There was a time when the expert chef, who describes himself as “getting old”, was a boy sitting in the kitchen watching his father battle ingredients to make Indonesian food. His father was a pastry chef who, after developing a food allergy, had to stop cooking. But at home he still took to the kitchen for his family.

According to Ron, when dad was in the kitchen it was always a feast waiting to happen. He would work the whole day to prepare meals which would disappear into bellies in twenty minutes. Back then, Ron had no idea what he wanted to do with the next day, leave alone the rest of his life. So, like most children he grew into a young adult without any major decisions being made.

In the Netherlands, once you reach a certain age, the military is a mandatory requirement. After his soldier’s tour, Ron was released as a 22 year old and still not sure what to do with his life. But an uncle who was a general manager of three hotels and a conference castle in the Netherlands offered him an opportunity to help out in the kitchen and thus the story began. After a few years of work, he moved on to an apprenticeship for two years during which he worked with chefs who knew what they wanted to do from as young as fourteen years old.

He went through a regiment of one day theory classes followed by five days of hands-on experience. His experience tour took him to France, The Hague, Amsterdam and New York among other places. He learned to cook everything from fish which can ONLY be prepared once ordered, to Indonesian food with top secret recipes and “Mediterrasian” (combination of Mediterranean and Asian). Ron says during this time, he learned a lot from the people who challenged him and pushed him to perfect his craft.

Then Ron fell in love and followed her to New York where, even with a wealth of experience and a beautiful resume, he realized he had to start again. He had to work his way up from the bottom and he did. Unfortunately, his relationship did not work out as well as his career. Once the relationship failed, he had to leave the country.

One day, while trolling the internet looking for chef jobs he came across an advert for a position in Kenya. The only knowledge he had of East Africa was what he saw on National Geographic. To make matters more curious the place advertising the position was virtually non-existent (at least as per online searches). But he sent them an email anyway and soon Aleem Ladak, Managing Director of The Big Five Breweries, wrote him back asking him to come and do a test cooking. After the first test, he was hired and he has been with the company since before the Brew Bistro Bar and Lounge doors opened.

Ron’s job involves all things kitchen- oriented. As the executive chef he is in charge of staffing, training and managing the different personalities which make ingredients edible food. In addition, sometimes he and his team must go off the menu when they get special guests like vegetarians. Furthermore, everything at the Bistro is made in the kitchen. Even the meat is minced within the kitchen. The only thing Ron says they do not make is Ketchup because Mr. Heinz seems to do a better job of it and in larger quantities. He says his job is far from boring because there is always a challenge to be met.

Ron’s background it basic French so most of his cuisine has a lot of French influence but he says he keeps the flavors and style as local as possible. Everything except the duck liver is locally obtained. However, if you really want to tease your pallet, Ron recommends the Halloumi Cheese Steak paired with a Goatfather full bodied red wine. On the emblem of the wine is a goat dressed like a mafia don.

The only thing with a sweeter flavor than Ron’s story is his cooking. I would recommend the fine dining area of the Bistro to anyone looking for a good place to seduce their pallet… or someone else’s.

By Andrew Onyango