Lessons from an Indonesian Master Chef
William W. Wongso is an Indonesian master chef, renowned restaurateur, international food consultant and critic, and author of seven culinary books including “Flavors of Indonesia.” He was hailed by Asia Week as Indonesia’s Paul Bocuse.
Wongso was first enamored by baking, later shifting his preference to cooking, after fully learning the art of appreciating tastes and flavors. He has his father to thank for his insatiable desire to savor and give every dish a try.
When he was young, he said, his father gave them the liberty to taste everything.
“I tell the younger generation that they can google everything, but they cannot google taste,” said the chef.
He is an intangible cultural treasure and in his capacity as food ambassador, he strives to preserve their heritage and their culinary traditions.
He believes in the importance of keeping traditional markets alive. These markets, he said, are local indigenous encyclopedias, they are encyclopedias of life. “The vendors are an integral part of our culture as they have been there for generations, doing the same thing.”
The chef is not a big fan of fusion, but respects innovation. He believes that one should be creative and even dare to be modern, while staying true, and by passing on authenticity and tradition.
As he travels around the world, he presents Indonesian food as authentic as can be, minus the spice.
Diverse, complex, regional
With over 17,000 islands, Indonesia’s cuisine is diverse, complex, regional and thus so unique to itself.
Wongso spoke of Malaku, the Spice Islands, where cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon grow prolifically, but not used as much in their cooking, as the Dutch who colonized Indonesia, brought the much pined for dry spices to the Netherlands.
In West Sumatra in the old days, they didn’t drink coffee but instead hung coffee leaves to dry in the kitchen, which they then later boiled.
These are just some of the reasons Indonesian cuisine is a class of its own.
The renowned Indonesian chef confessed that it will take him more than a lifetime to learn, taste and experience all that his country has to offer. He is happy that tourists now go beyond the usual city tour, immersing themselves in gustatory pleasures as well.
The chef’s primary belief is that food must be shared. “You can’t eat alone.”
He said it is never right to say that someone else’s cuisine is not good. Understand that one’s food is one’s culture. It’s one’s tradition. You may not like it, but you have to respect it. “I challenge everyone to try everything at least once. It is exposure,” he quipped.
These days, we must live with an open palate, he said.
Favorites
He professed that his favorite cuisine is his own. Dishes he grew up eating give him comfort. The challenge is to taste everything. You have to keep an open mind. Taste not just with the palate, but with all your senses.
It is also important for parents to expose their children, bring them to the market, and from what they purchase cook a dish. It is quite sad that cooking at home is not quite as common as it used to be, he noted.
During his first night in Manila, Wongso had a collaboration dinner with Lucy Tarmui Garcia, owner of Bakmi Nonya Table, a meal that amazingly came together through telephone consultations. Bakmi, an authentic Indonesian restaurant, served their specialties alongside some of Wongso’s signature dishes like his multisensorial rendang that was layered with so many tastes and flavors, and prepared only as a seasoned cook can.
The gulai ikan salmon was at its perfect buttery soft state, with a sauce that was rich yet delicate.
The dinner was memorable, more so as it was shared with friends. In the end, I realized that there’s a reason we have learned to call Wongso “Chef Om” (uncle in Indonesian). His cuisine is not just delicious but exudes warmth. It is simple as it is complex. Humble but deep in flavor and substance… just like the man who prepared it.
Chef Om’s food mirrors his culture, tells his story, and provides a true glimpse of who he is—a great and proud Indonesian.
