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CEOWORLD Magazine Interview: Anna Gawlikowska, Managing Director, Restaurant Galeria Bali & Buddha Club, Warsaw, Poland
By Editorial for CEOWORLD Magazine Updated:June 27, 2009
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By: CEOWORLD Magazine
The following Interview is brought to you by CEOWORLD Magazine.
Madame, where did you get the idea to create a Bali restaurant in the heart of Europe?
It was my father, Witold Gawlikowski, who inspired me to do this. He has spent a lot of time in Asia and for many years he has lived on the Indonesian Bali Island. The idea behind this restaurant is to transfer a piece of this Indonesian paradise to Warsaw, to expose its beauty in a pure form. My father is a businessman and a traveler. After many years of fantastic journeys, having visited a huge number of countries he stated that Bali Island is the most beautiful place on Earth. I personally agree with it, because the Bali culture and gastronomy are just incredible. We decided to combine the restaurant with an art gallery, to promote not only the Indonesian kitchen, but also its culture and art. That is why in our restaurant all the elements are original and have been brought here direct from Bali. We have also got original, perfect cooks.
When did your restaurant come into being?
In 2005 we rented the place. It took us about a half a year to prepare it for the opening. The restaurant was opened in January 2006.
In a very short time the Bali Gallery has become one of the most important and popular restaurants in Poland. You take the 2nd place in the prestigious Forbes magazine ranking. It really makes an impression. What is your receipt for success?
Yes, that is right. We are very happy to be in the lead. As far as the receipt for success goes, we put the highest quality in the first place. We have managed to work out very high quality standards. That is why we were successful. Of course we don’t rest on our laurels, we still aim at perfection and want to become better and better in what we do. It’s connected with the service and the quality of our menu. We got the gastronomy specialists, these are exclusive cooks with great experience. Our chef, I Made Runatha, is a true culinary artist. He’s been professionally cooking for 25 years. Actually, every man living on Bali is an artist. These people can conjure up a magnificent mixture of tastes.
Today we can proudly say that we are the only Bali restaurant in Europe. Why? Because the gastronomy is very specific there, which makes it difficult to be served in Poland. Despite that fact, we always pursue uniqueness.
What is your restaurant famous for? What is so unique about the Bali Gallery?
First of all, we offer a unique, very exotic kitchen and original, elegant interior decoration. Every guest visiting our restaurant is important and unique for us. The thing which distinguishes us from the competitive restaurants is the fact that we have a real barbecue and we grill on the coconut parings. It ensures an amazing taste and fragrance. This idea has been taken straight from the ‘Jimbaran’ beach, famous for the best seafood in the world.
Our sauces are prepared according to the Bali traditional rules. The secret of Indonesian gastronomy is the ‘Bumbu’ pasta, the marinade. We prepare them on our own and they provide an unforgettable taste to our dishes. We use only original ingredients, brought from Indonesia. These are such products as vegetables, fruit, herbs, spices but above all – fresh tropical fish and seafood. Our restaurant has the best offer in Warsaw, as far as the seafood is concerned. We also supply the restaurant with the Asian beer. We have a broad offer of wines. We have a collection of unique bottles and vintages.
How would you describe your guests? Who are the people visiting the Bali Gallery?
These are people who appreciate the quality of service. We are hosting businessmen, journalists, travelers and people who are simply curious of new culinary experience. There are many celebrities visiting our restaurant as well. It often happens that our guests have visited the Bali Island and want to get back there with their memories, when they are back to Warsaw.
Madame, the majority of restaurant owners are male. How do you find yourself in this world as a woman?
It is obvious that women have it harder. However I am doing well as a businesswoman. At the moment, when I opened the restaurant, my father helped me with many organizational issues, first of all with the culinary stuff. He is a perfect cook, fascinated with the Bali kitchen. Another person who gave me hand was my sister, who is the the restaurant manager. I was 24 years old when I was opening Bali Gallery.
The beginning was difficult, but I managed to survive in the male world of business. That time I realized that you need to be self confident, that you cannot give up. You need to set your goals and pursue them. That is why I am launching another restaurant. I can’t say anything about this project right now, but I can tell you that this is going to be an exclusive, exotic restaurant, with an accent of French kitchen.
What could be improved or changed in your restaurant?
I am a perfectionist and I am aiming at achieving the highest quality possible in every detail, including our dishes, alcohol, coffee and of course the service. However we can always wish ourselves more guests. It is always our goal, to make guests as satisfied as possible. I think that we are achieving this aim. A satisfied client is the best advertisement you can think of. That is why the new restaurant I mentioned has become an important project for me. My personal development is crucial for me.
What do you consider to be a greatest achievement, as far as ‘Bali Gallery & Buddha Club’ is concerned?
Our most important achievement are the cooks – native Balians, true kitchen masters. I am very proud of them, they are great co-workers, they represent a high level of culture and class. As for the restaurant, surely a great success is a real barbecue and the fresh tropical fish and seafood. It distinguishes us, it is a unique offer on the Polish market. We managed to bring a piece of Bali to Warsaw and to promote the culture of the Island in Poland. I am also very proud of our unique interior decoration. One can feel himself here like in a Buddha temple. I created two VIP rooms, for the business guests. These rooms are intended to satisfy needs of the most demanding people.
Contact Restaurant Galeria Bali & Buddha Club:
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Restaurant GALERIA BALI & BUDDHA CLUB street Jasna 22 (next to Swietokrzyskiej), 00-054 Warsaw, tel/fax. +48 (22 828 67 71) Opening hours: 12.00-24.00 info@galeriabali.pl www.galeriabali.pl |
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