‘The spice of life is a loving heart’

From tiny hole-in-the-wall eateries to sophisticated watering holes, Bondan Winarno eagerly makes his rounds as a glorified food taster. His lifelong passion for food has translated into a lucrative second career after his formal retirement from his job as a journalist. These culinary exploits, which began with his Jalan Sutra grouping of foodies hunting for their next big meal, are now seen on TV and read about in newspaper columns. He talks here about a culinary baptism of fire, his youthful lack of ambition and trying to keep his temper in check.      

Describe yourself in three words.

One word is enough: Writer, for that’s what I am.

My best trait is …

Going out of my way for my friends.

And worst …

I am temperamental. I’m easily angered when things go wrong.

I’m bored by …

Waiting.

My first food memory …

I was six years old and my brother put some chili into my spring roll, it was too hot. I couldn’t eat chili until I was 10.

Staying healthy takes …

Knowing or understanding your food. All food is good; yes, there are some high cholesterol foods, but the key is to eat in moderation.

The food I want to try is …

In Irian a delicacy is sago larvae, I haven’t tried that yet.

I always have with me …

My toothbrush and toothpaste.

My favorite place on Earth is …

Bali, I love the culture, the natural surroundings and the food. I also love Surakarta; I’d like to have a home for my retirement there.

My favorite food ever …

Padang food, especially duck and young red chili. I lived in Padang when I was small.

At the age of 20 …

I wasn’t ambitious enough. So I tell my children and my grandchildren that we must be very competitive in life. In other words, be your best. Unless you become your best, you will lose in life. It is only later in life that I realized I was too mellow.

The spice of life is …

A clean and loving heart. When I am angry everything goes wrong.

I wish I had written …

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. He wrote a very simple book about daily life, and he doesn’t lecture. I want to write something like that.

I laugh at …

My grandchildren.

And cry?

Also at my grandchildren. I think about their future, that it will be much harder for them than me.

My greatest fear is …

I’m scared of being hated by others, of making enemies. But that is beginning to happen to me. Many people believe that they can ask anything of me, when in fact the answers are available for them, they don’t need to get the information from me. They will ask me, “What is the address of such-and-such restaurant?” Or sometimes I am just about to do a take, and somebody will come over and say, “Let’s take a quick photo together.” They don’t realize that I also get tired.

Love is …

Giving without expecting anything in return.

The meaning of friendship is…

Friends are more than my own family. Friends are closer; when I die maybe my friends will know it first before my relatives who are living here and there. I treasure them.

The unforgivable is …

It happened in my life when a friend of mine insulted my mother. He considered it just a joke, but to me it’s the biggest sin. I cannot forgive him.

The talent I wish I had …

I wish I was more willing to share with others. Sometimes I want to do it, but I cannot bring myself to.  

I am proud that …

My writing does make a difference to many people.

When the going gets tough…

I go home, and spend time by myself in a room listening to music.

My happiest moment was …

My only biological daughter [Gwen] left home but returned four years later. That made me very happy.

How would you like to die?

I retired early at the age of 50 because I feared that I would die young, like my father and my older brother. I wanted to spend more time with my children and grandchildren. Of course, like everyone I would like to die in my sleep.

+ Bruce Emond