Sebastian Pasinetti is no stranger to hospitality, being born into a hospo family and taking the plunge himself at 15. He is the co-founder of OKO Restaurant, OKO Rooftop & Cafe and OKO Catering and a proud queer Person of Colour. Sebastian is also the Co-Founder of Minds en Place, a hospitality hub for diversity, wellbeing and hospitality and the Head of Partnerships at Kelly's Cause Foundation, a charity that trains Mental Health First Aiders specifically in the hospitality industry across...
Feb 25, 2024•30 min
I caught up with Murat Ovaz at I Carusi II in St. Kilda and I felt as though I was catching up with an old friend. I spoke to Murat when he opened Yagiz in South Yarra about six years ago and that was a fun conversation about the adventures that had got him into hospitality and becoming a chef. The food at Yagiz was next level. Murat was putting up clever interpretations of the food he grew up with in Turkey and his creativity and talent earned him a loyal following. The person I had a coffee an...
Feb 18, 2024•24 min
Matthew Butcher is a larger-than-life character, who loves hugs as greetings and immediately made me feel at home and as though I was talking to an old friend when I went in to talk to him at Ronnie’s. Matthew talked a lot about how lucky he has been in following his dad’s advice to surround himself with good people, having worked for Shannon Bennett and Ryan Clift at Vue de Monde and Josh Emett and Gordon Ramsay in New York and at Maze in Melbourne. He has also done the hard yards and that comb...
Feb 08, 2024•39 min
Nordic-inspired Freyja, (the golden teared goddess of Norse mythology) the glorious two-level restaurant on Collins Street was the last piece in Soren Trampedach’s puzzle to bring people together to work and play in his Work Club Global human eco-system. It also stands alone as a statement restaurant headed in the kitchen by Michelin star chef Jae Bang. For Jae, the Nordic approach to Australian cuisine that informs Freyja’s style isn’t just about the food, although he is using traditional and a...
Jan 31, 2024•45 min
I met Juan Berbeo on Christmas Eve in the entrance to my apartment building. He was wearing an apron and I asked if he was doing some cooking. He replied, “Yes, I’m a chef.” You can imagine my excitement. We had a brief chat in the lift and to my delight, he agreed to talk to me for Conversation with a chef. Juan is Executive Chef and the guy behind the concept of Berbeo Bros. Arriving in Melbourne from Colombia 14 years ago, he worked at Pastuso, MoVida and Rockpoolbefore opening Berbeo Bros wi...
Jan 21, 2024•47 min
If you’re into excellent croissants and inventive viennoiserie (think chocolate fondant croissants), you’ll have heard of Penny for Pound. Pastry chef, Matilda Smith, and her partner in life and business, Ben Wilson opened their original hole in the wall shop in Richmond in 2018. They quickly garnered a following and Penny for Pound became the go-to spot for Richmond locals craving the perfect croissant fix. What’s even better, croissants are baked three times daily, at 8am, 10am and midday, so ...
Jan 18, 2024•37 min
I drove to Geelong on a sunny day at the start of January to talk to Eddie Basich. We had a coffee at Pavilion Geelong, and it was full summer carnival vibes. People were having picnics, the pool and waterfront were packed and there was a cruise ship out in the bay. Eddie is a private chef with 37 years’ experience cooking in hotel and restaurant kitchens here and in the UK. What he loves most about being a chef is the opportunity to teach people about food, younger chefs but also the diners. He...
Jan 07, 2024•52 min
Elia Donati has loved food and cooking since a young age, watching his mamma and nonna in the kitchen preparing his favourite meals. It wasn’t until he was 22 and in search of adventure on the other side of the world that he started learning to cook professionally. As soon as Elia moved to Melbourne he fell in love with it, and he particularly loved discovering all the cuisines we have here, in particular, Asian and American, which were a departure from the Italian food he grew up with. Having w...
Dec 17, 2023•42 min
The term Madeleine de Proust refers to the powerful and evocative sensory trigger that elicits vivid memories and emotions, often associated with Marcel Proust's literary exploration of involuntary memory in his novel "In Search of Lost Time", in French A la Recherche du Temps Perdu. This phenomenon highlights the profound connection between sensory experiences, such as taste or smell, and the retrieval of deeply buried memories, creating a nostalgic and introspective journey through time. Prous...
