Indonesian chef Devina Hermawan discusses regional cuisine, recipe adaptations, fusion food and bringing Indonesia’s culinary diversity to global audiences.
As Indonesia marks its National Day, Sun Media’s 81 Success Stories of Indonesia highlights individuals whose work contributes to Indonesia’s story at home and abroad. The series brings together people from different fields whose work reflects aspects of Indonesia while introducing them to wider audiences. Ms. Devina Hermawan represents that connection through food, sharing Indonesia’s diverse culinary traditions with audiences in Indonesia and beyond.
Ms. Devina Hermawan is an Indonesian chef, author and cooking instructor whose relationship with food began in childhood. She spent time in the kitchen with her mother and tried to recreate dishes she encountered while travelling. That passion remained with her while she studied Business Management and eventually led her to pursue culinary school and become a chef.
“I often spent time in the kitchen helping my mother, and I loved trying to recreate dishes I had tasted while travelling,” Ms. Hermawan told Sun Media. “Back then, references were quite limited, so figuring things out on my own actually made me even more motivated to spend time in the kitchen.”
Learning without many references also gave Ms. Hermawan a personal understanding of the difficulties beginners can face. That experience later influenced how she developed recipes, with an emphasis on making instructions precise and practical.
“That’s why I try to focus on practical, foolproof tips and techniques. For people who are new to cooking, I try to give them precise recipes, clear measurements, and step-by-step instructions, while highlighting the small details that can make the difference between a recipe working or not,” she said.
Her Business Management background adds another dimension to that practical approach. Ms. Hermawan applies ideas such as customer behaviour, systematic workflows, efficiency and supply chains to her culinary work, combining the creative side of cooking with a structured way of developing and delivering it.
That approach also shapes how she handles Indonesia’s regional cuisine. Because culinary traditions vary across the archipelago, Ms. Hermawan pays attention to the ingredients, techniques and flavours that give each preparation its character.
“Indonesian cuisine is incredibly diverse, from Sabang to Merauke, and every region has its own ingredients, techniques, and flavour profile,” she said.
Gulai provides one example. Ms. Hermawan notes that the same name can describe different preparations depending on the region. Some Minangkabau and Sumatran versions may use asam kandis, daun kunyit and, in some preparations, kelapa gongseng, while Javanese versions can differ in their techniques and flavour profiles.
“What I find fascinating is that the same name can represent quite different dishes depending on where you are in Indonesia. That really made me appreciate how diverse Indonesian cuisine is,” she said.
Those regional differences also affect how Ms. Hermawan teaches familiar dishes such as rendang, soto and nasi goreng. Having shared more than 1,000 recipes, she does not present one preparation as the definitive version. Instead, she considers what she wants to introduce to her audience and, at times, what a client or brand is looking for.
That makes transparency important when she simplifies or adapts a dish. Ms. Hermawan identifies when a recipe is a shortcut, simplified or homestyle version, or when it is inspired by a particular preparation rather than strictly traditional.
“If I’m making a shortcut, simplified, or homestyle version, I will say so. If it is inspired by a particular dish rather than a strictly traditional preparation, I’ll describe it that way rather than presenting it as the one authentic version,” she said.
She applies the same distinction to fusion cooking. Rather than presenting an adaptation as a traditional preparation, Ms. Hermawan considers it a new interpretation inspired by the original.
Her approach is practical: she might start with beef, use a French cooking technique and build the flavour around Indonesian ingredients and spices. If butter does not complement the intended flavour profile, she may choose another type of fat to create a more harmonious result.
“The key is to understand the original dish, preserve its recognisable character, and clearly label the adaptation rather than presenting it as the definitive traditional version,” she said.
That responsibility becomes especially important when Indonesian food reaches international audiences. For an international viewer, a recipe from Ms. Hermawan may be a first introduction to a particular dish or region, making the context and accuracy of its presentation significant.
Ms. Hermawan therefore aims to research dishes carefully, acknowledge their origins and regional variations, and make adaptations clear. She also recognises that no single chef can represent the entirety of Indonesian cuisine.
“I see my role as contributing responsibly, sharing what I know, and continuing to learn from the communities and cooks who keep these food traditions alive,” Ms. Hermawan said.
Her approach was also reflected in RISE: Flavours of Indonesia in Singapore. Held at RISE Restaurant, Marina Bay Sands, from 14–17 August 2026, the Indonesian culinary promotion was supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Singapore and featured Ms. Hermawan alongside more than 30 Nusantara dishes.
The menu brought together dishes from different parts of Indonesia, including regional specialities and familiar Indonesian favourites, giving diners in Singapore an opportunity to experience several culinary traditions in one setting.
For Indonesia’s 81st National Day, Ms. Hermawan would take the same idea further through a shared Nusantara table rather than a single representative dish. At its centre would be a tumpeng, surrounded by rendang from West Sumatra, soto Banjar from South Kalimantan, ayam betutu from Bali, ikan woku from North Sulawesi, and papeda with ikan kuah kuning from Maluku or Papua, alongside regional vegetables, sambals and jajanan pasar.
“Because Indonesia is an archipelago with such incredible cultural and culinary diversity, I would serve a shared Nusantara table rather than ask one dish to represent the entire country,” Ms. Hermawan said.
The idea captures the principle behind her work: Indonesia’s culinary identities can be brought together and shared with wider audiences without requiring them to become the same.
“We can bring many distinct culinary identities to the same table without asking them to become the same.”
“To me, that is Indonesia.”
Written by: Ciara Leon
