Meet Chef Rie Sims | Chef

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chef Rie Sims and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chef Rie, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
“Growing up in Indonesia and then immigrating to America I realized that my profession in Indonesia as a Movie Director and Producer would not be easy to do here. Also I wanted to start a family with my husband and that profession is difficult to juggle work life balances. A couple years after living in San Diego many of my friends would often request me to cater their parties, like birthdays and other events. So my husband and I created Cooking With Rie. A Personal Chef and Catering business serving authentic Indonesian food. Due to the complexity of cooking this type of cuisine we decided to go into fine dining. We successfully ran this business for 8 years and it was a good lesson and introduction into the culinary world here in America. In 2019 my family and I went back to Bali for a family vacation. During that time we found an amazing vintage Rice House that was built in 1935 and made of solid teak and ironwood. My husband fell in love with the house and wanted it for our backyard so he could have a home office for his graphic design business. We were able to purchase the house and have it dismantled and shipped to our house in San Diego. However on the flight home my husband had the idea of creating a Warung instead (a Warung means family run restaurant in Indonesian) thus Warung RieRie was born, We wanted to not only cook authentic Indonesian food but we wanted to keep it elevated and create a fine dining and cultural experience where diners get to learn all about Indonesia and its amazing culture all while eating world class food.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business is Warung RieRie a cultural fine dining experience serving a 6 course authentic Indonesian meal. It was very difficult starting this business. As we are the very first fully legal backyard restaurant in San Diego. When we first opened in May of 2021 you could not have a backyard restaurant legally in San Diego and while we worked with the County of San Diego Health Department the only way we could sort of be legal was to basically cater to our own property by cooking offsite. However in California there is an ordinance called a MEHKO or Micro Enterprise Home Kitchen Operation. The problem was that every county had to opt into the program and San Diego is very conservative in those regards. It requires a 2/3 vote by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and to get it on the agenda took several years of many groups fighting for it. Along with my husband other backyard Chefs / Home Cooks and a group known as the Cook Alliance we were able to get it on the agenda in Sept. 2021 where it was unanimously voted in favor of allowing backyard restaurants. After a 120 day discovery period the County signed in the ordinance on a 2 year trial run thus making Warung RieRie a fully legal and licensed restaurant. What sets us apart is we are the first and only Indonesian Fine dining experience in America that serves food in a traditional Indonesian Rice House. We have a full working garden onsite and we typically grow 60-80 percent of what we serve and its all done organically. We are currently fully booked a year out with and average of 350 to 400 guests on a wait list to dine with us. When guests dines with us our goal is to transport them to Indonesia. Onsite they will see a variety of banana trees, passion fruits, pineapples, dragon fruits and so much more! By the time they leave they feel like they were on vacation.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Besides enjoying our Rice House, San Diego is home to amazing cuisine places like Wrench and Rodent in Oceanside or Banbu Sushi in La Mesa or many of the world class Mexican restaurants all over San Diego. Places to visit ? Wow we have it all, from Apple picking in Julian to surfing in La Jolla or a night out in downtown. There really is something for everybody.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to thank Chef Yono Purnomo who is one of Indonesias top Chefs living here in America. He has helped mentor and guide me along my journey. Also my husband for always supporting me and helping me to run Warung RieRie.

Website: https://www.warungrierie.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warungrierie/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warungrierie/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/warung-rierie-san-diego

Image Credits
All photos by Warung RieRie