At Conrad Bangkok, Executive Chef Ryan Dadufalza is redefining what sustainability can look and taste like in a luxury hotel kitchen. One of his most surprising successes? A Thai green papaya salad made entirely from watermelon rind. “Even Thai guests couldn’t tell,” he says. “They were shocked.”
A Global Culinary Journey
Born in Guam and of Filipino-Guamanian descent, Chef Ryan trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York before embarking on a culinary career that’s taken him across Asia, from Tokyo to Bali, Dubai to Singapore. Since joining Conrad Bangkok over two years ago, he’s focused on mentoring his team and creating a kitchen culture rooted in excellence and care.
“At this stage in my career, it’s about developing people and refining how we work. I want to leave something meaningful behind.”
Values from the Ground Up
Chef Ryan’s passion for food waste reduction stems from years ago, during a family visit in Manila. They were stunned by the amount of buffet food being cleared. “We didn’t grow up with much. Seeing all that waste—it hit me.”
That experience, combined with childhood experiences farming for produce, instilled a deep respect for ingredients. “When you grow a carrot from seed, you understand what’s at stake. It makes you think twice before throwing food away.”
The Watermelon Rind Revelation
A key moment of inspiration came from Vojtech Végh, Winnow’s Zero Waste Culinary Advisor, whose demo on cooking with watermelon rind caught Chef Ryan’s attention. “I thought—this can’t possibly taste good. But when we tested it in our Thai green papaya salad, even our Thai chefs couldn’t tell it wasn’t green papaya.”
That dish now features regularly on the buffet, paired with signage explaining the kitchen’s commitment to food waste reduction. It saves up to 60 kilograms of food waste every week and has become a point of pride for the team.
Operational Shifts That Add Up
Beyond the salad, Chef Ryan’s team has embraced simple but powerful changes: reducing overproduction, cooking in smaller batches, and switching to smaller buffet vessels after peak hours. Some dishes—like vegetarian curries—are now offered à la minute, reducing waste while enhancing freshness and personalization.
These changes have delivered measurable results: a 52% reduction in food waste in 1 year saving 29,000 meals a year.
The kitchen also continues to experiment with repurposed ingredients in creative ways. One standout example: dragon fruit peel marinated and seasoned to mimic the texture of tuna. “It’s a plant-based alternative to tuna and completely unexpected,” he explains.
Looking Ahead
Chef Ryan continues to grow the hotel’s sustainability program. An herb and edible flower garden flourishes on the seventh floor. Next, he’s exploring on-site composting with biodigesters to further close the loop. “We’re just getting started,” he says. “There’s always more we can do.”
Final Word of Advice
“If it’s not important to you, it will never be important to your team.”
Chef Ryan believes leadership is where change begins. Respect, he says, is contagious. “When the chef cares, the team starts to care. And once that happens—everything begins to shift.”
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