Conversations
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Steven He at Le Yeahllow
Le Yeahllow is a happy place. It's bright and light and the display cases, like a jeweller's, are full of gleaming treasures. Owner Samsky Yeung who also founded White Mojo coffee shops, opened Le Yeahllow in 2021when he took over the former Adriano Zumbo Patisserie space inSouth Yarra and started baking and delivering cakes around…
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Julian Hills at Navi
This is a bonus episode in the truffles series with Julian Hills from Navi, who kindly had a second attempt at a chat with me after my equipment failed the first time through.In 2023,Julianwas named Good Food Guide'sChefof the Year, and Navi has maintained its Two Hat-status as of 2024. Julian is a creative and…
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Rocco Esposito & Salvatore Giorgio at Bar Rosella
It is always lovely to catch up with chefs and see what they are up to. I first met Salvatore Giorgio when he was at Bar Bambi and then I had my 300th chef chat with him when he was out at Marnong Estate. Salvatore has been working in kitchens since he was 11 years…
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Gabriele Coniglio on Truffles at Officina Gastronomica Italiana
The final instalment on my truffles series is the chat I had with Gabriele Coniglio at Officine Gastronomica Italiana in Prahran. Gabriele comes from Torino which is an hours drive from the Italian truffle capital of Alba, so he grew up with truffles and he loves them. The restaurant will be hosting a Piedmontese night…
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Ryan Lynch on Truffles at Locavore Studio
Originally from Nelson in Aotearoa, New Zealand, head chef Ryan Lynch is doing creative things out in the Yarra Valley at Locavore Studio. I was lucky enough to be invited to dinner out there and the way he treats local produce is glorious. I was sure Ryan would have some things to say about truffles…
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Mark Ebbels on Truffles at Re’Em
I spoke to Mark Ebbels a while ago when he was head chef at TarraWarra in the Yarra Valley. Hes still out in that beautiful area, and most recently has been working on menu creation and set up at Re'Em part of the Helen and Joey estate. Mark is a passionate and creative chef with…
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Jason Staudt on Truffles at Stokehouse
This is the fourth instalment of my truffle series. In this episode, I talk to Jason Staudt at Stokehouse. I spoke to Jason quite recently and so when I turned up again on a Friday afternoon, I felt like I was catching up with an old friend. We drank wine and talked truffles and laughed…
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Jordan Clay on Truffles at Pipi’s Kiosk
This is the third instalment of my truffle series. In this episode, I talk to Jordan Clay from Pipi's Kiosk. Pipi's is one of my absolute favourite restaurants and it is always a pleasure to talk to Jordan. I am fairly certain I have secured some kind of homage to Jo Rittey vanilla and truffle…
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Annie Smithers on Truffles at Du Fermier
This is the second instalment of my truffle series. In the first instalment, I talked to Dion Range from Stonebarn Truffles in WA to hear all about truffle cultivation. In this episode, I talk to Annie Smithers from Du Fermier in Trentham. It is always an absolute delight to talk to Annie and as usual,…
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Dion Range at Stonebarn Truffles
I recently saw an Instagram post from Robert at GGs Gourmet Food where he was heralding truffle season. It got me thinking. I don't know much about truffles but they do seem to cause a stir in certain circles. Some refer to them as black gold, others as a culinary treasure. I wanted to find…