The Menu - podcast cover

The Menu

Monoclemonocle.com
Our guide to the world of food, drink and entertaining, The Menu serves up interviews with the world’s most creative chefs, introduces the makers behind the scenes and the ingredients that will soon be landing on your restaurant table.
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Episodes

Food Neighbourhoods #441: Strasbourg, France

Renowned for its medieval architecture and its status as one of the European Union’s de-facto capitals, Strasbourg is also a culinary destination in its own right. Jad Salfiti takes us to the best spots. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 01, 20255 min

Food Neighbourhoods #440: Piata Obor, Bucharest

We’re heading to the northeastern edges of Bucharest and to Piata Obor – a sprawling market that has been a cornerstone of life in the city for centuries. Monocle’s Laura Kramer takes us on a tour. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 24, 20257 min

Food on the move

Chiara Rimella’s ode to an Italian roadside classic, Autogrill. Then we find out what’s taking off on Portland’s airport menus. Plus: a taste of golden-era-of-travel glamour at New York’s Grand Central Oyster Bar. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 20, 202528 min

Food Neighbourhoods #439: Quadrilatero, Bologna

Bologna is renowned for its culinary offerings, including regional specialities such lasagne, tagliatelle and tortellini. Here, contributor Dany Mitzman takes a tour of the city’s historic market neighbourhood, Quadrilatero, with Cesarine. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 17, 202515 min

Northern Pasta Co, Dakar’s delicacies and Apollo Bagels in Copenhagen

We hear what it takes to launch an independent food brand with Northern Pasta Co. Then: Chiara Rimella shops for Senegalese delicacies at L’Epicerie in Dakar. Plus: New York-based Apollo Bagels in Copenhagen. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 13, 202531 min

Food Neighbourhoods #438: Kalk Bay

Angelica Jopson heads to Cape Town’s coastline to sample the culinary delights on offer in Kalk Bay, a fishing village nestled between mountain and sea. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 10, 202511 min

‘Pakistan’, spot prawn season in Canada and Jigger & Pony

We speak to Maryam Jillani about her extensive cookbook on Pakistani cuisine. Then: we get a taste of juicy spot prawns in Vancouver and sip on cocktails at Singapore’s acclaimed Jigger & Pony. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 06, 202530 min

Food Neighbourhoods #437: MAD Symposium, Copenhagen

Copenhagen hosted the seventh MAD Symposium last week, uniting chefs, farmers and restaurateurs to explore ways of improving the food sector. This year’s theme is “Build to Last”. Michael Booth tells us more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 03, 202512 min

‘Umai’, London Coffee Festival and our wine of the month

Millie Tsukagoshi Lagares on opening the door to the Japanese home kitchen in her new book, ‘Umai’. Then: this year’s London Coffee Festival and we pop the cork on our wine of the month. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 30, 202529 min

Food Neighbourhoods #436: Belmont, The Bronx, New York

New York is known for its Italian food but changing demographics have introduced other thriving cuisines. Charlie Bell heads to the Belmont area of the Bronx where authentic Italian-American food continues to shine. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 27, 202513 min

The food of Ukraine and its diaspora

An episode dedicated to Ukrainian food. We speak to Sydney-based Anastasia Zolotarev about her new book, bread as a symbol of resistance and Manhattan restaurant Veselka. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 23, 202536 min

Food Neighbourhoods #435: Ialysos, Rhodes

Lars Bevanger heads to the town of Ialysos on Rhodes to delight in the island’s rich food and drink culture, which is coloured by its Italian history and proximity to the Levant. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 20, 202511 min

Supper clubs, wild garlic and Wein Goutte

Xanthe Ross tells us about her new book, Stay for Supper . Then: we explore the world of wild garlic and meet the founder of German wine collective, Wein Goutte. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 16, 202530 min

Food Neighbourhoods #434: Bethnal Green, London

Recently, London's Bethnal Green has blossomed , with chic wine bars and coffee roasters cropping up to sit alongside the typical East-end pubs and pie shops. Here, Valentina Venelli takes us on a tour. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 13, 20256 min

Three-course feast

We’re serving up a three-course feast as we delve into the nostalgic pull of the prawn cocktail. Then, we tuck into a steaming bowl of pasta and lay on something sweet from Indonesia to finish. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 09, 202526 min

