Heinz von Holzen prepares spices in his Bumbu Bali, Restaurant and Cooking School in Tanjug Benoa, Bali.(Photos courtesy of Bumbu Bali)

As the trend of returning to nature continues to grow, traditional foods are increasingly becoming the preferred option when dining out.

In Bali, one of the world’s top tourist destinations, finding restaurants that serve truly authentic traditional food is not easy as most restaurants that offer so called traditional Balinese food commonly serve nasi goreng (fried rice), mie goreng (fried noodles) and cap cay (stir-fried vegetables), which are actually not typical Balinese dishes.

Driven by a curiosity of traditional Balinese food, Heinz von Holzen, a Swiss national, decided to open a restaurant, Bumbu Bali, Restaurant & Cooking School in Tanjung Benoa, Bali in 1997 following his decision to resign from The Ritz Carlton Hotel in Bali where he had worked as the executive chef for eight years after previously working at the Grand Hyatt on the Island of the Gods.

He has since received recognition for not only being instrumental in popularizing Balinese food globally through his restaurant, which attracts diners from far and wide, but also for preserving Balinese food culture through the cooking school he manages.

“When I first arrived, it was not easy to find a restaurant that served traditional Balinese cuisine,” Holzen recollected of his first impressions of Bali in 1990.

“I wondered why most Balinese restaurants served foreign food instead of authentic Balinese cuisine,” the 58-year-old told The Jakarta Post in a phone interview.

“The moment I started to touch Balinese food at the Grand Hyatt as executive chef so many doors started to open everywhere. Then the respect I received especially from many Balinese was a most encouraging reason to dig deeper and deeper into the Balinese food culture.

Heinz revealed on his website that his childhood dream of becoming a chef came true when he began an apprenticeship as a chef.

He said that more than three decades ago, he had planned to pursue a career in engineering. “However, due to a lack of an apprentice positions in rural Switzerland where I grew up, I decided to take up an apprentice chef position instead.

“My apprenticeship made my childhood dream a reality and started to travel and cook in Europe, Asia and Australia. Then, after five and a half terrific years in Singapore, I was offered the terrific task of opening the Grand Hyatt here on the Island of the Gods,” he said.

Shortly after arriving in Bali, two of the best things in his life happened. “I meet my wife Puji and quickly became involved with Balinese cuisine. Well, the arrival of our son Fabian would definitely rank ahead of the discovery of Balinese cuisine,” he noted.

Currently, Bumbu Bali, Restaurant & Cooking School, located in Tanjung Benoa, employs 140 people.

“Never in our wildest dreams did we envision that we would get so much joy and success from this great little venture,” said the father of one.

“What is even more astonishing is that after 20 years Bumbu Bali, Restaurant & Cooking School is still the only restaurant in Bali that serves thoroughly authentic Balinese cuisine in a beautiful traditional setting,” said the chef who is also fond of travelling and hiking.

The cooking classes, an important part of his venture, have given his establishment an “incredible amount of great exposure around the globe.” Conducted three times weekly and limited to 14 participants, these classes give guests a terrific inside look into Bali’s incredible delicious cuisine.

“Three times a week I get the chance to share eight joyful hours with food enthusiasts from around the globe. Interestingly enough during every class the same questions pop up,” he said.

According to Heinz, Bumbu Bali serves 100 percent authentic Balinese cuisine. “I would not accept anything else. Unfortunately, Indonesian as well as Balinese cuisine is extremely difficult to find (done the right way in a nice environment) and if you find it, then in most cases the dishes are not prepared with a lot of care and pride.

“Just think about the Indonesian food you find abroad in comparison to Chinese, Indian or Thai cuisine. My main inspiration definitely came from the great people of Bali, who helped me collect and record all the recipes,” he said.

However, he said change is inevitable in this world, including in food. “But change in food comes only in terms of the level of hygiene and how it is presented to attract customers who are increasingly health-conscious and also to make it more appealing. The ingredients and recipes are kept unchanged to make the taste and flavor authentic,” he said.

Heinz von Holzen (left) poses for a picture with his wife, Puji.

Swiss influence

Explaining the principal of authentic Balinese food, he said that “95 percent of the spices we use are fresh. Various chilies, galangal, turmeric, ginger, kencur (aromatic ginger), lemon grass and cloves are still soft and fresh.”

“Since the day we opened the restaurant, it was our commitment to present Balinese cuisine in its original form. I think the only Swiss influence would be the discipline we brought to the cuisine. The same recipes, which we have published in our various books, are used daily in our restaurants.

“It is extremely difficult to find Balinese food in Bali unless one is invited into a home or to a ceremony,” he said.

Apart from cooking and teaching about Balinese food, Holzen also spends much of his time traveling, hiking and photographing.

Heinz also writes books on Balinese cuisine. Throughout his life in Bali, he has written 12 books, mostly on authentic Balinese food, which can be found on the amazon.com website.

He said he loves living in Bali because the climate suites him and “the people are hospitable and the culture is amazing.”

“Bali is my home,” said the chef of Swiss nationality, who returns to his country of origin once a year.

One of the most recent delightful news regarding his family is that his son Fabian, whose job is filming, has been selected as a model for the Indonesian tourism campaign, “Wonderful Indonesia 2018.”

Thanks to his Bumbu Bali, Restaurant & Cooking School, Heinz has etched his name into the map of Indonesia’s cuisine industry. For Swiss nationals coming to Bali, Heinz is, surely, the first person to contact as he has a knack for Bali, the island where he has lived for the past 26 years.