Apéritif welcomed three acclaimed chefs for collaborations at the fifth edition of Bali’s Ubud Food Festival

Chefs collaborations at the fifth edition of Bali’s Ubud Food Festival

Bali, XX May 2019 –Apéritif welcomed three internationally acclaimed chefs into its kitchen during this year’s edition of Ubud Food Festival, which took place on 26 – 28 April 2019 in Bali’s cultural heart. Executive Chef Nic Vanderbeeken and Pastry Chef Alex McKinstry collaborated with Chef Deepanker Khosla of Bangkok’s Haoma, Chef Luca Fantin of Tokyo’s Il Ristorante Luca Fantin and Executive Pastry Chef Yannis Janssens of Bangkok’s L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon.

Over three days, the grand colonial-inspired restaurant hosted over 100 guests to collaborative gastronomic degustation meals inspired by Apéritif’s culinary philosophy and each guest chef’s signature styles. “We are thrilled to have been able to host not only one, but three acclaimed chefs in our kitchen. Ubud Food Festival is a big culinary event we look forward to each year as we get to exchange ideas and techniques with some of the most respected culinary personalities,” says Chef Nic Vanderbeeken. “Each chef we collaborated with brought something new and exciting to the table – whether it is through interesting ingredients and techniques or a simple meeting of the minds. This year, we were also fortunate to have been able to also collaborate on a special dessert-centric meal that showcased the lesser-celebrated technical genius of dessert and pastry chefs.”

Starting with a collaboration with Chef Deepanker of Haoma, the two chefs showcased a delectable eight-course dinner on 26 April 2019. The dinner featured some of the chefs’ signature dishes, including Haoma’s inimitable Neo- Indian interpretations of Chicken Tikka Masala with tikka sorbet, pickled peppers and compressed naan bread, and The Disappearing Duck, comprising poultry wing, jasmine rice, fresh herbs and turmeric curry. These dishes were paired alongside some of Chef Nic’s signatures including the Martino, made with raw Wagyu beef, black garlic, cucumber and egg, as well as the Papua Crab, made with Indonesian gulai, Kaluga caviar, dill and citrus. Both chefs demonstrated their ability to translate their sense of place into thought-provoking dishes that titillate the global diner’s palate.

The unique four-hands degustation dinner, held on 27 April 2019, with Chef Luca of Il Ristorante Luca Fantin – ranked No. 18 in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019 and No. 28 in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2018 – saw each chef preparing four signature dishes, which together, formed an eight-course degustation. Drawing from Chef Nic and Chef Luca’s similar mindset of placing emphasis on quality produce, diners enjoyed dishes including the Fantin’s Atlantic Codfish with tomato concentrate, onion and seafood jus, as well as Hokkaido Scallop with cauliflower and black truffle.

The last day of Ubud Food Festival saw Pastry Chefs Alex and Yannis command the kitchen to prepare a dazzling array of desserts and sweet treats for a five-course dessert tasting menu. Inspired by colours, flavours and textures, Chef Yannis whipped up a trompe l’oiel cigar-inspired dessert with vanilla and tonka beans. The two chefs also collaborated on a Cacao dessert, which saw a cacao bean-shaped chocolate pod covering flavours of banana, turmeric, cinnamon and coffee.

In its fifth year, Indonesia’s leading culinary event celebrated the nation’s diverse cuisines and exciting gastronomic scene with food lovers from near and far through the theme, “Spice Up the World”. The playful and invigorating theme explore the most effective ways to make the food of Southeast Asia’s most populous nation go global. From spotlighting international best practices and individual success stories, to championing local heroes elevating Indonesian food to new heights and breaking down boundaries to foreign exposure, Ubud Food Festival 2019 serves up a feast of ideas to spice the world with Indonesian cuisine.

About Apéritif:

Set amid Ubud’s lush mountain valley setting, Apéritif offers an alternative and unique fine-dining experience in Bali. Housed in an elegant, spacious standalone building overlooking the verdant jungle landscape, the 1920s- inspired restaurant offers sophisticated seasonal degustation menus that are representative of the culinary team—led by Executive Chef Nic Vanderbeeken— and their respect for ingredients. The menu explores the world by way of the Indonesian archipelago; an eclectic journey of global gastronomy with the added influences of the old Spice Islands. It couples high-grade produce sourced globally, locally and from the Apéritif greenhouse with the finesse of Modern European culinary techniques.

This luxurious tropical haven is also home to Apéritif Bar, where guests are encouraged to enjoy pre-dinner and fancy cocktails in an atmosphere that is reminiscent of the Roaring Twenties.

For more information, please contact The Ate Group:

Letitia Tandean
Account Manager
letitia@ate.bz +65 9295 4055
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Amelia Yim
Associate Account Manager
amelia@ate.bz
+65 9089 40