I’m sure you’ve already heard of the ChefXchange program, but in case you haven’t, here’s the gist of it: you can hire professional chefs to come cook at your place for your guests, corporate events, or cooking classes. One of their most recent additions is Chef Zendy of Flavors by Zendy, and last Saturday we were lucky enough to be invited to her place for a private tasting of a truly gourmet 4 course Indonesian fine dining feast.
Zendy is one of the nicest, most talented chefs I’ve met. she and her husband Sandy opened their home to us and welcomed 14 of us in to taste an unforgettable meal. Traditional Indonesian flavors were presented in the most sophisticated, avant garde way, with the use of some unique and creative ingredients such as kangaroo meat instead of beef!
While I was crazy excited about the prospect of getting to try a new protein, I had to call up Zendy a day before the tasting and tell her that I’m going to have to opt for the plant-based menu instead, as I was concerned about whether the kangaroo was sourced from a halal certified butcher or not. I’m so glad I did that, because it’s always an incredible treat to see plant-based menus pack as much flavor as the traditional variations!
If you’d like to taste some of Zendy’s beautifully plated, phenomenal cooking, you can book her through chefxchange.com starting from AED 320/pax.
Here’s what I had from her plant based menu:
Sand ginger and fresh coconut salad, “perkedel jagung” – a baked spiced-corn donut, a sweet & sour tomato, and an Indonesian basil and potato salad.
Gado Gado: A delicious steamed vegetable salad drizzled in a freshly made spicy peanut sauce, fried tempeh (a fermented soy bean cake) marinated in coriander seeds and garlic. This was accompanied by a bitter cracker made of dried melinjo nuts and I absolutely loved this!
Eggplant Rendang with Pandan Turmeric Rice: I couldn’t really taste the pandan in the rice, but I loved the slow-roasted eggplant with mushrooms, pulled jackfruit, and peach, which were slowly simmered in coconut milk. Dressed with purple sprouts and edible flowers, pistachio dust and macadamia nuts; this was a very sophisticated presentation of an internationally acclaimed Indonesian classic.
Dessert was my favorite course. It was black sticky rice with mango sorbet and a coconut-pandan sauce. Topped with fresh passion-fruit, this perfectly balanced dessert was truly phenomenal.
Thank you Flavors by Zendy, for welcoming us into your home and having us over for an unforgettable meal.
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