"The people behind Locavore"

 

Ray Adriansyah was born in Jakarta to Sumatran parents. His mother was an

excellent cook and Ray grew up with a deep interest in traditional and international

cuisines. While studying in New Zealand, he decided to quit the business school he

was attending and switch to cooking. After graduating from culinary school in

Christchurch he returned to Jakarta and obtained the position of Sous Chef under

Eelke. They’ve been working together ever since. ”It was a gradual decision to use

local ingredients. We started using a few at the beginning but our commitment

continued to grow. I’m very proud to use ingredients that are not imported; I wish

more Indonesian chefs would do so. There are so many benefits all round.”

 

Eelke Plasmeijer started his kitchen career at the age of 14 in a restaurant in his

Dutch village. Working his way up through the ranks, he trained at hotel school and

a Michelin Two Star restaurant in Amsterdam. Visiting a mentor in Jakarta in 2008,

he was persuaded to take over as Head Chef at a city restaurant there. Ray applied

as Sous chef, the two hit it off and soon moved to Bali where they ended up running

the kitchen at the Alila Ubud together. “Working within the Alila concept of using

local ingredients where possible, we decided to take it to the next level and use only

local food. Then we started thinking about starting our own restaurant instead of

staying within the hotel industry...” The rest is history.

 

Both chefs are married to Indonesian women, and their sons were born a month

apart.

 

Restaurant Manager Adi Karmayasa was born in Bedulu village near Ubud. After

graduating from tourist school in Denpasar he joined Alila Ubud for job training and

was offered a position in 2004. Since then he has worked his way up to manage the

hotel’s Plantation Restaurant. He worked for 3 1⁄2 years with Eelke and Ray and was

invited to join the team when Locavore was conceived. “Eelke and Ray are my

mentors. They introduced me to fine dining and the concept of using local produce.

As a Balinese I’m proud to be using local food because it supports our farmers and

raises the standards of what they produce”.

 

 

Welcome to Locavore! 

 

 

As chefs, we share a passion for crafting contemporary European cuisine from quality local ingredients. This concept is already popular in the west, but still new to Indonesia where most chefs rely on expensive imported ingredients. We started working together in Jakarta over five years ago and gradually came to see that it just didn’t make sense to cook with imported ingredients when we were surrounded by Indonesia’s bounty. 

 

We think of ourselves as the catalysts between local producers and discriminating diners. Our ingredient-driven menu celebrates the farmers, fisherman and artisans we’ve met along our journey.  By developing lasting relationships with local producers, we ensure you the freshest of chemical-free seasonal produce and ethically fed meat animals.  And by supporting local farmers and artisans, Locavore is an authentic member of its community.

 

We offer two very different menus, each with an abundant variety of dishes depending on the freshest ingredients available that day.  Guests are invited to select a Locavore or Herbivore Tasting Menu of 5 or 7 dishes. 

 

Selamat Makan!

 

Ray, Adi and Eelke

Locavore: Bali, Ubud