Juliana Mitry is the founder of Balinese Spice Magic, a restaurant located on Wollongong’s Keira Street food strip that aims to brings the spirit of Bali to the heart of Wollongong.
Growing up in Baturiti, a small farming village in central Bali, Jules acquired her knowledge and skills to produce and serve food with Balinese flavours that will awaken your taste buds.
After studying an advance diploma in hospitality management and then a degree in economics, majoring in business innovation at Wollongong University, Balinese Spice Magic was originally born as a market stall at the Coledale Markets before it flourished into the restaurant it is now.
Jules uses local growers, including Green Connect, to create the array of mouth watering dishes on the menu. In addition to these local growers, she uses ingredients such as sugar cane, kaffir lime leaves, eggs and greens from her home permaculture garden as well as encouraging bartering with their customers if they have excess produce from their home gardens.
Beyond the restaurant, Jules offers a catering service, regular cooking classes, donations to food relief, creates flavoursome BSM Spice mixes and produces tempeh beautifully wrapped in banana leaves and sold under the brand label Tempeh Temple.
What things do you do during the holiday season to help minimise food waste?
We are a family that loves our food. I do have the tendency to cook for an army but I am lucky enough to have children and my children’s friends and neighbours always around to help clear out the leftovers.
When we are away, we try to order less and share and add into the orders when needed. But again, we can eat, so leftovers have never really been an issue.
Tell us how you support local businesses and the community during the holiday season?
We buy local as much as we can when we are at home or away on holidays. We plan to buy gifts from local makers and artists rather than buying generic goods.
Do you have a favourite dish you like to cook and share during the holidays?
I cook based on what is available in the seasons and what I have at home. I make my own tempeh (fermented legumes) that I cook up into international dishes that my family feels like at that time. Food is my favourite gift that I make for my family and friends – I believe it’s always a winner.
Is there anything else you would like to add around your contribution to the local food system?
We buy from local growers and producers as much as we can for our restaurant and home. We are blessed in the Illawarra where local organic produce can easily be sourced from local suppliers. We provide free seedlings to local gardeners who are keen to grow for us and provide support when we can. We also do a cook up for the homeless community every week using produce that is still fine to eat but not fresh enough for the restaurant.
To get a taste of Balinese Spice Magic Restaurant click here.
Photo by Chilby Photography