Dec 12, 2023•26 min
I went to have a chat to head chef, Jason Yong at Wagyu Ya Teppenyaki at The Glen. Now I hadn’t been to The Glen before, so rookie mistake, I followed Google Maps which led me to a carpark that ended up being at the polar opposite end of the mall and I did spend quite a bit of time trying to find the restaurant. But it is actually not that hard at all. Come in off Springvale Road, and it is up on the top level near David Jones. The fit out is all beautiful timber and lovely lighting. I absolutel...
Dec 09, 2023•26 min
#203 Diego Cardenas | Pincho Disco by Jo Rittey
Nov 30, 2023•27 min
Natalie Jefferson is passionate about food and keen to share that passion with others. After years in kitchens in Melbourne and London and a long stint running her own café, Our Kitchen Table, Nat has taken a side step into the kitchen of our Food Studies Department at school. You can imagine my reaction when she was introduced at a staff meeting as the new Food Studies Assistant and former chef. I made a beeline to talk to her. Recently my Year 7 French classes have been learning about food and...
Nov 23, 2023•45 min
I don't know about you, but the luxury hotel world feels like another dimension to me; a glamourous, celebrity-filled world. Then there are the people behind the scenes who make it all happen. My only insight into their world is through White Lotus, The Night Manager and The Grand Budapest Hotel, which are documentaries, right? I was invited to a glorious Melbourne Cup Day Champagne breakfast at The Westin in Collins Street and I was welcomed into a group of General Managers and other hotel indu...
Nov 15, 2023•45 min
#200 Stephanie Stapleton | Ms Jackson Restaurant by Jo Rittey
Oct 30, 2023•21 min
I had a lovely chat to Jake Furst earlier this year and then had an incredible wine lunch at Cinder, one of the restaurants he oversees. I have also been wanting to talk to his younger brother, Zackary, head chef at Bar Liberty for a while so when I saw they were collaborating on a four-course dinner that channels their Polish roots, I couldn’t think of anything better than hearing all about it from both of them. Zack has just got back from travelling Poland from top to bottom, visiting family a...
Oct 23, 2023•26 min
Alessandro Tintori grew up on a farm in Tuscany and so when he talks about cooking with the seasons, it’s not just a cliche, it’s a way of life. Having started his chef life in Italy, with a two-year stint in London, and some time in Sydney, luckily for us, Alex now calls Melbourne home. After a wonderful six years working at Il Bacaro with David Dellai, the opportunity arose for Alex with friend and front of house manager, Roby Giannetta to buy Sosta Ristorante in North Melbourne with business ...
Oct 21, 2023•27 min
I had dinner at Officina Gastronomica Italiana a couple of weeks ago and loved everything about it, from the exposed brick walls to the art deco lighting to the wall of wine. The food and wine were delicious too, but the thing I loved most about Officina Gastronomica Italiana was owner Claudio Casoni and the obvious love he has for hospitality and sharing the food and wine of his region, Emilia-Romagna. He told us some glorious stories on the night, so I knew that getting to sit down with him fo...
Oct 14, 2023•1 hr 5 min
Nada Thomas is the new head chef at Her. It turns out I actually know her sister-in-law and when I mentioned I had chatted to Nada, Belinda described her as a “pocket rocket, and we love her.” Nada exudes love for cooking and hospitality. She loves what she does, loves her team and it feels as though she has an endless supply of ideas for menus in the future. This current menu is an expression of Nada’s love for European cooking. Having worked at The Press Club and ten years at Cecconi’s, Nada’s...
Oct 07, 2023•31 min
Mariana Chedid is an exquisite pâtissiere. She also wants to change the world for the better, starting with the people she meets on her life journey as well as those she works with and who come into Brulee Patisserie in Port Melbourne. Mariana discovered a love for cooking by accident when she was working in hospitality while studying architectural technology. Around the time she decided to pursue cooking, she was reading Julia Child’s book, My Love of France, and decided to follow in her footst...
Oct 04, 2023•38 min
I spoke to Martin Goffin about 4 ½ years ago and it was a pleasure driving out to Red Hill on the Mornington Peninsula again to see how he is going and what’s happening now for Red Gum BBQ. Originally from the east coast of England, Martin discovered a love for barbecue through his American-born wife, Melissa, and left a job in local government to pursue the pit master life. He spent some time in the States learning as much as he could and then set up a mobile barbecue company here in 2013 befor...
