Two Chefs, Two Venues, One Shared Obsession with Fire
Bali's dining calendar gets a compelling addition this July when Api Jiwa at Capella Ubud and The Long Table at John Hardy stage a two-part collaborative dinner series called Forged by Fire. The events pair Chef Arvie Delvo and Chef Tomy Saputra across two very different settings, using fire as both a practical cooking method and a thread connecting their personal histories.
The collaboration is deliberately structured to let each venue's character shape the experience. The first dinner, on 10 July 2026, takes place at The Long Table in Seminyak. The format is family-style, designed around communal sharing and conversation rather than formal plating. The second, on 24 July 2026, moves to Api Jiwa inside Capella Ubud, where the chefs present a ten-course tasting menu in a more intimate chef's counter setting.
What's on the Menu
Chef Arvie's contribution draws on his Filipino heritage. Dishes such as Adobo Bone Marrow and Cebu Lechon appear on the menu, each reinterpreted through Api Jiwa's farm-to-flame philosophy rather than served in their traditional forms. The intention is to surface personal memory through technique.
Chef Tomy's approach is rooted in his Sumatran background and the artisanal values that run through John Hardy as a brand. His dishes, including Iga Bakar and Bubuh Bali, treat Indonesian culinary tradition as a starting point for refinement rather than a constraint. The result is contemporary Indonesian cooking that stays anchored to its origins.
Together, the two chefs frame fire not just as a heat source but as a metaphor for transformation, the same quality that defines handmade jewellery or any craft that requires patience and skill. That framing is deliberate: John Hardy's identity is built around artisanship, and Api Jiwa has made fire-led cooking central to its reputation in Ubud.
The Venues in Context
Api Jiwa has established itself as one of Ubud's more immersive dining destinations, where the chef's counter format encourages direct engagement between kitchen and table. The Long Table extends John Hardy's longstanding practice of communal lunches into a full restaurant concept that foregrounds Indonesian ingredients and culture. Pairing them for a limited series makes sense precisely because their philosophies overlap without being identical.
Seats for both evenings are limited. Reservations can be made by emailing fb.seminyak@johnhardy.com or calling +62 81138118004.
Why It Matters for Hosts
Independent operators in Bali, particularly those running boutique properties in Ubud or Seminyak, can take a practical cue from this format. A limited-run, multi-venue collaboration creates genuine scarcity and a reason for guests to plan their stay around specific dates. If you host guests who are serious about food, flagging events like Forged by Fire in your pre-arrival communications adds real value without requiring any investment on your part. Guests who discover curated experiences through their accommodation remember the stay differently than those who find the same information through a generic search. Staying informed about what's happening at destination restaurants is one of the simplest ways a small property can compete on guest experience.
Details for Forged by Fire were first reported by Epicure Asia.
First reported by Bali Travel.