The first thing that greets you at Oma Elly is not the plating but the feeling: the aroma of slow-cooked ragu, the sound of laughter between courses, the quiet nostalgia in a spoonful of tiramisu. As Founder and Executive Chef of Oma Elly, Chef Andry Susanto has turned that nostalgia into a living, breathing culinary philosophy: honest food, made beautifully. Oma Elly, his grandmother, is the kitchen’s origin story—memories of her cooking for him and the palate she shaped became the foundation of his cooking. Speaking with The Time Place Magazine, he reflects on family, flavours, and why the most beautiful meals often begin at a family table and in a grandmother’s care.
You started cooking with Oma Elly from a very young age. What’s one lesson of hers you carry into the kitchen every day, beyond recipes?
It’s hard to name one piece of wisdom from her, because she wasn’t the type to give advice. She led by presence, not words. From the beginning of Oma Elly, every time I faced a crossroads, I’d pause and ask myself, “What would Oma do? Or what would make her proud?” She was warm, nurturing, someone you could just sit with for hours and talk about anything. When I was away at boarding school, I’d call her at night just to chat about my day. She always made time. That’s what stayed with me.
How do you keep your Oma’s presence alive in the kitchen, even when you’re experimenting with new flavours and trying out new techniques?
In the early days of Oma Elly, about seven or eight months in, something happened that stayed with me. One of my close family members, Oma Elly’s own child, came to a private dinner and said, “You know, Oma never cooked that specific dish, but it felt like her cooking.” That was the moment everything clicked. Her greatest gift wasn’t a book of recipes—it was her palate. I grew up eating her food, always looking forward to it more than anything else, and that shaped the way I cook today.
She didn’t just make Italian dishes; her Indonesian food was incredible, too. But whatever she cooked, it had a certain honesty, a depth that lingered. That’s what I try to carry forward: flavours that are bold, rich, comforting, and simple, yet layered at the same time. It’s why when I choose chefs to lead our outlets, I don’t test their technique first; I test their palate. If they taste and feel food the same way I do, then I know they can carry the legacy. Because technique can evolve, but the true essence of cooking lives in your mouth.
Guests often say Oma Elly feels more like being welcomed into a home than dining in a restaurant. How do you train your team to create that feeling in every guest’s experience?
It began as something organic and grew into something deeply structured. In the early days, when there were only a handful of The pasta used in Oma Elly’s dishes are carefully made and prepared at the restaurant people, I worked side by side with everyone. They could see how I did things and mirror it naturally. But as we grew into hundreds, I couldn’t be in every kitchen anymore. The challenge was figuring out how to translate an intangible feeling into something that could be taught and measured. We always said we wanted people to feel like they were visiting Oma’s house, to feel that warmth. But how do you turn warmth into a KPI?
That’s where we started building systems around attitude and values, not just skill. We learned the hard way that technique can be taught, but empathy, integrity, and kindness are harder to train, so we began hiring people who shared our beliefs and energy. Then came the “Oma Elly Way,” our own framework for how to cook, lead, and connect. We even redefined what success means for our teams. Instead of measuring sales, we measure relationships: how many guests trust us enough to share their birthdays, phone numbers, or stories. Because if they feel that connection, then we’ve succeeded in making them feel at home.
What makes gelato such a natural extension of the Oma Elly philosophy?
In Italy, gelato is not just a dessert; it’s part of everyday life. You’ll see men in suits stepping out at lunch for a cup of gelato, and no one thinks twice about it. Here, ice cream is often seen as something for kids, but for me, it’s tied to family memories. When I was little, every Tuesday in July meant half-off waffles, and that became a family ritual. It wasn’t really about the dessert; it was about being together. That’s the feeling I want to recreate with our gelato. The best part is watching families—grandparents, parents, kids—all picking flavours, sharing bites, laughing, and comparing which one’s better. That’s the spirit of it all. Gelato, to me, is happiness served in a cup.
If the work ever feels overwhelming, what’s the story or memory that brings you back to why you started Oma Elly?
There’s a photo I often look at: me in the kitchen with my daughter in a baby carrier while I was plating catering food. It reminds me of where everything began. There’s also a video of her sitting on the counter during our early private dining days, watching us work through service. Those memories keep me grounded. It’s not just about the beginning, but about every milestone that followed: our first customer review, seeing someone’s face light up after the first bite, and the joy in the team. Those moments remind me why we do what we do. There are days when getting out of bed feels heavy, but then I remember them. I need to show up for them, for what we’ve built together.
