Santika Premiere Gubeng Hosts Kitchen Takeover with MasterChef Indonesia Alumni Mario O.

Mario O., an alumni of MasterChef Indonesia Season 10, took over the kitchen at Santika Premiere Gubeng for two days on August 10-11. Under the theme "Cozy Brunch," Mario invited guests on a flavorful American culinary journey with three special, mouth-watering dishes. Cooking live in the hotel’s kitchen, Mario also took the opportunity to greet customers. While this is not his first kitchen takeover in Surabaya, Santika Premiere Gubeng is the first hotel in the city chosen as his partner for this event.

Santika Premiere Gubeng Hosts Kitchen Takeover with MasterChef Indonesia Alumni Mario O.

For the "Cozy Brunch" event, Mario presented three special dishes crafted exclusively for Santika Premiere Gubeng. The first dish, Kentucky Style Roasted Corn Soup, is a creamy corn soup featuring sautéed corn kernels with parsley, complemented by chicken and mushroom pieces. The next dish, Hawaiian Loco Moco, is rice served with a beef hamburger patty topped with gravy and a sunny-side-up egg. The crowd favorite, however, was the Philadelphia Cheesesteak, a sandwich filled with marinated short plate beef served with tortilla chips and cheese sauce. These dishes were available starting from IDR 65,000 per portion.

The selection of these American-style dishes was based on research conducted by the hotel’s team and Chef Mario, noting that Surabaya residents tend to prefer savory and creamy flavors. This led to the decision to offer these special menus.

This event was fully supported by Anchor Indonesia, a trusted dairy producer. Mario personally selected the ingredients and fine-tuned the recipes to ensure premium taste and quality. Chef Mario O., the third-place winner and youngest contestant in MasterChef Indonesia Season 10, was a key attraction. The hotel expects that Mario’s participation will draw more guests, shared Radinia, Public Relations Manager at Santika Premiere Gubeng. Guests also had the chance to interact directly with Mario, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Paris. The hotel plans to hold more collaborative events like this to further boost its reputation among the public, particularly in Surabaya.