Flavors of Indonesia: William Wongso's Culinary Wonders Tapa dura - 2016

William Wongso is a household name in Indonesia, known for his culinary expertise and the popular TV show William Wongso's Culinary Adventures. His pursuit to master his country's traditional cuisines began in 1972 with the opening of a bakery in downtown Jakarta, and continues today, in his role as chef and restauranteur. Through the years, Wongso's persistent hunger for more knowledge and skills has taken him to the great culinary schools around the world, including Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and the 'Ecole des Arts Culinaires et de l'Hotellerie in Lyon. He has also held the roles of President of the Indonesian chapter of the international gastronomic society Chaine des Rotisseurs, and President of the Jakarta chapter of the International Wine and Food Society.

Wongso serves as a culinary adviser to Garuda Indonesia and leads the Food Diplomacy Program endorsed by the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Trade. Part of the mission of the program is to bring 30 Indonesian traditional culinary icons onto the global stage.

Born to a Chinese-mainland immigrant father who was a personal photographer of Indonesian President Soekarno as well as an avid cook, Wongso was raised in Surabaya, a city with major culinary credentials, where he enjoyed a childhood steeped in the best of both worlds -- that of his Chinese heritage and that of his East Javanese localized heritage. He remains a passionate traveler who loves exploring Indonesia's myriad villages as much as he enjoys seeking pleasures in the most unlikely places in the world.