Chef Tony - Aruna Senggigi Resort & Convention

Flavour and fusion: recipes from the heart

Tony Coorrengel is from Bali. After finishing his culinary studies, he extended and refined his skills in various restaurants in Southeast Asia and now he looks for ways to incorporate traditional Indonesian foods into the dishes he creates. Recently, he spoke with mylombok about the influences and experiences that have shaped his work.

Could you tell us something about your background?

After graduating from the University STP Bali, where I had studied cooking, I found various jobs in the hospitality industry. My first job was at Le Meridian in Bali, where I was an assistant cook. I stayed there for two years and then, in 2000, I moved to the Grand Mirage Resort in Tanjung Benoa, as chef de partie. For the next two years, I worked at the Prama Sanur, another beach resort in Bali, as the executive sous-chef and acting executive chef. After that, I moved to Lombok and found a position as executive chef at Kila Senggigi Beach Hotel. In 2014, I was the executive chef at Aston Inn Mataram for a year, and then in a similar job at the Lombok Astoria for three years. I’m now at the Aruna Senggigi Resort & Convention, where I’ve been executive chef for about five years.

Was there a particular moment when you decided you would make cooking your career?

Well, my interest in food began really early. I’ve always enjoyed cooking because my parents had a warung in Bali. And, from being very young, I would help them, and my Grandma, in the kitchen. After I’d finished school, I chose to study cooking and, from the time I found my first job, I decided I wanted to become a chef.

How would you describe your style of cooking?

I suppose it would be Indonesian fusion. I like to take a traditional Balinese or Sasak dish from Lombok and then combine it with elements of modern cuisine to create a fusion. For example, I might start with rujak buah, which is a combination of tropical fruits with a sweet and very spicy chili and palm sugar sauce, and then I might add prawns.

Do you have a particular ‘philosophy of cooking’?

My approach could be summed up in what I say to all my staff: ‘The taste never lies’. Flavour is the thing. I always cook with love, which I suppose is what many good cooks say, and that’s related to what was probably the simplest, and the best, piece of cooking-related advice I’ve ever received, which was ‘Always cook with your heart’.

Tell us briefly about the concept for your menu at Aruna Senggigi Resort & Convention

We have four outlets: Pandan All Day Dining, the Kampung Lombok, specializing in Sasak-Lombok dishes; Aruna Rooftop Bar and the brand new LALUMA, formerly Seaview Beachside Restaurant. Across the menus we include a range of dishes and guests can choose. We always offer local Indonesian food and Asian dishes. Then there are Western dishes, such as Italian pasta, pizza and steak. We also feature Indonesian fusion dishes. One example is duck breast fused with the inner part of a banana tree stem in a spicy marinade, then steamed in a banana leaf wrapping and served with rice. Aruna has weekly regular Angkringan Aruna where guests can choose snacks and ‘street food’.

How do you manage multiple outlets at the same time?

I have a great team to help me. There are two sous-chefs and two chefs de partie. I design the concept for the menus and my team of chefs keeps the kitchens running. I also manage because I make sure to train, and train, my staff.

Which dishes do you most like to cook?

I love to cook our sate rembiga. It’s a traditional beef satay, which has a lot of flavour but is not too spicy but has rather a sweet taste. We make it with wagyu beef and it’s delicious!

What are your favourite ingredients?

Mushrooms, I’d say. You can use mushrooms in so many dishes… you can make them into a soup, make a sauce from them or cook them in different ways as a vegetable.

What foods do you really love to eat? And is there anything you would never eat?

I like to eat bubur – an Indonesian porridge that’s made with rice. You can add other ingredients, such as egg and chicken. I don’t eat any kind of onion.

Which are your ‘must have’ kitchen gadgets?

I always use a thermometer. It’s important because it helps me have consistent results when I’m cooking.

Describe a typical day at work.

I leave for work at 6am. First, I check breakfast, then check each of the outlets and have a morning briefing. I go through all the events for the day to be sure we have all the food we need. I make sure the à la carte and pastry food is ready, then I read the guests’ comments and feedback from breakfast. After I’ve gone through all the preparations for dinner service, I check all our stocks and make up the market lists. I usually go home about 9pm.

What is the biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge in my job is finding the right staff for each position. The mindset in Lombok is a little different from Bali and it can be a bit more difficult.

What are your hopes and plans for the future?

I would like to contribute more and introduce more innovations at Aruna Senggigi Resort & Convention. I would also like to support the hospitality industry, and the government, with the skills I’ve learned.

