Bayu Fidiyanto

Bayu Fidiyanto has joined Waldorf Astoria Dubai Paul Jumeirah as its new Indonesian chef de cuisine. He works at the resort's upmarket Southeast Asian outlet LAO.

With the restaurant currently championing dishes from Vietnam and Thailand, he has been brought in to add more Indonesian knowledge to the mix. To tie in with his appointment, the restaurant is launching an Indonesian Expedition menu for November.

Though Fidiyanto's culinary beginnings can be traced back to primary school, he started professionally in 1997 with Radisson Plaza Suite Hotel Surabaya in Indonesia. Working as cook with the hotel for two years, he moved on to Holiday Inn Hotel Semarang as a butcher in 1998.

After the turn of the century, he landed in the Gulf as a commis I for Saudi Airlines Catering before moving to The Beach Rotana Hotel and Towers in Abu Dhabi as a demi chef de partie. Moving on, he went to work at Jumeirah Restaurant Group at Noodle House for five years.

By 2012, he was chef de cuisine Asian for what is now the W Abu Dhabi - Yas Island; later returning to The Noodle House as chef de cuisine. He then worked with Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa as chef de cuisine, followed by roles at InterContinental Abu Dhabi and Fairmont Amman.

In his latest role, he helps lead daily operations of LAO, including developing new menu ideas, establishing training standards, and upholding hygiene standards.