Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Keasberry.
Jeff, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Jeff Keasberry is a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur, best-selling cookbook author, and podcaster. Born in Amsterdam and raised in his family’s famed Dutch Indonesian restaurant, Djokja, Jeff inherited a passion for food, tradition, and cultural connection. At just 18, he became the restaurant’s owner, continuing his grandmother’s legacy of uniting people through the rich flavors of Dutch-Indonesian cuisine.
One of the most iconic expressions of this fusion is the rijsttafel—a ceremonial feast of many small dishes served with rice, showcasing the diverse influences of Indonesian regional cooking through a colonial Dutch lens. More than a meal, it’s a celebration of variety, hospitality, and shared experience—values that deeply shape Jeff’s approach to food and storytelling.
After moving to LA in 2005, Jeff realized how little Americans knew about the Indische Nederlanders or Indo community—people of mixed Dutch and Indonesian heritage who immigrated to the U.S. via the Netherlands after Indonesia’s independence. This diaspora includes notable figures like the late Eddie and Alex van Halen and actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar, yet remains underrepresented in mainstream narratives.
Motivated by homesickness and cultural pride, Jeff set out to preserve and promote Indo-Dutch culinary heritage. He published two cookbooks in the Netherlands and gained widespread recognition with his third, Indo Dutch Kitchen Secrets—the first English-language Indo cookbook in the U.S. It struck a chord across the Indo diaspora, helping readers reconnect with their roots, honor their elders, and rediscover the flavors of their childhood.
Now, Jeff is working on Dutch Indonesian Heritage Cooking, a pocket-sized edition with essential recipes, launching this September. For him, food is more than sustenance—it’s a story of migration, resilience, and belonging. His mission is to keep Indo identity alive, not as a forgotten chapter, but as a vibrant part of today’s multicultural world.
The best Indo meals are still made in home kitchens. Jeff’s cookbooks are meant to be used, loved, and passed on—filled with memories, flavor, and gezelligheid—that warm, uniquely Dutch sense of togetherness.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The journey hasn’t always been smooth. One of the biggest challenges has been gaining visibility for both myself and the Indo community. As descendants of Dutch and Indonesian heritage, we’re often overlooked or misunderstood. Another ongoing challenge is educating people about Indo-Dutch cuisine in a culinary landscape where fusion trends often eclipse traditional heritage.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a creative at heart—handling all photography and styling for my cookbooks, blending visual storytelling with culinary tradition. As a social connector, I’ve founded expat networking groups in LA to help people feel at home abroad.
My passion lies in preserving and promoting my mixed Indo-Dutch heritage. Through cookbooks, classes, and cultural advocacy, I share our story. I serve on the board of The Indo Project, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Indische Nederlanders—people of mixed Dutch and Indonesian descent. We focus on education, community, and making the invisible visible, one story at a time.
I also chair The United Netherlands Organizations, which hosts the 35th annual Holland Festival this year—the largest Dutch heritage event on the U.S. West Coast—and Dutch King’s Day in L.A., bringing together the Dutch, Indo, and international communities in celebration.
In all my work, I focus on keeping Indo-Dutch culinary heritage alive, offering not just recipes but deeper cultural connections. What I’m most proud of is hearing from younger generations who use my cookbooks to reconnect with their roots or remember their Oma’s cooking. That’s what makes it all worthwhile.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
You can support my mission by ordering my new cookbook, Dutch Indonesian Heritage Cooking (https://keasberry.com/news/new-pocket-edition-indo-dutch-kitchen-secrets-coming/), and sharing it with others who appreciate cultural stories told through food. Join me on this culinary journey to bring well-deserved recognition to Indo-Dutch cuisine—a rich and unique heritage that deserves a place at the global table.
I’m always open to meaningful collaborations—whether you’re a content creator, cultural organization, culinary brand, or event producer passionate about food, history, or identity. Let’s find ways to amplify the Indo story together.
Follow my work, listen to my podcast ‘The Rice Table’ share it, invite me to speak, teach, or cook—every connection helps keep our heritage alive.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://keasberry.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffkeasberry
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cookingwithkeasberry
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rice-table/id1522410644?i=1000694932527
Image Credits
Images by Jeff Keasberry