Sep 27, 2023•26 min
Today I’m talking to Adam Mumford from Soult, salt with soul, a premium flavoured salt that gives back to the community. 100% of their profits go to Mental Health Charities or Foundations that focus on post suicide support and suicide prevention. In Australia, this is Standby and Mental Wheels and Healthy Heads in Trucks and Sheds. We do talk about suicide in this episode, which can be distressing. If you need resources or support go to beyondblue.org or for 24 hour free counselling in Australia...
Sep 15, 2023•27 min
James Gibson is the loveliest man. He exudes warmth, friendliness and absolute passion for food and chef life. Originally from Leeds, James got into the kitchen as a way to get out of school and hasn’t looked back. After six years working for the Arbory crew and working his way up through the ranks, he is now Executive chef of Arbory and Afloat, the seasonal venue on the Yarra. This year Afloat is Afloat Viva Mexico and James joined the team on a research trip to Mexico to source the best of the...
Sep 14, 2023•25 min
Anthony Femia is a cheesemonger. Not just any cheesemonger, but an internationally recognised cheesemonger who regularly sets off on wandering cheesemonger trips around the world and in 2018 was the first Australian cheesemonger to be invited to the caves of Marcel Petite in the Jura mountains in France to select his very own flavour profile of Comté. Luckily for us, Anthony calls Melbourne home and in 2015 he opened Maker and Monger in the Prahran Market, so you can get along there and sample t...
Aug 31, 2023•45 min
I feel very lucky to get to talk to incredible chefs, most of them with many year’s experience in the industry. I often ask chefs what their advice would be to people at the start of their career and I have heard so many gems. It seems apt then, every now and then to chat to one of those chefs who might appreciate that advice, someone who is just starting out and to hear how things are going as they embark on their journey. Dev Gandhi is one of these young chefs. Dev got in touch with me through...
Aug 23, 2023•38 min
What a divine experience to talk to David Zhou at Oriental Teahouse in South Yarra on the eve of their 20th birthday celebrations. David is softly spoken with a wealth of wisdom and knowledge about his teas, hospitality and people. While we spoke, I was treated to a glorious pot of David’s calm concentrate tea, made with goji berries, lychees and other ingredients and which became more and more caramel flavoured as the conversation went on and is designed to nourish the heart and sharpen your mi...
Aug 16, 2023•1 hr 7 min
Dale Kemp began his cooking career back home in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Although he had always been aware of and interested in the fact his grandmother was a great cook - she had a huge garden and grew fruit and vegetables throughout the year – he didn’t think about becoming a chef until he got an after-school job at 16 as a dishwasher at the Boat Shed Café in Nelson. He loved the sounds, the aromas, and the adrenaline you get from a busy service. This was at the Boat Shed Cafe in Nelson, New Zea...
Aug 15, 2023•23 min
I went in to chat to Adrian Richardson at La Luna Bistro on a rainy Saturday afternoon when a wedding lunch was winding up in the downstairs dining room and the staff were prepping for evening service. Longstanding restaurant manager, Linda thrust a glass of wine into my hand and Adrian and I went for a tour of the cool room where they dry age ALL the meat. I don’t think I have seen so much meat in one place, but of course that is what La Luna is known for and for good reason. When you have had ...
Aug 13, 2023•43 min
I went in to Pipi’s Kiosk halfway through May to talk to co-owner and chef, Jordan Clay. I am a long time fan of Pipi’s, because of its setting right on the beach looking out across Port Philip Bay and of course, because of the food. When I spoke to Jordan, we had just put an offer on an apartment in Port Melbourne and I thought to myself, imagine if we get this and I can just walk down the beach and have a glass of wine and some fish at Pipi’s. So when we were successful with the apartment and ...
Aug 09, 2023•55 min
#185 Oliver Hughes | Henrietta by Jo Rittey
Aug 06, 2023•21 min
I went in to Stokehouse at golden hour as the glow of the late afternoon sun bathed the dining room. Winter is the best time for sunsets, they told me, and as I left after chatting to Jason, the sky was awash with deep coral. It’s a stunning dining room. Who wouldn’t want to sip wine and eat glorious food looking out over Port Philip Bay? It’s even more stunning once you know how intentional the rebuild was post-2014 fire. Owner Frank Van Haandel wants to contribute to a world his grandchildren ...
Jul 27, 2023•25 min
