CH25: Eelke Plasmeijer
The chef behind locally driven restaurant Locavore that’s upending Balinese food culture
“Modern cuisine, local produce.” That’s how Dutch expat chef Eelke Plasmeijer describes the ethos of Bali’s Locavore restaurant, which he launched in late 2013 along with fellow chef Ray Adriansyah and restaurant manager Adi Karmayasa, who both hail from Indonesia. The trio were already well-acquainted, having worked together for more than three years at a hotel in Ubud, the centrally located town that Locavore calls home.
Their approach is unique for an island like Bali, where many restaurants rely heavily on imports, but it’s key to Locavore’s appeal—for diners as well as suppliers. “We work together with small growers, fisherman, and farmers, and know them all on a very personal level,” explains Plasmeijer. The result is an ever-changing menu full of food that’s not only local, but free-range, chemical-free, and organic whenever possible. “We really try to keep things simple and let the produce do the talking.”
Read more about Plasmeijer, chef Adriansyah and Karmayasa in the full CH25 profile.
Illustration by Jason Ratliff, images courtesy of Locavore
