Executive Chef Rangga Safari

Forever on the hunt to deliver happiness through his cooking Chef Rangga Safari pulls out all his over 20 years of experience to leads the culinary team as an Executive Chef at Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort, Indonesia. A native Indonesian, Chef Rangga was born and grew up in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. After graduated from college he went abroad to UK and work there in various hotels, then later came back to Indonesia and permanently moved to Bali. Chef Rangga has been work in several hotels in Bali including Ritz Carlton Bali, Jimbaran and was part of opening team for Dava fine dining restaurant and work under guidelines Richard Millar, but then later the company changed the flag into local brand Ayana Resort & Spa Bali. In 2010 he moved to W Bali-Seminyak, a 5 star luxury hotel and had an extensive journey there where he worked under various Executive Chefs.

Through his long work experience he has armed with passion, tenacity, a profound palate and unwavering commitment to sourcing the finest seasonal local source ingredients Chef Rangga has meticulously constructed food offering, from pastry and bakery, Asian delicacies, flame-grilled meat and seafood, and a selection of local Indonesian cuisine inspired by the concept of street food, to provide guests with exciting gourmet experience that he bring to Sheraton Bali-Kuta Resort. To him, the dishes have to be playful and full of fun. It’s all about the best ingredients with a flavor pairing that is sweet, sour, spicy and a touch of umami.

 Do you have a favourite time of the year or set of ingredients that you look forward to working with?

I do not have a specific favorite time, as I consider every day to be a favorite time. I appreciate the variety each season offers, allowing me to experiment with diverse and seasonal ingredients to create unique and flavorful dishes. Some fruits are seasonal, but many fruits and vegetables are available constantly. What I look forward to is the Buni fruit, a local berry that is in season during February-March. It’s great for making granita, sorbet, or compote with its unique flavor.

What would you do if you weren’t a chef?

It’s funny because it is kind of far from being a chef, but I am passionate about working out and everything related to it. I dream of owning a gym, so I might pursue it and open my own company. I find joy and happiness in the gym because it provides a sense of accomplishment, stress relief, improves overall health, and enhances energy levels.

Do your personal preferences influence the menu at all?

Yes, of course, this plays an important role in my decisions when creating a menu, but I am also open to suggestions. Without being selfish, every chef wants to showcase their passion, including myself, and serve the best dishes to guests while remaining flexible to market demands.

What do you think is the most over-hyped food trend currently?When the authenticity of food is excessively altered in the wrong way, the result is a loss of the food’s identity. Keep it simple but delicious!

When are you happiest?
When I am surrounded by people who appreciate the joy of life, especially in relation to my job as a chef, it’s fulfilling when a guest appreciates the food we make and acknowledges the hard work and effort of the team that created and served the food.

 When you’re not in the kitchen where can you be found?

You can find me in the office where I collaborate with the team to develop the next menu and kitchen projects, aiming to enhance our food offerings and overall dining experience. On my days off, I spend time with my family and explore the island, discovering new restaurants and great places to hang out. And, of course, I also make time for the gym to maintain a balanced life and keep myself healthy and fit.

Where is your favourite place to dine?

One of my favorites is Warung Nikmat in Kuta, Bali. It’s a small, simple, family-owned Javanese-style restaurant that offers various types of home-cooked food for us to choose from. I often come with my family because the food is very delicious and has the authentic taste of Indonesian cuisine.

What’s your favourite takeaway or comfort food?
Honestly, I don’t often get take-away food. The comfort food that I love is Nasi Goreng, which has been my childhood favorite and is still a dish I enjoy to this day. It’s also the first dish I ever made for myself in the kitchen when I was a kid.

 What makes the local food scene so exciting?

Local food scenes are exciting as they showcase originality, unique flavors, regional specialties, and diverse culinary traditions. Exploring local food allows me to connect with the culture and history of a place through its cuisine. The use of fresh, locally sourced ingredients enhances the quality and authenticity of dishes. Additionally, the creativity of local chefs and the opportunity to try innovative food concepts contribute to the overall excitement of a vibrant local food scene.

Which is the dish you’ve created that you are most proud of and why?

Recently my team and I made a traditional Javanese dish called Semur Sapi Bakar, which is local Sumatran Wagyu beef ribs slowly simmered in a rich and aromatic sweet soy sauce and then grilled to get a caramelized and smoky taste. I pride myself on being able to elevate and transform traditional dishes to a higher level and provide a unique and different experience.

You’re having friends over for dinner tonight. What’s on the table?
Delicious, comforting, and simple meals that are easy to make, so you have more time to spend with friends. Since the fish market is located not far from where I live, a kind of Jimbaran grilled seafood with warm steamed coconut rice and assorted sambals would be on the table. Alternatively, maybe making an easy and simple pasta dish.

