Sandhy Putra Permana, Chef de Cuisine, Andaz Bali

Sandhy Putra Permana

In this interview, Sandhy Putra Permana, Chef de Cuisine for Village Square at Andaz Bali, tells of his journey in the food and beverage industry.

What do you do?

I am the Chef de Cuisine for Village Square in Andaz Bali. I am overlooking four restaurants in Village Square, which are Wok Wok, Blue Oven, Deli Bakery and our newly opened Fire Fox.

How did you get into the industry?

I got into it by accident. I was studying Civil Engineering in Surabaya but gave up because it was not my passion. After a year, I decided to go back home to Bali and help out my aunt, who has a doughnut factory. I helped roll the dough, fry the doughnuts, and everything. And that was when I realised that being in the kitchen is my passion. I then continued college, and I took culinary studies to learn more about cooking and all.

What food memory from your childhood or travels stands out?

I assume most people would say their mom’s food, but for me, it is a traditional food that comes from my hometown, Banyuwangi, East Java. It’s Nasi Pecel. Banyuwangi’s Nasi Pecel is quite different from most nasi pecel that there are. So, it’s stewed vegetables, rempeyek (peanut crackers), and you pour peanut butter sauce on it. What makes it unique is that it is served with chayote coconut milk soup. You would want to mix them all to eat it. The combination is just perfect! Every time I return to my hometown, I always have it for breakfast.

What’s the best/ worst part of your job?

The worst is if a guest complains about the food I serve them. It just doesn’t feel good to disappoint the guests. And the best one would be when guests like the food and come back for your food. I have one guest coming from Malaysia that came back to Andaz Bali. He directly came to me, called me by my name and said he missed the food I made for him. I was very thrilled, and for me, it gave me much joy.

One of Sandhy Putra Permana’s favourite food and beverage pairings?

Bakso rujak and iced orange juice. Again, the dish comes from my hometown. They have this unique combination of food that just work out and tastes amazing. So, bakso (meatball), is usually served with beef broth soup, and you mix it with rujak cingur (mixed vegetables with spice paste, peanuts and brown sugar sauce on top). It’s a twist in flavour I can’t describe. The savoury taste from the broth, the sweetness from the mixed vegetable, and the rich taste of the peanut sauce… chef’s kiss!

What’s one of the craziest things you’ve seen behind the scenes?

One of the craziest things happened when I enrolled in culinary studies. There was an interview I needed to finish, and the question coming from the interviewer was, “describe the ingredients of fried rice?” Coming from being a civil engineering student and knowing nothing about the kitchen, I struggled to describe it using “kitchen language”. It was crazy for me because I really needed to pass this interview to join. 

One of the scariest things happened when I joined an internship program during college and was placed in the hot kitchen. One chef asked me to cut chillies, and as a trainee, I asked him how he wanted them cut. He screamed at me, saying, “Did you just ask me how to cut chillies?! You just cut them, chop them and done!” He then grabbed the chillies and chopped them in front of me. I can still remember the sound of the sharp knife and how quick he chopped. It went like, “chack chack chop chop chop!” That event made me doubt myself that I could be a chef.

The perfect day off would be… 

… sleeping for a whole day, watching movies, and hanging out with my lovely wife.

A day in the life of a chef is… 

…challenging. It is sometimes nerve-wracking to think if the food we cook would fit guests’ many different palates. We cook based on our own taste buds, right? And we don’t know if it would be as good as we think to the guests. Other than that, a day in the life of a chef is… a day full of activity. I start my day by opening my email and checking my team with their kitchen preparations. I will have a cup of latte before I start cooking for guests. It gives me energy. 

What does Sandhy Putra Permana do for fun?

I like chilling on the beach or catching the sunrise in Kintamani.

What’s something you’d like guests to know about Village Square in Andaz Bali?

Our breakfast is very special with dishes you can’t find elsewhere, from tropical French Toast to our Salad and Fish of the Day. 

How has the pandemic changed your perspective, or the way you operate?

Oh, it’s hard! One thing I learned from it is to be more prepared, especially financially. The pandemic also changed people mentally. It taught me that mental health also matters. In terms of how we operate, there are more precautions, from double masking to regular hand washing. As an ISO and HACCP certificate venue, luckily, we were used to these habits even before covid hit us. 

Above all, the pandemic also teaches us empathy. 

What’s something you’d like people to know about being a chef as a profession?

That chef is not a god. It is one profession that needs preparation to perform. We need time to create something. Sometimes we receive a unique request from guests that they expect we could do in no time, like magic. It is actually very painful for the chef. Hahaha. 

What’s your view on the hospitality scene in Bali?

Bali is the perfect place for tourism and hospitality. With our natural conditions, we have a lot to explore. We keep our ancestral culture going here, although we get some influences from other cultures. We take care of our land, and that has a good impact on the comers.

What practices do you currently implement or hope to implement in the future to work towards social responsibility and sustainability?

I started with myself and my little family, as simple as stopping using too much plastic.

In terms of the business, following one of Andaz’s brand purposes, we work with local suppliers. We use environmentally friendly products. We also use sustainable products in the restaurant, for example, the takeaway box. It is also implemented for room amenities. 

What’s in store for you in the upcoming months?

We recently launched a new menu for lunch, dinner and Sunday Brunch at Fisherman’s Club. I look forward to our first “normal” Christmas in a while!

Read more interviews such as this one with Sandhy Putra Permana here, and stay up to date with the latest gourmet and travel recommendations here and here.