Bali’s Master Chefs Take Over W Maldives

For two nights only, three of Bali’s master chefs — Benjamin Cross, Stephen Moore, and Chris Smith— will unite for a six-hands collaboration that celebrates open-fire cooking, sustainable sourcing, and the boundless possibilities of global cuisine. 

The event, staged on 18 and 20 October, will unfold across two of the resort’s signature restaurants, each with its own identity and rhythm. At FIRE, the beachfront smokehouse, the focus turns to flame and smoke in their purest expressions. Guests can expect elemental dishes like whole roast wagyu ribeye, smoked duck paired with green chilli chutney, and a playful smoked banana split.

Two nights later, the setting shifts to FISH, the overwater dining destination devoted to ocean-to-table gastronomy. Here, the menu reflects the sea’s immediacy with plates such as line-caught fish pilpil with piquillo pepper, lobster risoni dressed in tom yum butter, and inventive seafood creations designed to echo the surrounding waters of the Indian Ocean.

Masters of Three

What makes the collaboration compelling is not just the setting, but the convergence of three distinct culinary voices. 

Benjamin Cross 

As Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Bali’s Mason and Bar Vera, Benjamin Cross channels his experience at Spain’s Can Fabes and New York’s Craft into a Mediterranean-inspired cuisine that celebrates fire, terroir, and seasonal ingredients.

In 2008, Cross joined Bali’s iconic KU DE TA, later leading its fine-dining concept Mejakawi in 2013. After over a decade there, he co-founded Fishbone Local and Mason with the Brett Hospitality Group in 2018, bringing modern, ingredient-driven dining to Bali.

Today, as Group Executive Chef & Owner, Cross leads the kitchen at Mason while consulting for Aqua Expeditions, a luxury cruise line. His cuisine reflects a balance of global technique and local sensibility — rooted in his international training yet deeply connected to Indonesia’s vibrant produce and culinary culture.

Passionate about innovation, sustainability, and the power of food to connect people, Chef Ben Cross continues to shape Bali’s dining landscape, earning recognition as one of the region’s most visionary chefs.

Stephen Moore

Culinary Director and Co-Owner of Shelter, Stephen Moore draws on experiences at El Celler de Can Roca, Aman properties in India, and acclaimed Australian kitchens to craft food that balances structure with soulful Middle Eastern and Mediterranean nuances. 

Known for his discipline and tenacity — traits sharpened as a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and an eight-time amateur fighter — Stephen has long embraced challenges both in and out of the kitchen. Intuitively, life has a way of testing even the strongest resolve. A severe back injury left him struggling to walk, threatening to derail everything he had built. Faced with this unexpected adversity, Stephen could have seen it as an end. Instead, he chose to see it as an opportunity for transformation.

Central to his recovery was the support of The Block Wellness Centre, where a tailored rehab program helped him regain mobility, strength, and confidence. Complementing this was a focus on nutrition, with clean, performance-driven meals from LARIOS Kitchen fueling his body and mind. Through a regimen grounded in consistency, patience, and purpose, Stephen gradually rebuilt his life—one measured step at a time.

The discipline that defined his fighting career found new expression in a culinary philosophy shaping his approach to creativity, leadership, and wellbeing. Stephen’s journey shows that setbacks can inspire reinvention, proving that with intention and perseverance, we can push beyond limits and redefine what’s possible in both career and life.

Chris Smith 

Completing the trio is Chris Smith, the driving force behind Red Gunpowder, whose background in Michelin-starred restaurants across London and Paris informs a distinctive marriage of French precision with Indian spice and Balinese freshness.

Of the finest local ingredients, teasing exponential South-east flavours cultivated and implemented, unanimously compatible to cater to the diverse community of Bali, Red Gunpowder itself is a testament to sustainable elegance. Built from reclaimed wood, the restaurant exudes rustic sophistication and a welcoming atmosphere. Chris and his team celebrate the finest local ingredients, transforming them into a Mediterranean-inspired menu that evolves daily with the freshest produce available. 

Under Chris’s direction, Red Gunpowder has become a destination for innovative, flavour-driven dining, where global techniques meet Bali’s rich culinary heritage.

Craft and Celebration 

Together, they represent a generation reshaping Bali’s dining narrative, where international influences intertwine with local sensibilities, and where respect for ingredients remains paramount. “There’s a synergy between Bali and the Maldives,” says Cross. “Both are islands that value sustainability, authenticity, and storytelling through cuisine.”

For diners, this collaboration is less a meal than a journey—one that moves from the primal energy of flame to the delicate expression of the ocean, framed by the Maldives’ natural beauty. In the hands of Cross, Moore, and Smith, food becomes more than sustenance: it is connection, craft, and celebration.

(Images from W Maldives)