CORPORATE EXECUTIVE CHEF

New Zealander Chef Phillip Davenport’s insatiable passion for food started at an early age when a Japanese friend’s mother prepared bento boxes for him, opening his mind and taste buds to different foods and flavors from the rest of the world. After a few days working the line at a friend’s restaurant in Wellington, he found his calling as a professional chef. He is now on a mission to transform one of the world’s most iconic lifestyle destinations into a serious foodie mecca.

 

Chef Phil was most notably Executive Chef of Hugo's, Sydney, one of the city's most popular restaurants, for three and a half years. He was instrumental in Hugo's receipt of four Chef's Hat awards between 1998 and 2002. He then moved on to open Aura, an exclusive private members' supper club in Mayfair, London, which catered to London's elite. After returning to Australia, he worked with fellow chefs Manu Feildel at Bilson's and Will Meyrick at Jimmy Liks, and helped other friends open Hugo's Bar Pizza. This was followed by a post in the Caribbean, where Chef Phil set up a new resort, Hermitage Bay Hotel in Antigua.

 

Bringing the global influences he learnt from his previous experiences to KU DE TA as its Corporate Executive Chef, Phil is committed to executing each dish at the highest level, even with more than 1000 seats filled every night. He puts his heart and soul into KU DE TA, focusing on quality, attention to detail and consistency. Aiming to deliver good, honest food with a twist, Chef Phil uses modern techniques and the best ingredients from the island of Bali and around the world. He is especially passionate in his support for local farmers and suppliers in Bali - 95% of all vegetables and fruits used in KU DE TA are sourced from 50 farms across Bali and almost all of the restaurant's seafood is local.

 

Chef Phil's passion for food does not stop in the kitchen – when he travels, he continues to be inspired by eating in some of the best restaurants around the world. In his spare time he swims, kick boxes and rock climbs.

 

EXECUTIVE CHEF

Hailing from the small village of Eltham, 30 minutes outside Byron Bay, Chef Benjamin began his career at the award winning 'Rae's on Watego's', Byron Bay. It was this first job that exposed him to the world of restaurant cooking and where he learned to love a range of cuisines which had been previously unfamiliar to him. Since then he has travelled around the world and worked for a number of prestigious restaurants to feed his love for different kinds ofcuisines.

 

Chef Benjamin has most notably honed his skills in the kitchens of household names such as Neil Perry as part of the re-opening team of XO and as Executive Sous Chef of Rockpool, Tom Colicchio at Craft in New York and Santi Santamaria at his three Michelin star restaurant, Can Fabes in Sant Celoni. In August 2007, he came to KU DE TA to assist Corporate Executive Chef Phil Davenport during a hectic high season. While it was a temporary posting, he fell in love with Bali and returned in May 2008 to assume his present position as Executive Chef at KU DE TA Seminyak.

 

Chef Benjamin draws inspiration from immersing himself in Bali's food culture and continues to be inspired by the produce which KU DE TA sources locally for its extensive menu. At KU DE TA, he has been given a greater freedom to express and share his own culinary ideas with Chef Phil Davenport and the rest of the kitchen team, which he admits is any chef's dream job. He loves the challenge of cooking for 1000-1500 people on a daily basis and is continuously collaborating on re-inventing menus for different dining programs and concepts at KU DE TA. In addition to this, he also assists in training a much loved 100-strong local kitchen staff in new techniques, styles and cuisines from his travels around the world.

 

Chef Benjamin believes that the experience guests receive at KU DE TA from the moment they walk through the door to the moment they walk out is different from anywhere else in the world. At KU DE TA, he takes great pride in being able to share in the creation of that memorable dining experience and hopes that diners' palates will be excited by the food he lovingly serves.

 

HEAD CHEF

Australian Kieran Morland began his culinary career at the Crown Casino and completed his apprenticeship at Mecca and the private diner’s club Metropolitan in Melbourne before moving to Gourmet Traveler nominated Season Restaurant in Noosa Queensland to work as Chef De Partie and Head Pastry Chef. After travelling to London to work under luminaries such as Cameron Emerali and Georgio Loctelli he headed across the Atlantic to NYC to work with David Chang at the revered Momofuku in the East Village before returning to his native Melbourne for a spell at Syracuse Restaurant under Hal Riches. A relative newcomer to the kitchens at KU DE TA Kieran joined Philip Davenport and the team in 2010 and brings with him a global palate and a wealth of international experience.