apart, exchanging continents, restaurants and lives in a one-week, two-way takeover.
Restaurants Locavore in Ubud, Bali and RIJKS® in Amsterdam, Netherlands took on their biggest chef challenge to date. Chefs Eelke Plasmeijer of Locavore and Joris Bijdendijk of RIJKS® exchanged continents, restaurants and lives for the event Trading Spaces from 23 to 26 May.
During the exchange, the chefs simultaneously moved their entire restaurant to the other side of the world. The team from Amsterdam was welcomed at the leading restaurant in Indonesia, Locavore. While the team from Bali was welcomed at the one Michelin-starred RIJKS®, housed in the Philips Wing of the Rijksmuseum.
So, what happened when chefs who focus on the local produce of their countries, travelled across the ocean to take over each other’s restaurant? Both chefs had to rebuild their new temporary restaurants into a familiar habitat and both teams were challenged creatively. They had to visit the local markets where they got their ingredients to cook a new signature menu. Guests were anticipating an unforgettable culinary adventure.
“Guest chef events have brought beautiful memories and knowledge to RIJKS®. After four years of experience we are ready to push our boundaries to stimulate our creativity and give our guests an even more unique experience with Trading Spaces,” Chef Joris Bijdendijk explained of the plan to take over Locavore in Bali.
Chef Eelke Plasmeijer said, “Since our last visit in 2017, we have been plotting how to evolve a guest chef idea and do something even more special. Trading Spaces certainly shakes up the concept because it’s never been done and is a challenging idea – the perfect formula for a rock ‘n roll style event! We’re super excited to bring Locavore to Amsterdam again. Chef Joris will have such a good time bringing RIJKS® to Bali too, everyone is really pumped to experience this.”
Locavore is at the forefront of unique and amazing culinary events in Bali. Recently at this year’s Ubud Food Festival supported by AQUA Reflections, which also partnered the Trading Spaces event, they brought together four of Southeast Asia’s leading chefs: Darren Teoh of Dewakan in Malaysia, Jordy Navarra of Toyo Eatery in the Philippines, Ton Tassanakajohn of Le Du in Thailand and Jimmy Lim from JL Studio in Taiwan for two special events.
AQUA Reflections’ purity complemented the exquisite menu served during Trading Spaces and, in extension, the Locavore menu from that day forward.
During Best of Asia, the four chefs had the opportunity to cook a family-style dinner featuring traditional dishes from their home countries together with chefs Ray Ardiansyah of Locavore and Putu Dodik of Nusantara by Locavore. While at Into The Wild, the Locavore team subjected the visiting chefs, together with chefs Ray, Eelke and Felix Schoener of LocaLAB, to a mystery box challenge of locally sourced produce. With less than 12 hours, each chef had to use all the ingredients in their boxes to prepare two dishes for 36 guests. To add to the difficulty of the challenge, each chef had to swap their assistants with someone they had never previously worked with. At both events, creative and tasty dishes emerged to the delight of the guests and friends partaking.
Everyone was excited to see what innovative and appetising dishes the Bali and Amsterdam teams conjured up during the Trading Spaces event.
Locavore
Jalan Dewi Sita No. 10, Ubud
Bali 80571, Indonesia
T: (+62) 361977733
Exquisite Taste June – August 2019
