Abdu Rohim of Harper Purwakarta named as winner of the challenge
In conjunction with the 25th anniversary of Archipelago International, young chefs battled it out and showcase their skills and talents in the Archipelago’s Young Chefs Challenge. The competition is the group’s way to look for fresh talent from the group’s various brands.
On October 14, the top five finalists brought out their culinary skills and expertise in Bali. With Indonesian Rijsttafel as the theme, each chef came up with 1 appetizer, 1 soup, 6 main courses (including rice), and 1 dessert judged by Charles Brookfield, Founder and Chairman, Archipelago; and the hotel group’s President and CEO, John Flood.
Abdu Rohim Receive Charles Brookfield Trophy & Cash Prizes
Chef Abdu Rohim from Harper Purwakarta blew the judges away with his take on the menu scoring 949. The young chef served a rhapsody of flavors and colors including his memorable Blue Pea Flower Chicken Soup, Green Curry Squid, and the red and yellow hues ubiquitous in Indonesian cuisine.
The finalist explain to the judges during judging process (top), the 5 finalists (above)
Chef Rohim bested all the young chefs from 82 hotels that participated in this culinary event and took home IDR 7,500,000 + Trophy from Charles Brookfield. Also, his recipes will be used in all Archipelago hotels during the first quarter of next year allowing guests to taste the amazing creation. The Corporate Chefs will prepare and include the menu on the program for the annual promotion 2023.
Kitchen situation, plating process
Other notable finalists and their respective prizes are:
- 2nd place (IDR 5,000,000 + Trophy from John Flood: Muhammad Firman – The Alana Solo (score 941)
- 3rd Place (IDR 2,500,000): Niko Layuda Pratama from Harper Malioboro (score 938)
- 4th place (IDR 1,000,000): Bayu Kurniawan – Aston Canggu
- 5th place (IDR 1,000,000): Salman Bayhaqi – The Alana Yogyakarta
