Peninsula New York
Chef Irene Widjaya began her career focusing on savory dishes, but she found her new passion in sweets and pastries. She graduated from the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa Valley, California, with a concentration in baking and pastry arts. After several years as lead pastry cook and chef de partie at Sofitel Los Angeles and the Peninsula Beverly Hills, Irene was offered a life-changing opportunity in New York. Taking a leap of faith, she packed up and moved across the country with the hope of further advancing her skills under the mentorship of Executive Pastry Chef Deden Putra. Now approaching her two-year anniversary on the east coast, Irene is thrilled to have found a great teacher and leader in Chef Deden, who is no stranger to competition. Both Irene and Deden originally hail from Indonesia, and they have formed a strong friendship based on their common cultural roots.
For Chef Irene, sweetness is the key to happiness!