One of Bali’s most popular fine dining restaurants, Apéritif, has welcomed their new Head Chef, Maxie Millian, to lead the culinary team at this renowned Ubud destination.

Apéritif Restaurant & Bar has remained incredibly active throughout Bali’s difficult months, becoming one of the very few fine dining destinations to stay open for Bali’s discerning gourmands. Executive Chef Nic Vanderbeeken and team have kept their kitchen running, continuing to provide a fantastic experience for the island-based or domestic guests that walk through the doors. Now, Chef Maxie has come to not only support Chef Nic,  but also provide some of his own twists and turns at the restaurant.


Born in Jakarta, Chef Maxie Millian began his career in Dubai with a background in European food and won a gold medal at Le Salon Culinaire International De Londres in 2012.

Upon his return to Indonesia, Chef Maxie was Head Chef at the luxury Sofitel Hotel in Seminyak and boutique fine dining restaurant Teatro Gastroteque which served French degustation menus with Japanese influence. Continuing his culinary quest, Chef Maxie began to focus on Indonesian cuisine and joined Merah Putih Restaurant and Sangsaka Bali located in Seminyak.

Head Chef Maxie Millian (left) Executive Chef Nic Vanderbeeken (right). Photo courtesy of Aperitif Restaurant & Bar

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he opened his own restaurant with his wife in Jimbaran named Riung Rasa. Chef Maxie’s renowned slogan is #bersamalebihbaik (better together) and his vision is to express community over competition. Needless to say, Chef Maxie has a lot of experience under his belt and as a friend in industry with Chef Nic, their shared vision saw Maxie joining Aperitif on 17 May 2021.

“Being involved, learning firsthand and observing the craft and absorbing all you can, makes it easier to define what you want. It will also ultimately make you a better Chef, that’s my regular conversation with Chef Nic Vanderbeeken. Because for me, there’s no great chef without a great team” Chef Maxie said.

Joining Chef Nic, Chef Maxie has already started to welcome guests to experience the Apéritif degustation menus from 17 May 2021. To introduce his distinct style, Chef Maxie will serve a limited time only menu entitled Maxie’s Taste of Apéritif, which pays tribute to Maxie’s culinary journey to date. Guests can indulge in this special menu, for lunch and dinner from 26 May to 16 June 2021.

Aperitif Restaurant and Bar
Jl. Lanyahan, Banjar Nagi, Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80552
(0361) 9082777
www.aperitif.com

NOW Bali Editorial Team

NOW Bali Editorial Team

This article has been written or uploaded by NOW! Bali's in-house editorial team.