CHEFS: A New Chapter

2 hours ago

4 min read

Xp Bonaire IslandLife Feature Story

When CHEFS opened its doors in May 2019, Han ten Winkel and Mark Tromop introduced Bonaire to a very personal interpretation of fine dining. Their intimate restaurant at Bamboo Bonaire was built around an open kitchen, a surprise five-course menu and, above all, direct contact between chef and guest.

Seven years later, CHEFS is entering a new chapter. Han remains at the heart of the restaurant, while 25-year-old Jochem de Heer Kloots has become his business partner and co-owner.

A six-month plan that never happened

Jochem arrived on Bonaire on October 4, 2022, just after completing his HBO hospitality education in Amsterdam. His original plan was simple: stay on the island for six months. Instead, Bonaire quickly became home.

His passion for hospitality started much earlier. At 15, he began working in an Italian restaurant, starting in the dishwashing area. “That was tough,” he recalls. He soon discovered that the kitchen was where he wanted to be.

During his education, Jochem gained experience at respected Dutch restaurants, including De Librije and Brass Boer. His interest in food was also shaped by his family.

“I always liked going to good restaurants with my grandparents and parents,” he explains. “My grandmother and father also enjoy cooking.”

From the dining room to ownership

At CHEFS, Jochem gradually became much more than a team member and small shareholder. He took on responsibilities involving wine, presentation and conversations with guests — the personal interaction he enjoys most.

When Mark decided he wanted to step away from the long evenings of restaurant life and explore other ideas, an opportunity emerged. Jochem offered to take over Mark’s shares, and in April everything was signed and completed.

Jochem is now a full shareholder and co-owner of CHEFS alongside Han.

Mark, meanwhile, continues his work through Pastries Bonaire, taking his experience in a new direction.

“It is getting used to not having Mark”

For Han, the change is emotional as well as professional.

“It is getting used to not having Mark around,” he says. “I only had to look at him and I knew what he was thinking.”

Yet Han believes the new partnership could hardly have worked out better. The transition gives him room to continue developing CHEFS while exploring his own creativity.

“Your body gets older, but my head is becoming more active,” Han says.

That energy is already being channeled into new culinary concepts, including his involvement with El Canton, where he helped create an opportunity for Rhashindra Donge and Nerio Acosta to develop their own restaurant.

Fine dining — Room to experiment

At CHEFS, the philosophy remains consistent: personal attention, quality ingredients and a willingness to experiment.

The team looks for inspiration during their travels, scrolling the phone, bringing ideas back, testing them and adapting them to Bonaire’s humidity, temperature and local circumstances.

“We are always trying things,” Jochem says.

For him, the creative process — trial and error, developing dishes, discovering new places and seeing guests’ immediate reactions — is one of the most rewarding parts of the job.

“Personal attention to the guests is one of the most important details.”

That has always been at the heart of CHEFS. Guests don't simply receive a meal; they become part of the experience. The open kitchen keeps the chefs close, while food, wine and conversation become part of the evening.

The next generation

María Pabón is currently training at the restaurant and has already become part of the CHEFS family. She is being supported in her future plans, including her ambition to eventually create a business connected to her Colombian heritage or any other path she chooses.

Mats Pekelharing plays an important role as well. A patient and brilliant teacher, he is helping develop the next generation in the kitchen.

For Han, creating opportunities for others is part of the bigger picture.

“You can always work very hard, but you also need the opportunity.” Having received opportunities himself, he now wants to help create them for others.

A well-oiled machine

The aim is not simply to make CHEFS bigger, but to develop it while protecting the intimate atmosphere and personal service that define the experience.

As Han puts it, the restaurant now runs like “a well-oiled machine.”

Some faces around CHEFS may be changing, but its ambition remains the same: continue developing, keep experimenting and make every guest feel genuinely welcomed.

CHEFS is not standing still. It is evolving — one plate, one idea and one new opportunity at a time.

CHEFS — At a Glance

Location: Kaya Gob. N. Debrot 86, Hato, Bonaire

Experience: Five-course surprise menu with optional wine pairing

Dinner: Wednesday–Saturday, from 7:00 PM

Price: $130 per person without wine / $205 with wine

Local rate: $110 without wine / $185 with wine through December 31, 2026

Reservations: Required — booking WELL in advance is required!!!

Age: Guests 16 and older