Hospitality goes beyond just serving meals. It's about bringing people together and nurturing them along the way. Get to know Banny Parasutha, the driving force behind BIKO's Acta Brasserie and Fūjin Izakaya. Hailing from Bali but now deeply rooted in Jakarta, Banny's story is one fueled by passion, dedication and a quest for perfection.
The first question was why food and how he started, of which Banny explained:
“Food plays a huge part in my family. We have so many good memories weaved and exchanged on the table. Also, being a Japanese-Bali born, I see hospitality as a way of life. It felt very natural to me. Something familiar, something I think I can be good at. Growing up, that led me to pursue a degree in Hotel Administration. Though I dreamt of studying abroad, financial realities kept me in Bali where I continued to refine my skills and deepen my love for the industry. No regrets, though. It gets me where I am now.“ Banny's crisp laugh filled the air.
“During my college break, I made a visit to Japan where I was shown the next level of Japanese hospitality: omotenashi (お持て成し). It was such a turning point for me. I want to bring and cultivate it here in my homeland. When my good friend Raja Suriadiredja came back from his culinary venture in Japan, I felt like it was a destiny. A call to combine my Japanese heritage and omotenashi to create something meaningful for both of us. So in 2013, we opened our first restaurant, Rayjin.
My journey got even more interesting when I crossed paths with Mikael Mirdad (Founder of BIKO). Like all things BIKO, our initial meeting was brief but marked a lasting impression. He asked me to join onboard and that's how Fūjin Izakaya came to life in 2015. Teaming up with him has been a blast. During my time here, I was assigned to lead Beer Hall's pre-launch, managing Pippo Italian's debut and now overseeing Acta Brasserie and Fūjin Izakaya. And it was not all, I'm sure there'll be more to come.“
”I am grateful to be given the chance to work with Chef Rui Yamagishi. I think it's a one-in-a-million opportunity to have your good friends turned into colleagues. See, we have been friends since forever. I even have our childhood photo here.” Banny recalled as he showed us the picture. ”It's exciting and fun. Especially with the launch of Acta Brasserie in Gading Serpong coming shortly, we dive into fresh scenes outside of our comfort zone. So many learnings and definitely unlearnings. Honestly, I can't wait to see how we're gonna pull it off, and you should too!”
When asked about the challenges, Banny replied:
”It's easy to make the guests leave with big smiles. Good food, good ambiance, yada yada. But the bigger task would be to make sure they come back. Make them feel welcomed and expected. Make them feel that our place speaks to them. I realized we're not just running restaurants; we're creating a culture, a safe haven, a home. Both me and Chef Rui agreed that human appeal is everything. We need to show our guests that Acta Brasserie is driven by people.” Banny, that is one strong point.
Acta Brasserie's newest branch in Gading Serpong is coming your way this March. Get ready to treat your taste buds to a range of delightful dishes and extensive wine selections, complemented in Acta Brasserie style—lush greenery, cozy comfort and convenient accessibility.
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