More than 100 chefs, culinary icons, restaurateurs, environmental advocates and social innovators will descend on Bali this 12–14 May for the third Ubud Food Festival (UFF), which today releases its full lineup and range of ticketed events for 2017.
Headlining this year’s international guests are Chele González of Gallery VASK – the Philippines’ only entrant on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2017, chef and author Joannès Rivière of Cambodia’s coveted Cuisine Wat Damnak, and Sicilian-born, award-winning chef owner of Singapore’s Gattopardo Ristorante di Mare and Sydney’s Olio, Lino Sauro.
They’ll be joined by Manjunath Mural of Singapore’s Michelin-starred The Song of India, Robuchon Bangkok Group’s Executive Pastry Chef, Belgian Yannis J. Janssens, the ‘Anthropologist in the Kitchen’, Taiwanese chef and writer Tzu-i Chuang Mullinax, one of Peru’s most revered chefs, Eduardo Montes, and Bo Songvisava and Dylan Jones of Bangkok’s coveted Bo.lan restaurant (no. 19 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants).
Showcasing the best of contemporary Indonesian cuisine, the UFF will bring together the nation’s rising stars and culinary royalty, including Jakarta trendsetters Karen Carlotta, Adhika Maxi and Fernando Sindu, and Ragil Imam Wibowo, who is renowned for modernizing Indonesian cuisine. Master Chef Indonesia judge Rinrin Marinka and celebrity chef Farah Quinn. The Queen of Indonesian cuisine, Ibu Sisca Soewitomo, will be joined by the father of Indonesian food writing, Pak Bondan Winarno, the world’s foremost tempe expert Professor Winarno and eminent culinary diplomat William Wongso.
Through its host of Special Events, UFF showcases Bali’s internationally-acclaimed dining destinations and the chefs behind them, including El Bulli-trained Kevin Cherkas of Cuca; Mozaic and Spice’s French-meets-Balinese master chef Chris Salans; the Street Food Chef Will Meyrick; UFF Founder & Director Janet DeNeefe; Room4Dessert’s Will Goldfarb; Penelope Williams of Bali Asli; raw food luminary Diana von Cranach; and Eelke Plasmeijer and the team behind Locavore, Indonesia’s ‘Best In-Country’ at no. 22 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
Across the three-day program, Festival-goers will experience the culinary diversity of the Indonesian archipelago. Pioneering chef and writer Petty Elliott will introduce audiences to modern Manadonese, foraged flavors from the Papuan highlands will be shared by The Jungle Chef Charles Toto, the distinctive Chinese-Indonesian cuisine of the Bangka Belitung Islands will be prepared by its leading specialist, Eddrian Tjhia, and a fusion of modern techniques and traditional Balinese cuisine will be brought to the table by Made Lugra. The world’s first Indonesian certified plant-based cuisine chef, Made Runatha of MOKSA will be joined by colleague and sustainability advocate Made Janur.
At the Festival’s free in-depth Think, Talk, Taste series, Indonesia’s most pressing ecological and health concerns will be canvassed by advocates and innovators including indigenous food biodiversity frontrunner Helianti Hilman, Fair Trade Manager of Communities and Fisheries Foundation Yasmine Simbolon, lifestyle guru Arimbi Nimpuno and health coach Sophie Navita.
Honing the skills of avid food writers, photographers and Instagrammers, the Festival also plays host to a range of masterclasses led by the industry’s best. With hit social media account Warteg Gourmet, gastronomic trailblazer Dade Akbar transforms Indonesian street food into haute cuisine. Joining him is culinary storyteller Ade Putri Paramadita, esteemed food writer, author and critic Kevindra Soemantri, commercial food photographer Togi Panjaitan, food historian and author Fadly Rahman, and the ‘walking dictionary’ of Indonesian street food, Arie Parikesit.
In the month leading up to and after the Festival, UFF hosts a feast of Fringe Events across Seminyak and Sanur’s dining hotspots. From a long-table lunch focusing on Balinese palm sugar at Kaum to a four chef five-course collaboration at Bikini, the Fringe Events bring a taste of UFF down south.
“We’re so excited to bringing together more than 100 speakers to dish up our third Ubud Food Festival program, which is rich in culinary heritage, innovation and, of course, taste!” said Founder & Director, Janet DeNeefe. “More than just good food, our program unites chefs and foodies alike for a whole-of-industry look at the food landscape – from the hard-working farmers and growers to our much-loved culinary icons, there is something to excite every appetite!”
