Archipelago, Southeast Asia’s largest hotel management group, held its annual Black Box Battle culinary competition at Aston Bogor Hotel & Resort on 25 August 2025. The event brought together 22 chefs and 22 F&B service team members from Jakarta, Bogor, Banten, and Sumatra, each challenged to transform secret ingredients from a mystery box under strict time limits—60 minutes for food and 30 minutes for beverages.
“We are proud to once again present the Black Box Battle. This competition is not only about testing cooking and beverage-making skills, but also about Archipelago’s commitment to providing our chefs and F&B services with opportunities to grow, innovate, and deliver exceptional F&B experiences to every guest we serve,” said Winston Hanes, Vice President of Operations at Archipelago.
This year’s secret ingredients included Gindara, Beef Ribeye, and Silk Tofu for the food category, while beverages were created using Mango, Lychee, and Espresso Liquid (70% Arabica, 30% Robusta).
Food Category Winners
- First Place: Aris Triyono, favehotel Padjajaran Bogor – Charles Brookfield Trophy + cash prize
- Second Place: Febrian Sjarif, Aston Priority Simatupang – John Flood Trophy + cash prize
- Third Place: Ari Gusti, favehotel Gatot Subroto – People’s Favourite Trophy + cash prize
Beverage Category Winners
- First Place: Micki Rizard, Harper Premier Nagoya Batam – Charles Brookfield Trophy + cash prize
- Second Place: Ade Agung Firmansyah, Grand Aston Puncak Hotel & Resort – John Flood Trophy + cash prize
- Third Place: Ricky Rukmana, The Alana Hotel & Conference Center Sentul City – People’s Favourite Trophy + cash prize
The Black Box Battle reflects Archipelago’s commitment to creativity, collaboration, and service excellence, while celebrating the talent of its F&B professionals.
For more information, visit www.archipelagohotels.com or follow @archipelagointernational on Instagram.
