Kitchenesia hears how Chandra Yudasswara made it to the A-list, and why he never forgets his roots.
Kitchenesia.com - Lots of people, especially in their 20s, like the idea of studying things that lead them to stable jobs. But for Jakarta-born Chef Chandra Yudasswara, he always knew – from a young age – that he wanted to be a chef.
His goal sparked from his father, who worked as a chef in a hotel. He used to bring his son to his office instead of dropping him at daycare. Although he was given toys and crayons to keep him busy, the young Chandra was more interested in observing his father working in the kitchen.
“I thought cooking was really fun,” said the 42-year-old chef.
Chef Chandra Yudasswara was exposed to many cultures during his childhood. His father is a Sundanese, and sometimes whipped up some Sundanese foods.
Nothing Beats Mom's Cooking
His mother was the main cook, and often brought Indonesian cultures through foods to the dinner table. “My mother often cooked rendang (beef stew) and homemade dishes like telur balado (spicy egg),” he said while feeling nostalgic.
“Sometimes she cooked light bites like bacang (chicken-stuffed glutinous rice) and ba pao.”
My understanding about his parents was typical: father going to office and mother cooking for kids. But given the fact that their offspring is one of the most successful chefs in the country, something unusual must have happened in the family.
“I loved to observe how my mother cooked traditionally, and eventually practiced it,” said the Jakarta-born chef.
“Her homemade foods have been my standard for measuring taste.”
Stay Humble and Genuine
It’s easy to differ Chef Chandra Yudasswara from those chefs out there. No one sports manly ponytail like him. His casual outfit – white shirt and simple jeans – also makes him memorable.
Starring in a solo cooking show on national-scale TV, managing self-owned restaurants, and speaking on some big culinary events, Chef Chandra is in the peak position of chef stardom. But he’s certainly not the only one.
But Being a celebrity, on top of being a chef, makes one needs to play particular personality for two reasons: relevancy and presence. However, this attempt often tends to be forced, even some fall down into unnatural, manufactured persona.
Chef Chandra Yudasswara is more elegant and genial. And there is a sense of conservatism and humility in his personality.
Despite being an acclaimed chef, his presence doesn’t intimidate. His flashing smile is also never absent, even while he’s asked about a serious question.
He's got a brilliant mind that is eclipsed only by his humble spirit.
Prolific Chef
After graduating from STP (School of Tourism) Bandung in 1997, Chandra embarked on a chef career in prominent hotels abroad. To mention, he joined Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Bahrain and Fairmont Dubai in his initial career.
After working for more than four years overseas, he went back to hometown to venture out on his own. In 2011, he found BACCO Jakarta with some friends. It is a wine-centric bar in the downtown Kuningan, South Jakarta.
Following BACCO, Portable Restaurant boosts friendlier, all-day dining restaurant with All You Can Eat shabu-shabu as its highlight menu.
His restaurants’ menu stretches of western cuisine, Japanese, to some exotic Indonesian foods like tongseng (Central Javanese beef stew in curry stock).
The Diversity of Indonesian Cuisine
“My speciality is continental food, and my experiences as a chef in hotels is sharpening my skills,” said the father of two.
More than 10 years in the western food scene, Chef Chandra always tries to reminisce Indonesian food as it sparked his goal to become a chef.
“Every region in Indonesia has contrasting food traits to one another, in terms of taste and aroma.”
He gives a prime example to explain his opinion further.
“For example, Javanese cuisine tends be dark-coloured and sweet, while majority foods from Sumatra island have assertive tastes,” said Chef Chandra Yudasswara closing the interview.
Full interview video:
