1. 118 April 2013
Born in the south of the Netherlands in
a town called Breda, which lies close to
the Dutch-Belgian border, Mike was born
and raised in a world of hospitality, food
and drink, as his parents owned a well-
known bistro in Breda. Mike would enjoy
working and helping out his parents and
continued to work with them, becoming
the general manager and opening seven
restaurants, one of which was regarded as
the best restaurant in the country by well-
known critics in 1995. Mike came to make
an important decision to move on with his
life and bagged a job with the cruise-liner
company, Holland America Line, eventually
rising to the position of culinary operations
manager, during which time he was involved
in the successful launches of three new
vessels. After eight years, Mike switched
tracks and became interim manager for
seven months at a beach resort in his
home country before finally migrating to
Jakarta to begin the latest chapter in his
career in November of last year. Mike and
his team are now gearing up for the opening
of two new outlets, a much-anticipated
outdoor, garden-set joint and a complete
refurbishment and name change of Java
Restaurant at InterContinental Jakarta
Midplaza in May 2013.
Food I am simply in love with Indonesian food,
especially Balinese cuisine, and I enjoy daging
balado, semur, nasi goreng, kolak and the like.
These treats are all highly flavourful and spicy too,
which is good for me because I like fiery food.
Places to hang out I really like Lucy in the Sky
over at Fairgrounds [lucyinthesky.co.id] because
they have a very nice crowd down there and their
alfresco setting allows you to enjoy the pleasant
climate outside. Our Jimbaran Garden will feature
a similar concept, and will be set in a beautiful
garden and serve tapas. It promises to be a
SmallTalk
fantastic venue. When I want to enjoy
a nice glass of wine and spend some
quality time though, I tend to head
down to VIN + [vingroup.biz].
Blissful getaways in close
proximity Sometimes, one just needs
to get away from the hullaballoo of the
city and enjoy a little fresh air, so it’s
nice to drive to places such as Bogor.
You can even head to Bali very easily
if you want, a destination that people
from Europe, for example, would
consider to be a dream holiday. From
here though, it’s only a one-and-a-half
hour flight away!
Development of the city The
development of Jakarta is progressing
really well, and there’s a very significant
growth in the middle class, which
makes for an interesting dynamic with
regard to the economic expansion of the
city. With the rapid development of the
capital comes unlimited business and
career opportunities for the people who
make the city their home. It’s a good
time for Jakarta.
Art and design I’m into art and
design, so I like to check out the local
modern art exhibitions here. I’ve been
to some of the museums over here too.
My work I believe in being in the right
place at the right time, and I would
contend that this applies to me being
here! I love my job, and enjoy mixing
with the people that I work with every
single day and, of course, I love the
hotel itself. These things are very
important to me.
Friends Many of my friends whom
I worked with during my time on the
cruise ships are actually based here,
so instead of having to take a 14-hour
flight in order to see them, they are
now just a phone call away.
Java Jazz Festival I attended the
recent Java Jazz Festival and it was
simply fantastic. I went on the second
day and got to watch Lisa Stansfield.
I hope the organisers invite more
modern-jazz artists next year. Maybe
make it funkier!?
Fashion city I’m into fashion and I
see Jakarta as a highly stylish city. The
people I work with and the people that
I see around me all seem to dress very
well. There’s also a fascinating mix
between traditional sartorial elements,
such as batik, and modern fashion, and
this is an interesting thing for me to
observe and enjoy.
Football mad I love the fact that
Indonesians love their football. You
guys are as crazy about the sport
as we are! Not every country shares
the same passion when it comes
to football. I’m a huge fan of my
hometown club, NAC Breda!
-Imam Wisaya Surataruna
MIKE VAN BOKHOVEN
This Breda-bred Dutchman was recently appointed the director of food &
beverage over at one of the best-loved hotels in Jakarta,and he was more
than keen to share his ten favourite things about the Big J with us
[ DIRECTOR OF FOOD & BEVERAGE AT INTERCONTINENTAL
JAKARTA MIDPLAZA ]
KikiDjaffar
People from
Europe,for
example,
would
consider
going to Bali
to be a dream
holiday.From
here though,
it’s only a
one-and-a-
half hour
flight away!