TIDES OF CHANGE

For many, the start of this decade will be defined by the shared experience of Covid. But for others, there have been personal journeys, heartache and change. We speak to four chefs about how 2021 was the year that changed their lives.

- JORDAN KRETCHMER

ESCA KHOO

CREATOR OF DALAM NUSANTARA AND HEAD CHEF AT MISS MI, MÖ VENPICK HOTEL, MELBOURNE

With his restaurant opening delayed due to lockdown, the head chef used the time to rediscover his heritage and reflect on the kind of chef and leader he wants to be.

This year in August I started the Dalam Nusantara in lockdown. It means “in the archipelago” and it’s an evolving pop-up restaurant where I explore the islands in between maritime Southeast Asia, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, Borneo and New Guinea, through food.

I wanted to create a unique idea, one where I can work on dishes and develop them. I want to keep taking Asian food to a different perspective and continue diving deeper into the different rural and regional dishes, immersing myself in my roots. As a chef, you learn so much about French cooking techniques and Spanish cooking but I’ve never been taught Asian cooking. I didn’t realise how beautiful Borneo was until I became interested in cooking – I wasn’t aware that they had fermentation, or that they had their own way of foraging. Being from Borneo I feel I have a responsibility to share this. When people think of Borneo they think of rafflesia flowers or monkeys, but I also want to share its cuisine.

This year I’ve really tried to discover my purpose in life – the thing I always come back to is sharing happiness and also experiencing things for the first time in life. So that’s what I want to create for diners. If I can help them to discover a dish for the first time – whether seri muka (a steamed glutinous pandan rice cake), babi guling (Balinese roast pork) or rojak (spicy Malaysian fruit salad) – then I have done my job.