How do you see Lombok’s culinary scene evolving?

For now it’s still quite slow, but there are many new hotels and, with the Moto GP here and the number of guests increasing, it will evolve more and more. As more people come to Lombok and try the cuisine, the standard will get even higher.

What would you say are the most important qualities that make a successful chef?

Discipline, consistency and responsibility are the top three.

Do you have any tips for budding chefs?

I’d say, ‘Keep learning, don’t be scared to be wrong, and be brave’.

On a personal note, what do you like most about living in Lombok?

It’s quiet and peaceful here. It’s still beautiful with plenty of natural settings.

If you hadn’t become a chef, what do you think you would be doing right now?

I would have opened my own warung or most probably continued running the family warung. I also like being in the garden, so possibly I would have done something connected with gardening.

If there were no limits or barriers, who would you choose to cook a meal for you?

My favourite ‘celebrity chef’, Vindex Valentino Tengker, a well-known Indonesian chef who does a lot of Indonesian fusion dishes. He’s friendly and wise and a good leader and he’s worked around the world, learning and sharing his skills. He was in Master Chef in 2011.

And who you would love to cook a meal for?

My mom. She taught me how to cook and by cooking her a beautiful meal I would like to give back to her what she gave me.

As a special treat, Executive Chef Tony Coorrengel is sharing his favorite recipe with us. Discover the ingredients and step-by-step instructions below!

Duck ares with read rice
(Serves: 10 people)

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg duck meat, cut into serving portions
• 1 kg young banana stem, thinly sliced
• 1.5 litres water or stock
• 200 ml coconut milk (optional, depending on the recipe version)
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 kaffir lime leaves
• 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
• Salt, sugar, and stock seasoning, to taste
• Cooking oil, as needed

Spice Paste

• 10 shallots
• 6 garlic cloves
• 5 red chillies
• 4 candlenuts
• 2 cm turmeric
• 3 cm ginger
• 3 cm galangal
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground black pepper

Method

1. Prepare the duck: Clean the duck, cut it into serving portions, and boil until it begins to soften.
2. Prepare the ares: Thinly slice the young banana stem. Rub it with a little salt, then rinse and drain.
3. Sauté the spices: Sauté the spice paste with the lemongrass, bay leaves, and kaffir lime leaves until fragrant.
4. Simmer the duck: Add the water or stock and cook until the duck is tender.
5. Add the ares: Add the sliced banana stem and cook until tender and infused with the spices.
6. Season: Add the coconut milk, if using. Adjust the seasoning with salt, sugar, and stock seasoning. Cook until everything is fully done.

Serving Suggestion

Serve hot with red rice.

Ares Meres Bebek is a traditional Lombok dish that combines duck meat with young banana stem (ares), slow-cooked with a fragrant blend of Indonesian spices.

 

Rujak gobet with prawns

Ingredients

• 250 g fresh prawns, peeled and cleaned
• 200 g unripe mango, grated
• 200 g unripe papaya, grated
• 150 g pineapple, grated
• 100 g jicama (yam bean), grated
• 100 g cucumber, thinly sliced
• Calamansi or lime juice, as needed

Rujak Dressing

• 100 g palm sugar
• 5 bird’s eye chillies, or to taste
• 50 g roasted peanuts
• 1 tsp tamarind
• ½ tsp salt
• 100 ml drinking water
• Calamansi or lime juice, as needed

Method

1. Prepare the prawns: Clean the prawns and remove the heads and shells as needed. Rinse thoroughly.
2. Cook the prawns: Boil the prawns until cooked, pink, and no longer translucent. Remove and drain.
3. Prepare the fruit and vegetables: Peel the unripe mango, unripe papaya, pineapple, and jicama. Wash the cucumber, then grate or thinly slice the ingredients according to the desired presentation.
4. Make the rujak dressing: Grind the bird’s eye chillies, palm sugar, roasted peanuts, tamarind, and salt into a paste. Add the drinking water and calamansi or lime juice, then mix well.
5. Combine the ingredients: Toss the prepared fruit and vegetables with the rujak dressing until evenly coated.
6. Serve: Arrange the rujak gobet on a serving plate, place the boiled prawns on top, and serve fresh.

Chef’s Note

Serve rujak gobet with a balance of sweet, sour, spicy, and savoury flavours. For hotel service, mix the dressing in just before serving to keep the fruit fresh and crisp.