Chef Dewa Wijaya Loves Cooking in the Hamptons Offseason

Ginger, lemongrass, chilies, lime, fresh herbs, and the spice of Balinese cooking were non-negotiable for chef Dewa Wijaya at Nourish, the pop-up restaurant he led this summer at The Roundtree, Amagansett, a boutique retreat on Long Island’s East End. “Those flavors create depth without necessarily making a dish heavy,” Wijaya tells Surface. “I like to build flavor in layers rather than relying on one strong ingredient.”

Wijaya honed that approach over decades at COMO Shambhala in Bali and COMO Parrot Cay in Turks and Caicos before bringing it out east. “It’s exciting because the Hamptons have their own identity and their own relationship with food,” he says. “I’m working with a beautiful combination of local produce, seafood, and the seasonality of the East End, while bringing in the flavors and techniques that have shaped my cooking over the years.” When deciding whether a dish should lean more Balinese or more Hamptons, he starts with the ingredient.

Now, with the Hamptons officially in the off-season, Wijaya’s focus turns to catering, where his process begins with listening. “Every client has a different personality, occasion, and vision,” he says. “Then I think about the season, what ingredients are available, how the food will be served, and how the menu will flow from beginning to end.”

Unlike restaurant service, catering means cooking for a group all at once, so presentation, timing, temperature, and texture all have to work together. He still makes room for surprise, whether through a Balinese flavor, a local ingredient, or a fresh take on a familiar dish. “The goal is for the food to feel personal to the client,” he says, “but still have my own signature and point of view.”