ABOUT ME

My name is Eli Fatmawardi, people call me Eli as my nickname. I was born and spent my childhood in small town called Situbondo, East Java Province, Indonesia.

By the age of 17 years old, I moved to bigger and more modern city of Bandung, West Java Province, Indonesia to study culinary start from vocational high school and continued to culinary academy.

After I graduated from culinary academy, I got an internship at Amber Restaurant, inside of Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong. Helmed by Chef Richard Ekkebus and Chef Maxime Gilbert on that period. It’s 2 michelin starred restaurant and rank no. 3 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant 2018 list, also rank no. 21 on World’s 50 Best Restaurant 2018 list. I learned a lot of new things there, especially how the contemporary French cuisine is, how the quality of best ingredients are, and how the high standards of cooking techniques are.

After finished my time at Amber Hong Kong, I got a new job in Aji Restaurant, inside of MGM Cotai Hotel Macau as a part of opening team. It’s helmed and leaded by Chef Edwin Guzman Navarro which got trust from Chef Mitsuharu Tsumura transferred from Lima to Macau. Aji is a sister restaurant of Maido Restaurant which the best in Latin America and rank no. 8 on World’s 50 Best Restaurant 2018. I learned a new and unique of Nikkei cuisine which is getting more popular currently.

After few years worked in Aji Restaurant Macau, I got an opportunity to be opening team of KOI Restaurant at Crowne Plaza RDC Hotel and Convention Riyadh as a Chef de Partie with Nikkei cuisine as a concept of the restaurant as well. I worked in KOI Restaurant for one year and couple of months, that time there was crisis in hospitality industry because of corona pandemic is happening in the country then it made our restaurant closed for unpredictable period of time, so I decided to go back to my country.

Months has passed, then I received an great opportunity to work in a beach club restaurant named February 30 that located in premium spot of West Beach Palm in Dubai. Japanese and Mediterranean dishes are serving in this huge restaurant and bar with 500 seating capacity. I started work here as a Junior Sous Chef, then after 2 months I got promoted to be a Sous Chef .

After a year worked in February 30 Dubai, I got an opportunity to join Mandapa, a Ritz Carlton Reserve in Ubud Bali to re-open their Japanese restaurant and bar called Ambar as Chef de Cuisine.

Then I had the privilege of being part of the re-opening team at UMI, Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah, serving as Chef de Cuisine. During this journey, we introduced refined modern Japanese cuisine and crafted memorable dining experiences for our guests.

Currently, I am the Executive Sous Chef for the pre-opening of Paradisus by Meliá Bali, driving culinary leadership across 9+ dining venues, the production kitchen, and banquet operations, with a focus on quality, innovation, and seamless execution.