Richie Budiharto Pratadaja

Richie Budiharto Pratadaja

FIKA NYC

I was born in Jakarta, Indonesia. I moved to United States in 2004 to study industrial design. However, I spent a lot of time watching Food Network channel on my free time that made me decided to go to culinary school and pursue my dream. I want to create something that makes people happy. So, I enrolled and graduated from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Scottsdale in Pastry and Baking program. While I was in sc hool, I assisted my instructor in ACF Pastry Chef of The Year Chef Tracy DeWitt. I also assisted in Chef Stephane Treand’s chocolate showpiece class at the World Pastry Forum 2010. That’s the moment I know that I want to be a chocolatier. After I graduated, I work at the Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas for Chef Jean-Marie Auboine. Then I moved to New York and worked for Jacques Torres as sous chocolatier under Chef Christophe Toury. Now, I work for FIKA NYC under Chef Håkan Mårtensson where I have the freedom to create what I desire from confectionary to chocolate sculpting.