My name is Savira Rizki Pradiati
My name is Savira Rizki Pradiati, and usually called Savi.
I was graduated from Hotel Management Bina Nusantara University on March 2016.
I do really like cooking and baking since I was a child, inspired by my mom whom a great cook, a chef of her own catering. That is one of the reasons why I choose to continue my study in Hotel Management BINUS University after graduated from High School.
Then there was a time when I was on my 3rd semester, I participated on an event held by seniors in collaborating with Young Chef Club Indonesia (YCCI) Jakarta Chapter. Then I registered myself to be a part of the member. Months after that, there was announcement about Jakarta Salon Culinaire 2013. Many students applied to participate on that event, all from Culinary and choosing Asian Junior Chef Challenge. I was the only one from Hotel Operation and Service (HOS) and just choosing Junior Pasta Challenge. It was a tough time for me because I got no support from Culinary Lecturers, might be because they were worried if I couldn’t cook as well as Culinary students. But I really don’t mind about that. I kept practicing my menu, and I asked some seniors in YCCI Jakarta to be my mentor.
Time goes by in only 5 days I must be ready to compete. Hotel Management BINUS sending 2 teams of 4 persons each, for Asian Junior Chef Challenge, and my self for participate in individual challenge. We did our best that day, until the next day the result announced. I felt so sorry for my friends when announcement came up in the morning, they got failed. It makes me worried about my result. But I felt like I can’t breathe when I saw the board. I got Bronze Medal on my very first time competition! I was cried happy. Till many lecturers amazed and congratulated me.
Here is some words I can say: Be discipline, creative, and initiative. Discipline on practicing, creative on creating the menu, and initiative on asking seniors to give a feedback for you. Don’t give a care to people whom ignore you and not support you. Keep doing your best and show them they wrong, and you could make it.
By that time, I feel more curious to try again on next Salon Culinaire. Curious on how can I get the Silver medal? Or even Gold medal. Curious on how if I compete in professional class, no more in junior class? But that wasn’t only a day dreaming thought. I promise myself to make it. Then I searched many books, learn and practice some common technique, and doing trial on some menu. Even the next Salon Culinaire still far, but it never goes wrong if practice yourself earlier. The more you practice, the more soul given to your dish. You could be more comfortable and getting usual on cooking your dish. Also never felt ashamed to ask seniors, to learn from seniors, to be honest about things or technique you didn’t know. Ask and seek anything so you could be one step ahead your friend, one step ahead the other whom stood still on their comfort zone.
If you are really put your heart on something, then you will never mind to sacrifice your time and yourself for it. Just like on love life, so does on cook. If you really want to be a great chef, an award-winning chef, a silver and gold medalist, then you must be practice hard, very hard. I did it every day, from day to night, repeated. I got lack of sleep, until D-1 I finally could sleep well to be fresh on D-day. When you were in action, throw away your nervous and just set your mind to think like you were in a Disneyland. You won’t miss anything left. All you want was just spend your time on your best. Feel the heat, feel the beat.
Then after all, I always participate on every Salon Culinaire, both in Jakarta and Bali. To increase my skill, my experience, and knowing how is my dish scored by international Chef Judges. I participate from Jakarta 2013, Bali 2014, Jakarta 2015, and the last Bali 2016. With the result now I have 1 Silver medal and 4 Bronze medals.
Thank you Hotel Management BINUS for giving me chances, all seniors and chefs whom help, and also readers of this article. I hope it could inspire you to be what you want to be.
Savira Rizki Pradiati
Binusian Hotelier 2015
1501144300
