Restaurant Archives - Begawan https://begawan.org/category/restaurant/ Mon, 09 Jun 2025 08:13:30 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.2 https://begawan.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/cropped-Begawan-Favicon-32x32.jpg Restaurant Archives - Begawan https://begawan.org/category/restaurant/ 32 32 Get to know Chef Andrew of Begawan Biji Restaurant https://begawan.org/restaurant/get-to-know-chef-andrew-of-begawan-biji-restaurant/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=get-to-know-chef-andrew-of-begawan-biji-restaurant Wed, 05 Feb 2020 23:00:29 +0000 https://undsgn.com/uncode/?p=4252 Andrew Fahludza is the Head Chef at Begawan Biji, a farm-to-table restaurant which opened in Ubud in August 2024. Andrew’s love for food goes back to his mother’s kitchen. He says most of his dishes are inspired by his mother’s cooking, elevated by the techniques he learned as a chef abroad. Get to know more of his journey to Begawan and what he aims to offer guests in the restaurant in this interview.

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Get to know Chef Andrew of Begawan Biji Restaurant

Andrew Fahludza is the Head Chef at Begawan Biji, a farm-to-table restaurant which opened in Ubud in August 2024. Andrew’s love for food goes back to his mother’s kitchen. He says most of his dishes are inspired by his mother’s cooking, elevated by the techniques he learned as a chef abroad. Get to know more of his journey to Begawan and what he aims to offer guests in the restaurant in this interview.

Chef Andrew Fahludza, passionate about bringing farm-to-table cuisine to Begawan Biji Restaurant

Where are you originally from and where did you grow up?

My father is from Yogyakarta, my mother is from Bogor. They met in Bali and I was born in Bali. I did not grow up as a local of Bali, but I was raised in the culture of Balinese Hinduism.

Did you have any great cooks in your family? 

My mom loved to cook at home almost every day. She was an inspiration for me and she taught me how to cook simple, family food. She has a mixed heritage from Manado and Bogor, so she not only made Balinese dishes but also Indonesian national dishes.

A beautifully arranged table setting with a selection of Indonesian dishes, highlighting the restaurant's farm-to-table concept

How would you summarize your career up to now? 

I started working in kitchens after school when I was 14 years old. After high school I got an opportunity to go to the USA to learn cooking in fine-dining restaurants in Colorado and Utah. I also got a chance to go to Dubai and cook for five-star hotels there.

At that time there was no Michelin rated restaurant in Southeast Asia yet, so it was a big dream of mine to work with a Michelin-starred chef. Luckily, I got a chance to work for two years with two-star Michelin Chef Antonio Mellino at his restaurant Quattro Passi. In 2018 I decided to come home. I worked in a few luxury resorts and properties in Bali before coming to Begawan Biji.

What important lessons did you learn while working with Chef Antonio Mellino?

The biggest thing I learned from working with a Michelin-starred chef was the mentality and discipline. I learned about time management and to have curiosity about food.

Chef Andrew Fahludza standing in the center of a mandala-shaped garden, surrounded by lush greenery and raised beds

Why did you choose Begawan Biji?

The thing that attracted me to Begawan Biji is the farm-to-table concept. We really have a farm, and the farm is next to the restaurant. You can see our rice grown here, our eggs are from the henhouse, our fruits and vegetables are from the garden next to you.

Everything on the table is local. What we do here we do 100% organic, 100% local produce, and 100% GMO-free. Me and my team try as hard as possible to find the best ingredients for our guests.

A young beet plant with red leaves, showcasing the farm-to-table ethos of Begawan Biji Restaurant
A table set for two with delicious food and wine, overlooking a scenic rice field in Bali

How would you describe Indonesian food?

Indonesian food is rich and very complex. The taste is really intense. If it’s sour it’s really sour. If it’s spicy it’s really spicy. If it’s smoky, it should be very smoky. The technique used most is slow, long cooking. Rendang takes 10 or 12 hours to cook. Brenebon takes eight hours to cook. Chicken Betutu takes four hours to cook — the traditional way.

I use a lot of slow cooking styles, like smoking, steaming, and stewing. Nowadays there are many modern techniques, but for me the traditional way is nicer than the modern way. That’s why I want to bring back the traditional way in Begawan Biji, so guests can taste exactly what Indonesian food is.

How did you approach building the menu at Begawan Biji? 

At Begawan Biji, our concept is farm-to-table. The farm for me is like my playground. Anything I can find on the farm I can put on my plate. That’s basically my concept. I want to put ingredients on the plate as simply as possible. I want to serve simple, homey food that everyone can enjoy.

Reserve your table or find out more about Begawan Biji at www.begawanbiji.com

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