Heinz von Holzen
Heinz an entrepreneur, master of Balinese cooking, restaurateur, hotelier, adventurer, sports man, nature lover, photographer and a person that enjoys life from every side. At an early age Swiss born Heinz developed a serious passion for photography and it became difficult to spot him without at least one camera in his pocket or around his neck. It was then in Singapore in the eighties as a Chef with the Hilton and the Hyatt corporation where he discovered the art of food photography. In 1990 Heinz was transferred to Bali as the Executive Chef at the Grand Hyatt and then later at the Ritz Carlton where it did not take very long before Heinz meet Puji his Balinese wife and developed a serious passion for Balinese and Indonesian cuisine. His desire for good food and recording recipes resulted over the years in ten cookbooks and two photo books that he wrote and photographed. Obviously to record and discover all this many dishes and recipes Heinz was forced to travel extensively into very remount parts of the Indonesia as well as on top of numerous mountains and volcanoes across this fast country. This again yielded in thousands of stunning images from people, villages, scenery and every day life that he now shares with you in this publication.
Since arriving on Bali in 1990 I was utterly fortunate to discover many aspects of Indonesia’s great culture. Being a Chef, food was obviously the main reason for settling on the island of Gods and with it I was blessed to document this delicious cultural aspect in 10 book publications. Bali Unveiled, Step-by-Step Cooking Balinese, Step-by-Step Cooking Indonesia, Street Foods of Bali, The Little Indonesian Cookbook, A Modern Approach to Indonesian Cooking, Images of Bali and Images of Indonesia.
Beside food, three other great passions of mine are extreme sports, mountain trekking, travelling and photography. I honestly cannot think of a better place then Indonesia to pursue these enthusiasms. Not only do volcanoes dominate the landscape of many of Indonesia’s over 17000 islands with their majestic smoking cones, they also fundamentally alter the size and soil by spewing forth millions of tons of ash and debris at irregular intervals. Of the hundreds of volcanoes throughout the country, over 70 remain active and hardly a year passes without a major eruption, which inevitably bring major destruction and often lots of fatalities. On the positive side these active volcanoes are also the foundation for incredible productive farming and an amazingly wonderful mystic culture.
The Beginning
More than three decades ago, I planned a career in engineering. However due to a lack of an apprentice position in the rural area of Switzerland where I grew up, I decided to take up an apprentice chef position instead. I figured that people would always have to eat and as such positions for cooks would always be in high demand. Following my apprenticeship I made a child hood dream reality and started to travel and cook in Europe, Asia and Australia mainly in hotels. Then after 5 ½ terrific years in Singapore where I was introduced to the many different flavors and cuisine of Asia, I received this terrific task of opening the Grand Hyatt here on the island of Gods.
It was then during my 5 ½ years working in Singapore that I started to get involved in documenting food through cameras. At the Grand Hyatt in Singapore, seldom a week past without having a photographer in our kitchens taking pictures for magazines and general media. It was during this time that I started to get involved and addicted in food photography. First I purchased a professional camera, followed by a proper lighting set up and before I really knew what I was doing I was taking photos for the hotel which then where used within the hotel to promote our various food outlets.
Several years later in Bali I meet by coincidence a publisher which looked at my shots and thought that the photos where good enough for a book publication. Barely one year later the first book on the cuisine of Bali was published for which I also wrote the recipes. More than 20 years later I still love to take pictures of food and at the same time it makes me very proud that I was able to write and photograph 10 cookbooks on the cuisine of Bali, Indonesia, Vietnam and Japan. Published on this site are only very few of the countless food images I have taken over the years. Should you have any need for specific photos on Balinese or Indonesian cuisine or on Indonesian spices, fruits or vegetables then please do contact me directly. I am almost certain we can assist you with your needs.
I
Bumbu Bali, Restaurant & Cooking School
Shortly after my arrival on Bali two of the best things in my life happened. I meet my wife Puji and become quickly involved with Balinese cuisine. Well, the arrival of our son Fabian would definitely rank before the discovery of Balinese cuisine. 8 years later, after being also the Executive Chef at the prestigious Ritz Carlton Hotel in Bali the decision was made to say by-by to hotels and open our very own Balinese restaurant, Bumbu Bali, Restaurant & Cooking School. Never in our wildest dream did we envision that we would get so much joy and foremost successes from this great little venture. What is even more astonishing is the fact that after more than two decades Bumbu Bali, Restaurant & Cooking School is still one of the only restaurants in Bali that serves thoroughly authentic Balinese cuisine in a beautiful traditional setting.
Art Café Bumbu Bali
The next major milestone was set in 2017 after a short family vacation together with our son Fabian which very successfully runs his own www.fromthewoodsproductions.com, specialising in creative and amazing video and photography. During this vacation the decision was made that we would join forces and create a place where we can combine our deep passions for food, video and photography. Less than a year later we opened Art Café Bumbu Bali in Nusa Dua in a magnificent Indonesian Dutch Colonial setting, showcasing the through beauty of Bali, Indonesia, its people, culture and sights.
Cooking Classes
An important part of our daily ventures are our very popular cooking classes which have given us an incredible amount of exposure around the globe. Conducted three times weekly and limited to 10 participants, these classes give guests a comprehensive inside look into Bali’s incredible delicious cuisine. Three times a week I get the chance to share eight joyful hours with food enthusiasts from around the globe. The classes also inspire me time after time to look out for new trends and at the same time look a little deeper in to the science of cooking which have become an integrated foundation of our daily activities.
