Why Culinary Arts?

Attending a culinary arts program will allow you to learn the skills and knowledge that are required of a chef in the kitchen, which includes not only knowing how to cook but also how to create new dishes, how to keep the kitchen safe, how to run the kitchen efficiently and more.

Studying the culinary arts can help improve your life in many ways, including allowing you to improve the lives of the people you cook for as well. The following are just a few of the reasons why you should study the culinary arts:

1. A variety of career opportunities

There are a broad range of opportunities within the culinary arts fields. Career paths range from members of the preparation staff to head chef. Culinary arts training can provide the skills you need to safely prepare food and present it promptly in a visually pleasing way. With further education, you can even specialize in a specific area of the culinary arts, such as pastries. To become a chef, you could work your way up as you gain more experience. With a culinary arts education, you have the ability to start in professional environments and advance your career further.

2. Hands-on training

A culinary arts program will help prepare you for food safety, professionalism, entrepreneurship, and ethical practices. At OTTIMMO International, you will also get knowledge about food sanitation, cost control, entrepreneurship, wine, coffee, and many others along with learning how to cook in a variety of distinct and creative ways.

3. Try new flavors

An education in culinary school can give you the opportunity to try new flavors and experiment with the creation of dishes. You will be educated in flavor pairings and profiles that will give you the foundation and the potential needed to create culinary masterpieces.

4. Healthy lifestyle

Good culinary arts programs will teach you about nutrition. Many chefs these days have emphasized the importance of creating delicious dishes that are actually healthy in order to promote nutrition to their customers. This is the reason why the restaurants that offer vegan or plant based menus are getting popular.

5. Have the chance to travel the world

One of the advantages of going to a good culinary arts school is the opportunity to travel the world. Traveling the world will provide some enlightening experiences that will help to shape your view of life as well as your thoughts about food. OTTIMMO International will give you a chance to do an internship abroad, like to Europe, Asia, USA and Australia.*

Students with Special Needs? Why Not

OTTIMMO — Ottimmo International has a commitment to become an open college for anyone. The best culinary academy in Indonesia students come from various backgrounds and areas.

Now Ottimmo is more open with the acceptance of students with special needs, in accordance with the mandate of Pendidikan Tinggi (Dikti). Starting in the academic year 2019-2020 there are already some students with special needs who are studying by taking Diploma 3.

In accordance with Government Law number 20 of 2003 concerning the National Education System, inclusive education for persons with special needs must be applied in university. This system adopts an international education system, that is, there is no difference for people with disabilities.

Ottimmo International Director Zaldy Iskandar said, Ottimmo is very open to anyone from anywhere, including students with special needs. The instructors at Ottimmo, both chefs and lecturers, and also the staffs, will do their best to provide assistance to them.

“The modern education system no longer distinguishes students with special needs. They are also entitled to vocational education, including Ottimmo International culinary academy. “However, before they enrol, we need to see whether the students with special needs are able to accept lecture material, especially in the kitchen,” explained Zaldy Iskandar.

Zaldy admitted, the challenge of accepting students with special needs was clearly not light, especially Ottimmo is a campus with more practical lecture material. But he was very optimistic that the chefs and teachers could provide assistance very well.

“During the last accreditation visitation by Dikti, it was also emphasized that Ottimmo be open to students with special needs. We are happy because starting in the academic year 2019-2020 there are already students with special needs who study at Ottimmo. Of course I hope they will succeed in the culinary field,” he said.*

Ottimmo Involved in 2019 ICSP

OTTIMMO – For the first time, Ottimmo International joined the 2019 International Community Service Program (ICSP). In collaboration with Petra Christian University (UK) and the Al Wali Foundation from the Netherlands, ICSP 2019 was held in Dusun Parang, Parang Village, Kediri Regency.

In the event which was held from July 16, 2019 to August 5, 2019, Ottimmo International was involved in various activities there. These activities include Dental Care for kindergarten, elementary school students and public, Nutrition Class, Cooking Demonstration, Water Projects, Waste Projects, Improvement of Facilities in the village and others.

ICSP 2019 participants were 15 dentist students from the Netherlands, six students from UK Petra, and three from Ottimmo International. They lived in the homes of Dusun Parang residents during ICSP, so they could feel the real village atmosphere.

Ottimmo sent three representatives, Reyhan Dhira representing students, Yasin Karyono as student affairs representative, and Kukuh Setyawan from public relations. It is expected that for ICSP 2020 student involvement will increase later.

“For the first involvement in this ICSP, Ottimmo can only send one student. In the future, we hope that more students will be involved because this program is very important and gives students good experience in community service,” explained Yasin Karyono, Ottimmo International Student Affairs.

Special activities held by Ottimmo are the Nutrition Class and Cooking Demo. “We provide an understanding of nutrition and processed food by using ingredients that are easily found in Parang,” explained Heni Adianata, a lecturer at Ottimmo International.

