A COLLAB HAPAG DINNER: WHEN FILIPINO AND INDONESIAN FLAVORS COME TOGETHER

Last Nov. 6, Manila's dining scene was on steroids. Three major collaborations lit up the city in a single evening: Gallery by Chele worked with Ando in Hong Kong, Toyo Eatery & Inato joined forces with Born & Bred from Seoul, and tucked away in Balmori Suites, Hapag's first international collaboration with Jakarta's acclaimed restaurant August.

- BEA TRINIDAD

The collaboration actually started at the 2023 Ubud Food Festival, when Hapag's chefs and partners, Kevin Navoa and Thirdy Dolatre, connected with August's Hans Christian and Budi Cahyadi, "bonding over shared meals, restaurant visits, and the festival experience with other fellow chefs," Navoa recalls. What started as a casual conversation evolved into a month-and-a-half process of menu development, with both teams exchanging ideas.

In Hapag's intimate space, something magical was happening. Chef Hans Christian and Budi Cahyadi of August—ranked 46th on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants—were proving just how seamlessly Indonesian and Filipino flavors could dance together.

Their gohu and kinilaw exemplified this fusion: Indonesian spices meeting Filipino coconut-vinegar preparations, served with pickled ginger torch flower and gamet seaweed crackers.

The babi woku transformed pork belly through bumbu spices. At the same time, familiar comfort foods found new expressions—like Hapag's miso playa paired with prawn salad and caviar or August's klepon, an Indonesian sweet rice cake filled with cocoa butter and pandan. Each dish demonstrated their commitment to pushing boundaries while honoring tradition.

Chefs Hans Christian and Budi Cahyadi share their thoughts on Jakarta's evolving dining scene and the bridges being built between our culinary cultures.

THE PHILIPPINE STAR: Jakarta's dining scene, like Manila's, is constantly evolving. Reflecting on August's opening in 2021, how would you compare the early months to today's dining landscape in Jakarta?