The tourSumba, Indonesia
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◆ from the road · sumba cap karoso · picked that morning

I cooked dinner at the number one resort in Indonesia.

Watch the Cap Karoso film ▶ watch the film ▶

It's 5:29 in the evening and service starts at 7:30. We're mostly prepped, but I still need my garnishes, and it's been pouring rain and stopping all day. I've got maybe ten minutes to get everything off the farm before it starts again. This is my first dinner at Cap Karoso, the number one resort in Indonesia, on the island of Sumba.

I'm cooking with my sous chef here, Chef Rios, from Sumba. I asked him to tell the camera the only rule when you work with me. He grinned and said, don't mess it up. That's it. Make it nice, don't mess it up.

Almost everything here comes off their farm, so we walk out and pick the whole menu. We grab cilantro for a taco, a sesame mole taco I'd been doing across India, inspired by Rolando Garcia, that people kept loving, so I brought it to Sumba. We pull water spinach for the beef, something I'd never cooked with, but Rios says it grills up nicely because it's so thin. Edible flowers, lettuces, basil, a pak choy he holds up to the light.

I once worked for a chef who'd hold a vegetable that just came in from the farm and say, look at this beautiful gift from the creator. I think about that a lot out here.

I told Rios a bad American joke while we picked. Every recipe needs a little bit of time. He didn't get it at first. Every recipe takes time. He got it eventually. That's the pace out here, pick, prep, a little coffee rest, then go.

Then service. We cooked for about eight guests in this beautiful open kitchen where everyone can watch, and served them right there. The baked delica squash came out exactly how I wanted. A few of these dishes I'm quietly testing for Elizabeth. First dinner at Julang, done, and everyone was so cool about all of it.

This is the part of the trip I dreamed about. A farm, a small kitchen, one sous chef who cares, and a room full of people watching dinner come together. Stay tuned for where the world takes us next.

The photo journal

Photographs from Sumba, Indonesia.

A freshly pulled root vegetable held up in the Cap Karoso garden
From the garden
Hands arranging slices of meat on a plate during service in Sumba
On the plate
A horse decorated with colorful tassels at a gathering in Sumba
A day away from the kitchen
Red and green chiles growing among leaves in the Cap Karoso garden
Chiles in the garden
A shaded plant nursery at Cap Karoso in Sumba
Walking through the nursery
A cook preparing pieces of fish on a wire rack in the Sumba kitchen
Fish prep
A dinner table under hanging lights and trees at Cap Karoso
Dinner under the trees
A whole cooked fish served with sliced citrus and herbs in Sumba
A whole fish for the table
A plated dish with sauce, vegetables and herbs at Cap Karoso
Dinner at Cap Karoso
Guests eating at a long counter beneath pendant lights at Cap Karoso
Around the counter
Plates of cookies beside a cook’s hands at the kitchen pass
Something sweet to finish
A smiling server carrying a tray overhead beneath palm trees at night
The team after dark
watch on youtube ↗ cook with me

From this stop.

Full episodes on YouTube.

New York · 2027

My restaurant, Elizabeth.

I’m cooking my way around the world before I open a chef’s counter in New York City in 2027. It will have about 30 seats, and it’s named after my mom. I’ll share the address and reservations when they’re ready.