Delicious, comforting, and simple meals that are easy to make, so you have more time to spend with friends. Since the fish market is located not far from where I live, a kind of Jimbaran grilled seafood with warm steamed coconut rice and assorted sambals would be on the table. Alternatively, maybe making an easy and simple pasta dish.

Name your favourite city that has it all: food, culture, and nightlife.

London! I lived and worked there over 20 years ago, and the city is kind of like the ‘city that never sleeps’ due to constant activities all day and night. The cultural diversity, with different ethnicity from around the world, gives the city a diversity in many aspects of life, including food, culture, and nightlife.

Can you tell us more about the cuisine at your restaurants?
We have two restaurants

Bene Restaurant: authentic Italian cuisine with a modern twist, served with an interesting selection of world-class wines in a breathtaking ambiance. Set against the oceanic backdrop and the Kuta Beach skyline, this Italian restaurant in Kuta offers a choice of signature antipasti, pasta, and other Italian specialty dishes.

Daily Social: an innovative all-day-dining restaurant inspired by a modern gourmet market. Shifting away from formal lunch and dinner services towards a more casual all-day approach, this popular all-day-dining venue features international buffets, Asian specialties, and fresh European pastries. Daily Social offers sumptuous international à la carte dishes in addition to the extensive variety of high-quality eclectic cuisines showcased within the 7 show kitchens.

 

CONFIT TOMATO & BURRATA

Ingredients:

• 10gr                 Tomato cherry
• 20gr                 Confit tomato
• 10gr                 Green tomato
• 60gr                 Buratta cheese
• 2gr                   Olive oil
• 20gr                 Green salsa
• 15ml                lemon-garlic vinaigrette
• 1gr                   Micro herbs
• 5gr                   Balsamic gel
• 40ml                Tomato consommé
• Salt & paper, to taste

 

Method:

1. Cut into half/slice tomato cherry, green tomato, cucumber and mix together with tomato confit in a bowl and toast with lemon-garlic vinaigrette and seasoned to taste
2. Put green salsa in the centre of plate then put mix tomato on top
3. Seasoned buratta cheese with salt & pepper and drizzled with olive oil
4. Place buratta on top of tomato and green oil, then dots balsamic gel around
5. Garnish with micro herbs.
6. Put tomato consommé in a small ceramic jug and pour it on the table

GREEN SALSA

• 25gr                 Parsley
• 25gr                 Spinach
• 8gr                   Tarragon
• 10gr                 Chive
• 1pc                  Garlic clove
• 2pcs                 Anchovies
• 1pc                  Lemon juice
• 5gr                   Sherry vinegar
• 125ml              Olive oil
• 1pc                  Avocado
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Method:

1. In a blender combine the parsley, spinach, tarragon, parsley garlic, anchovies, lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil, blend it until smooth for 2 minutes.
2. Add avocado and blend It again until smooth then last put salt & pap for seasoning

 HERBS OIL

• 150ml              Olive oil
• 35gr                 Dill leave
• 35gr                 Parsley leave
• 35gr                 Basil leave

Method:

1. Blanch dill, parsley, basil together in boiling water for 2 minutes. Then put all the leave in cold water
2. In a blender add olive oil, all the leave and blend all together until smooth
3. Then strain with hairnet

BALSAMIC GEL

• 500ml              Balsamic vinegar
• 1pack               Agar – agar jelly

Method:

1. Reheat the balsamic vinegar in the sauce pan until a bit boiling
2. Add agar – agar and mix it together with whisk
3. Reduce for 10 minutes, take off from heat and cool down in room temp before put in chiller until it set
4. And last blend it using blender until smooth and put in squeeze bottle

LEMON-THYME VINAIGRETTE

• 5pcs                 Shallots
• 250gr               Dijon
• 1lt                    White wine vinegar
• 250gr               Honey
• 750gr               Lemon juice
• 700ml              Olive oil
• 3bunch                        Thyme
• Salt & pepper, to Taste

Method:

1. Combine shallots, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, vinegar, and honey with blender
2. Emulsify slowly with the olive oil
3. Chopped thyme and seasoning the last for taste

 

TOMATO CONSOMME

• 500gr               Beef tomato
• 150gr               Tomato peeled
• 150gr               Tomato cherry
• 10gr                 Basil leave
• 2gr                   Thyme
• 3pcs                 Garlic
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Cut into two beef tomato and tomato cherry
2. In a robot coupe combine all the ingredients and blend it until smooth
3. Then put in the hair net for one days. And seasoning with salt and pepper