Growing up with a culinary background, she was lucky enough to turn her hobby into passion, then into a stellar career at such a young age. At 30 years young, Renatta is known by many as one of the three main judges on reality cooking show MasterChef Indonesia, imparting her know-how to aspiring chefs trying to make it big.

Off-camera, she can be found in Glou Bistro & Wine, located in the middle of Melawai, South Jakarta. Opening its doors in 2023, front and center is heartwarming French cuisine, served with a selection of delectable wines: from hearty starters to share and heavier irresistible meat dishes, to a slew of other unique fusion plates and pretty desserts to fill you up.

Despite all that, becoming a chef wasn’t actually the path that Renatta envisioned her life taking.

“I never actually said I wanted to be a chef,” Renatta said. A tough environment where everyone is crammed together for long hours of hard labor and intense teamwork is surely not for everyone.

However, her love of cooking and persistence kept her moving forward. “I always knew that I was going to cook for a living, or anything related to food and hospitality, because I always knew I belonged there.”

There exists a gendered stereotype in the hospitality industry, in which women can mostly be found as waitresses or pastry chefs because of a perception of gentleness that comes with the role. Though cliché, the stereotype does have some grounding in truth, and is something that is perfectly fine according to Renatta.

The fine art of pastry, just as any specialized culinary work, isn’t always going to be for everyone. There’s delicate craftsmanship involved, and regardless of gender, it requires strong-willed patience.

Where the disparity is especially visible, says the chef, is right in the heart of the kitchen. “There are many more male chefs [in the industry]. It is visible. [Even in my team] there’re comparably less women. Maybe one, two or three?”

 

 

The conversation with Chef Renatta

Working in the kitchen comes with its own specific endurance. It is harsh – you stand for hours on end dealing with hot, sizzling oil, sharp knives and steel pans clanking, handling large batches of produce, washing, then rewashing your hands continuously. At the same time, you still have to keep a specific rhythm matched to the rest of the team. Outside of the multitude of sensory experiences, you also have to always show up with a good attitude.

Renatta had her fair share of this disciplined routine in France, where she experienced the hardships of working a kitchen. When she first got into the hospitality industry, Renatta shared that she suffered through extensive hours and having to keep showing up day after day to do the entire routine repeatedly.

“Let’s say [you work in] a very busy, understaffed kitchen. You have to wake up at five, take the train or bus in the winter, and then just do [your job as a chef] and just push it and push it,” she shared. Hunger never stops for any patron showing up to a restaurant, and cooks at the other end of the establishment pull long hours to satisfy them.

“And then you have to do it again the next day. It's to push yourself to still show up the next day, again and again and again.”

Is it really a gender thing that makes it hard to break through in the hospitality industry? Not according to Renatta. “We have the same opportunity,” she says. In any field of work, being diligent to train yourself and be good at what you do is certainly crucial. Sharpening your confidence is a big part; after all, progress is your own responsibility too. “Don’t let anyone stop you, and don’t overthink it!”

In expanding her creativity while developing menus, Renatta finds inspiration everywhere. From travels to random street vendors, the cook draws her curiosity closely. “You’ll see someone do something and think, ‘oh, I’ve never thought of that actually,’” says Renatta. Caring for flavor is a lot like caring for a person, you may just find harmony in things you didn’t previously wonder about. That’s just the beauty of paying attention.

(Courtesy of The Jakarta Post)

What does success look like for someone like chef Renatta? “Independence,” she claims. Being a celebrity chef who’s constantly in the spotlight of the public eye, she finds freedom in defining her own life regardless. “I think way before the fame and everything, I'd always felt like I was successful enough. Because for me, the point of success is independence.”

A tightly paced work environment and having to constantly be hands on at ungodly hours, outsiders looking at the kitchen workflow may find it similar to an intense sports game. It’s ritualistic, yet exhilaratingly competitive. Renatta actually finds herself preferring to be underestimated. “It’s really nice when I prove them wrong,” she says.

“The kitchen industry is already hard on its own,” she said. For Renatta, being on a team means keeping everyone on board feel safe and supported. Dealing with such routines every day, being in the kitchen requires trust among your peers. On top of this, a conducive pace comes from being comfortable working closely with everyone else.

“I think it’s very important for everyone [on my team] to feel protected. You need a good team where you feel comfortable [with], and that you like seeing every day.”

Working your way up in a career is never an easy thing. Especially as women, the reality of patriarchy still persists. Although progressing, gender-based discrimination and its intersectional factors that marginalize women of various backgrounds continue to disadvantage us. The wage gap, career acceleration, gender roles – the list goes on about how much more men benefit from the hierarchical systems. So, resist and persist. Your strength carries more than you know.

“You can do it if you want to,” Renatta advises firmly.

HearHer is a special series from The Jakarta Post that aims to amplify the voices of Indonesian women, shedding light on their achievements, challenges and contributions toward shaping a more inclusive future.