Meanwhile, Al Wali Foundation representative Cigdem Demir said that his party was very happy with Ottimmo’s involvement in the 2019 ICSP. “The existence of Ottimmo as a culinary academy provides a new atmosphere for ICSP, especially with programs related to food and nutrition which are very important for rural communities,” said Cigdem.*

Learning Coffee To Jember

OTTIMMO — The Coffee Class held by Ottimmo this year is different from previous years. This time the students were taken directly to the coffee processing center, the Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute (Puslitkoka) in Jember, East Java, on 29 and 30 September 2019.

For two days the 5th semester students were in Jember specifically to learn about coffee. On the first day, students get The History of Coffee given by Ir. Cahya Ismayadi MSc, reviewing all about coffee from history, plantation to processing.

On the second day, students headed to Puslitkoka which is about 30 minutes from the Aston Hotel, where they stayed. In the Puslitkoka area, in the first session the students did a Coffee Tasting which was to try the aroma and taste of various types of coffee, both Arabica and Robusta.

After that, the group headed for the coffee processing area, starting with the release of coffee beans, drying, and sorting the types of coffee according to the size of the seeds. At that location there is also the manufacture of coffee processing equipment and various products processed by Puslitkoka.

“We bring students here so that they understand how coffee is processed from the start to be served. So, they know that the processing of coffee goes through a rather long process, “explained Gilbert Hadiwirawan, assistant chef who accompanied students in Jember.

After learning the history of coffee and witnessing coffee processing, Ottimmo students get Coffee Brewing session. Specifically this session was given in the Ottimmo International campus, because the equipment in campus itself was very complete for Coffee Brewing.

In recent years, coffee is indeed very popular and a lot of cafes or coffee shops have sprung up. That is why learning about coffee is very important at Ottimmo, because however coffee cannot be separated from the culinary business today.

Coffee expert Cahya Ismayadi said, “Learning coffee is not enough just once or twice, but it takes a long time. This is because scientifically, coffee has a very broad scope, from planting, processing, and serving.”*

Sushi Ends Asian Culinary Lessons

OTTIMMO—The lessons on Asian culinary arts was ended with Japanese food. For the whole week, the students have learned to cook Ramen, Yakisoba and Sushi.

 

For the last few weeks, second semester students have learned various Asian dishes, from Indian, Korean, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Malaysian and Indonesian food. After finishing the lessons on Japanese food, next week the students will learn more on Latin American cuisine.

 

As a review to the Asian cuisine lessons, Chef Jerry said that overall, the students have understood the character of Asian cuisine. Accuracy in using spices and techniques are necessary for cooking Asian food.

 

“The students have succeeded in mastering Asian cuisine with satisfactory result. They had practiced well on how to use spices and learned the techniques seriously,” stated Chef Jerry, one of the instructors in Ottimmo International’s kitchen.

 

After learning more on Japanese and other Asian cuisine, Chef Jerry reminded them to keep practicing and expand their knowledge on Asian culinary arts as the way to cook them is very different from cooking other continents.

 

“To make the lessons stick on their mind, students must also learn by themselves and expand their knowledge on it. If there is a problem during their practice at home, students can ask the chefs and we will provide guidance later,” said Chef Jerry.

 

Japanese food for example, there are some techniques which they should be more careful, such as rolling sushi. It looks easy, but it is not as easy as it looks. Therefore, students must practice them again outside the class.

THE PERFECT FRENCH MACARON

Are you a Macaron lover?

Do you know that Macaron have feet?

Do you know how to make a Perfect Macaron? Yes, our Short Course Gourmet Frenzy Program this time is about Macaron! with the hands-on training, you will learn how to make the perfect macaron from our expert Chef. Take the chance and peek the secret recipe… on Thursday, July 18 2013 at 10 a.m. in our Baking & Pastry Arts Kitchen.

Register now since our space are limited!

ORIENTATION DAY & NEW ACADEMIC YEAR 2014/2015

Important date for OTTIMMO New Student Academic Year 2014/2015 Orientation Day will be held on August 12-15, 2014. Orientation is mandatory, every student should participate from the first day until the last day. New Semester Begin starts on Monday August 18, 2014 accordance with lesson schedule that will be distributed during Orientation Day.

KIDS COOKING CLASS WITH MSCS STUDENTS

Very glad to see the joy of children in the kitchen! At that moment we had almost a hundred little guests coming from Mawar Sharon Christian School. Those all Grade 1 students brought their excitement and curiosity to our Culinary Kitchen and they could not wait to start making their own burger. With the help of OTTIMMO’s students in every station, these little guests were so thrilled. We are pleased to see their effort to cook, may this experience could grow their interest and creativity in Culinary Arts.