JUNA RORIMPANDEY
CHEF JUNA RORIMPANDEY is one of the Jury on Indonesian Masterchef, a series of cooking shows. Also the head chef in Hell's Kitchen Indonesia. He is also a restorateur and do projects with several food brands. He is also a die-hard fan of Game of Thrones and big bikes.
CHEF JUNA: “I love the quarantine. I Enjoy time off and doing nothing.”
[interview.aldy / pics.chef juna docs/ july 2020]
Massimo Bottura published a book entitled “Never Trust a Skinny Italian chef”, meanwhile Gordon Ramsay said “never trust a skinny chef” quotes is bullshit…
Well, both of them not fat either.
Tell us your favorite Indonesian dishes and also some not-so-secret spots to eat in Indonesia..
Balinese food, also i can eat siomay anyday anytime. I eat anywhere.. not picky. But the one that I usually keep coming back is warung-warung in Bali.. Like Men Weti, and some warung that i know how to get there but forgot the name hahaha. Jakarta... Mostly noodle places in kota that only open at night and by the sidewalk.
What are your favorite comfort foods that reminds you of home?
Non halal: Babi guling. Halal: Bebek betutu.
What are your favorite films? Any good film recommendations to binge-watch during the quarantine?
We are talking about movies right? Not series. I'll give you 10:
-The Last Of The Mohicans
-The Goonies
-Stargate
-The Great Escape
-Platoon
-Lock Stock and two smoking barrels
-The Notebook
-Black Hawk Down
-Magnificent Seven
-The Devil's Reject
Best music to listen to while cooking or eating?
Something like Lisa Stanfield and Jack Johnson, could be U2.
What are your tips in surviving the pandemic? How do you cope with quarantine and the fear-mongering medias?
We all gonna die sometime and somehow, no one gonna live forever.. Of course i'll be pissed, after all the crazy things i've done i'm gonna die because i am touching my face hahaha. Of course we have to be smart and avoid lots of things. I love the quarantine.. Got to do a lot of things around the house. Enjoy time off and doing nothing. Gardening, playing with my dog, watch series, etc etc..
I’ve seen you re-arranging G.I. Joe’s classic figures and putting them in display boxes in your Instagram. What are your fondest memories with G.I. Joe? What other toys do you collect?
That I love the characters of Dreadnoks... Cobra Mercenaries, outlaws and bikers that i have tattooed their faces to my left leg (not finished yet). Fondest memory was when i went to The States when I was little and just hours and hours inside TOYS ARE US, only for G.I.JOE. I have some old/original Kenner Star Wars too... But then i Found G.I JOE back in early '86 in Hong Kong, so I switched hahaha. I also do have some weird Spawn and Demented / Gory / Creepy / Eerie / Dark Action figures that give you chills haha..
We’ve seen your insta-stories where you do yoga and rearranging your books too. Tell us some of your favorite books? And maybe Favorite martial arts that you’ve studied or want to learn?
I don't really read books... Mostly about "hobby" that i might wanna get into, like aquascape, so it's like studying. When I do read books, probably a self-help books. Martial arts just like all normal kids when we were younger... Karate, Taekwondo... Nowadays Muay Thai but as exercise, not practicing the Martial Arts, if you know what i meant. What i want to learn? Hmmm, maybe Aikido/Kempo. The discipline that intrigue me somehow.
My wife is a big fan of your cooking shows and really want to learn cooking, what are the 3 basic dish amateurs should learn?
Hahahhahaha... Thank you very much. My regards to her. 3 basic dish:
-Eggs… Gotta love eggs, eggs is the answer for all meals.
-Pasta dishes... Just start with the simple ones.
-If there's oven... Roast chicken. Everyone eats chicken and love them.
You are a Game of Thrones buff. What do you think about the ending many people complains about? How do you think it should’ve ended?
This can go forever, as I am anti-mainstream hahaha. Somehow the White Walker is actually good, they have risen because they knew there's new threat to humankind as there's dragons again. Somehow Jon Snow connected to them, and for some reasons Jon become the leader of the White Walkers (the Wildings, the North, Nightwatch, and the Knights of the Vale)... This happens after they took care of Cersei and the Golden Company and the Greyjoy Iron fleet. With Jaime on Jon's side. Then Dragons / Dothrakis / Unsullied VS White Walkers / the North & Wildings + Night Watch / Knight of the Vale... Of course Jon won. But bittersweet ending. Jon needed to be north/beyond the wall, somehow he become like uncle Benjen.. And The White Walkers needed him for the truce like hundred years ago, not to bother mankind.
There actually romance and feelings between Jon and Sansa but just never actually happened, and at the end... Sansa sit on the Throne! After all The Stark family honor is resurrected. Sansa deserved it, she had gone through A LOT! Maybe Tyrion somehow saw the bad in Dany and switches side... Then later become the hand of the Queen (Sansa) OR die in battle.. If Tyrion dead in a battle, Hand of the Queen would be Arya... If Tyrion Hand of the Queen, then Arya would just be Arya and explore the world. Jaime would become Lord Commander of Kingsguard. Yara as Master of ships as Theon is dead. Master of Whisperers would be Bran. Master of Law would be Davos. The Hound (if he live) should be the Lord Commander of the Night watch. Tormund has to live... And just being Tormund and leader of the wildings... Him back and forth with the Hound and right next to each other all the way North kinda funny. And Bronn has to live... enjoying Dorne. Grand Maester of course Sam Tarly OR Hand of the queen can be Brienne of Tarth and Tyrion is master of coin if both live. To make it interesting: one of them have to die. ISN’T THAT INTERESTING? SWEET BUT HEARTBROKEN.
