If you’re a regular of Asian Food Channel ‘Rebel Without A Kitchen’, then you’re familiar with the host, Matt “Fidel Gastro” Basile. Recently, he made a stop here in Jakarta during his “Matt Basile Kitchen Revolution” Tour in which he hosted a dinner and a demonstration at Bacco in Lotte Shopping Avenue. We were invited to his 4-course tasting menu which was inspired by North American cuisine, paired with a variety of robust flavors of The Balvenie handcrafted single malt Scotch whiskies.

We took the vegetarian menu option which was no less delicious than its counterparts menu. Some highlights from the menu were the Octopus with Fennel and Blood Orange which was actually replaced with orange and ruby red grapefruit since blood orange was difficult to find. The tastiest part from this course is not just the octopus but also the deep fried capers which added texture and saltiness to the dish. For vegetarian, the octopus was substituted with grilled corn with a brush of honey. Noteworthy main course was the Roasted Spicy Cauliflower with Yoghurt and Fennel Pollen with Poached Tempura-Breaded Egg. The spiciness was a delightful surprise from a rather fancy setting, suggesting his adaptation on local flavor. The dessert, called Elvis in a Jar, was a hit with diners. As the name suggested, it was a take on Elvis’ favorite food, Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich, in a jar. Layering Peanut Butter Mousse, bananas, and French Toast with sprinkles of Vanilla Merengue bits, this tasty delicacy was a perfect ending to the meal.

We talked to this energetic Toronto native right before his dinner presentation. Here is what transpired from our short conversation:

Can you tell us a bit how you get started in the culinary business?

MB: We didn’t have a location when we first started so I sort of personified the name Fidel Gastro. When people see the name, they don’t just think about the company but the person behind it. Before food truck, we would do pop-ups. I would bring tables to different venue, selling variety of sandwiches. From that, we received a lot of press coverage so the company started to grow. Also when we do catering, we do a very specific kind of catering. We do fun and engaging cuisine rather than traditional North American cuisine. The food truck, named Priscilla (after Elvis’ wife) was a natural, logical progression since it’s more affordable than opening a restaurant but still very grassroots and still retain the street food essence. Then the restaurant was opened and we named it Lisa-Marie (after Elvis’ daughter). It’s all under the name of Fidel Gastro.

How do you get the name Fidel Gastro?

MB: I used to work in an advertising company. I was coming up with names for the sandwich place. I wrote down Fidel Castro for no reason then I changed the letter to G which clicked instantly. It was a no brainer when we decided the name for the company. We just settled on the name. Same thing with Rebel Without A Kitchen. People kept asking me if I’m a chef. I told them I’m not a chef because a chef is a very specific role. I’m kind of a rebel cook because I do things my own but I don’t have my own kitchen. In general, having a background in Marketing & Advertising really helped leverage our company. It hasn’t make a better food company because in the end, the food has to be good. It helped us get into people’s radar though with the right branding and visual. It’s important to have both side of the business. It may be a different result if we were to call the company Matt’s Sandwiches.

In the beginning, you served sandwiches, particularly Cuban sandwiches. Why is that?

MB: Because sandwiches are very street food and mobile because you can eat it on-the-go. It’s very versatile in terms of ingredients. We were also doing unique combination to the sandwiches such as mac and cheese to show how different flavors can work inside the sandwiches. There were also a lot of tacos, hamburgers in Toronto but no one was really doing sandwiches at that time. We evolved quite a bit now but that is still our focus. The restaurant has a different menu. It’s still a street-food restaurant that draws inspiration from global street food menu but has been refined and repackaged so you can enjoy it in a restaurant setting.

Do you use local ingredients when you cook in each city?

MB: The menu was developed back home before I started my tour but in every city, it’s been tweaked to reflect availability and local ingredients. In Jakarta, we’re doing a menu using fennels which is not easy to get, same with Manila. Also for tonight’s dinner, beef heart was originally on the menu but here, in Jakarta, and the previous city, Kuala Lumpur, we haven’t been able to get it. So we’re using chicken liver that is deep fried and people ended up liking better because anything deep fried is always a lot of fun. It resonates with the food truck mentality in which you make adjustments every day.

What’s your favorite Indonesian food?

MB: Lamb fried rice! It was amazing, so flavorful and yet so simple. Since I can’t read the menu, I look for long lines as an indication of good street food. That’s how I found the lamb fried rice stall.

Thank you Matt! For more info on his show, please visit http://www.asianfoodchannel.com/mattbasile

or read his blog at http://fidelgastro.ca/blog/

Article and photography by Mariati Galatio