Food Neighbourhoods #433: Somerset, England

Somerset is known for its idyllic countryside and rolling hills. In recent years, however, the English county has become a culinary hotspot. Here, Monica Lillis takes us to the best outposts, old and new. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 06, 20257 min

Food Neighbourhoods #432: Surry Hills, Sydney

City-nudging Surry Hills was once the industrial hub of Sydney’s rag trade but now it’s home to flotillas of cafés, restaurants, wine bars and hotels. Tamara Thiessen takes us on a tour. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 29, 20258 min

Food Neighbourhoods #431: Colonia Roma, Mexico City

Originally a European-inspired enclave for the upper and middle classes, Mexico City’s tree-lined Colonia Roma district has survived earthquakes and been reinvented through artistic movements. Today it offers a diverse range of culinary experiences showcasing the best that the nation has to offer, from blue-corn quesadillas to specialist Mexican coffee. Verity de Cala meets the people behind the area’s street-food shops and cafés. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Apr 22, 202510 min

Chocolate special

It’s the beginning of the Easter weekend for those who celebrate, so what better time to indulge in an episode dedicated to chocolate. We speak to the founder of Knoops, the brand championing hot chocolate as an everyday drink. Then: Monocle’s Michael Booth meets award-winning Danish chocolatier Mikkel Friis-Holm. Plus: we unwrap the latest Easter-egg trends with Monocle’s Fernando Augusto Pacheco. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Apr 18, 202530 min

Food Neighbourhoods #430: Val d’Orcia, Italy

We’re heading to the rolling hills of southern Tuscany, where regenerative food and wine practices are flourishing among ancient landscapes. Monocle contributor Issabella Orlando takes us on a tour of Val d’Orcia, where heritage crops are cultivated with a deep respect for tradition, biodiversity and the land itself. Here, she meets the stewards of a region whose roots run deep and whose yields speak for themselves. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Apr 15, 202512 min

Coffee

We meet Noma’s Carolyne Lane to hear about the Copenhagen institution’s new bean-roasting venture, Noma Kaffe. Then: we sit down with acclaimed barista Celeste Wong to find out why there are dozens of recipes to try when you’re after the perfect cup. Plus: we check in at Man Met Bril Koffie Hotel in Rotterdam. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 11, 202531 min

Food Neighbourhoods #429: Harlem, New York

We’re looking at a slice of history this week in the shape of Lee Lee’s Baked Goods, which has been serving New Yorkers for nearly 40 years. It’s the story of Alvin Lee Smalls, known as Lee Lee, and the changing face of the iconic Harlem neighbourhood. Lee Lee joins Charlie Bell to speak about his life’s work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 08, 202510 min

Bahraini cuisine, Finland’s heritage ale and are New York’s diners the community hub that they once were?

We sample a morsel of Bahrain’s mouthwatering cuisine with Noor Murad as we flick through her new book, ‘Lugma’. Also in the programme: Poppy Damon heads to the Little Purity diner in Brooklyn to unpack whether the spaces still hold the same community spirit. Plus: Monocle’s Petri Burtsoff sips on some sahti, Finland’s oldest ale. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 04, 202532 min

Food Neighbourhoods #428: Winemaking in Yunnan Province, China

China’s far southwestern province of Yunnan is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the country’s finest wine producers, though its winemaking history goes back more than a hundred years. Monocle’s Tom Webb visited the recently opened Songtsam Cizhong Lodge, where the region’s viticulture began, to find out how its history is being preserved and shared with the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 01, 20256 min

All things green

We’re very much in spring mode this week for an episode dedicated to a specific slice of the colour wheel: green. We meet author and food writer Samuel Goldsmith to discuss his new title, ‘The Frozen Peas Cookbook’. Then: we trace the growing popularity of matcha around the world with Twiggy Yeung. Plus: we crown our ‘verde’ Wine of the Month. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 28, 202531 min

Food Neighbourhoods #427: Aix-en-Provence

The southern French city of Aix-en-Provence is swamped by tourists in the summer, and is visited by art enthusiasts year-round thanks to its connection to Cezanne. But what about food lovers? With the help of local food guide Thomas Garcin, our correspondent Michael Booth takes us to the spots that you won’t want to miss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 25, 202512 min
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