WATERFRONT MACTAN’S CHILI-LOVING CHEF
Amidst a group of hoteliers gathered in the boardroom of the Waterfront Airport Hotel & Casino Mactan, Executive Chef Uyung Al Wazir stands out not because of the noticeably towering hat, nor the distinctive double-breasted uniform, but rather for the warm, lighthearted aura that emanates from his charmingly sincere yet slightly bashful smile. Engage him in conversation on passionate topics like food (of course!), his eleven-year-old daughter Juliana Gaby Vanessa, or his childhood days spent in the kitchen with his mom, and those kind eyes light up with enthusiasm like the fire on a flambéed dish.
As a youngster, Chef Uyung already envisioned a career that would place him close to food. While his classmates held aspirations of becoming doctors, teachers or businessmen, Chef Uyung was slowly exploring food service as an assistant in the family-owned canteen. His first taste of the culinary world was in 1992 as a cook in Jakarta’s The Stage. Inspired by his mentor, then Executive Chef Dimas Arinegara, Chef Uyung avows that ultimate highlights in his profession occur when he sees a diner’s empty plate “because it means he/she liked my food.”
Indeed the friendliest and most pleasant chef to grace Cebu’s hospitality industry, this Indonesian-born culinarian lays claim to chili as a must-have spice for more challenging and inventive creations. Priding himself in his signature dish, beef rendang, Chef Uyung’s forte includes Indonesian and Italian dishes. Since heading the Waterfront Mactan’s culinary team in November last year, he has familiarized himself with the ways of the Filipinos and has grown accustomed to his new environment. Determined to delve more into the intricacies of Filipino and Chinese cuisine, he professes that home-style cooking remains closest to his heart because of its simple ingredients and personal touch.
Perpetually armed with a cheerful grin for everyone and everything, this 38-year-old Libran is an easy favorite among peers and associates – ironic of someone who admits knives are his favored cooking gadget. His naturally amiable disposition voids adverse notions that irascibility is as instinctive to chefs as skepticism is to scientists. And like a child at play where each experience is fresh and met with wide-eyed gazes, Chef Uyung’s enthusiasm for people and for good food is just as clear and as passionate.
Collectively, they make a distinct statement of romantic opulence.