Conversations
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Pieter Buijsse at Bar Carolina
I have a special place in my heart for Bar Carolina in South Yarra because I wrote about it for Concrete Playground when it opened in 2017 and I also had a Conversation with a chef with the chef at the time, Paolo Masciopinto. But I hadn't been out the back before and when new…
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Amit Tuteja at Desi Dhaba
When diners walk into Desi Dhaba, owner Amit Tuteja wants them to feel as though they have come home to India. The decor is bright and cheerful, and the food is rustic, filling and delicious. Named after the highway eateries, or Dhaba, in India where truckies and people on road trips call in to eat…
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Jake Read at Neptune
I've always had a soft spot for Neptune in Windsor, so what better excuse to head back over there than a new head chef. Last year, after 12 years working in the UK across Michelin and boutique hotel restaurants as well as running his own private dining business, Jake Read felt drawn to Melbourne. He…
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Sebastian Pasinetti at OKO Rooftop & Cafe
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,…
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Chloe Kim at Sushi Baby
Sushi Baby in Brighton has switched things up by renovating the space and taking their takeaway offer to new levels, becoming a lovely new brightly hued dine-in restaurant. Inspired by Japanese cuisine, Head Chef Chloe Kim is creating a mix of sushi, nori tacos, nigiri, inari, tataki, share plates and a Kaiseki experience with its…
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Murat Ovaz at i Carusi II
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…
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Matthew Butcher at ETO Collective
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 dads advice to surround…
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Jae Bang at Freyja
Nordic-inspired Freyja, 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…
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Juan Berbeo at Berbeo Bros.
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…
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Matilda Smith at Penny for Pound
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…