Conversations
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Oliver Hughes at Henrietta
I was invited to lunch at Henrietta and I had the best time. Henrietta is the shiny new kid on the block in Windsor. And when I say shiny, it really is. The fit out is all glorious rich blues and sparkling silver accents. Owners Ibby Moubadder and Jorge Farah opened their first Middle Eastern…
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Jason Staudt at Stokehouse
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…
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Scott Lord at Moonhouse & New Quarter
Scott Lord was born in Dunedin in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and knew from a young age that he wanted to pursue hospitality as a career. After a few years of working under various chefs, he joined the multi-award-winning restaurant Pier 24 as Chef de Partie, working alongside Michael Coughlin at the St Clair eatery. When…
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Tom Sarafian at Sarafian
What an absolute treat to talk to Tom Sarafian. Often described as the unofficial king of hummus, the best hummus maker in Australia, hummus expert, Tom certainly has a passion for hummus and he has put a lot of time and thought into perfecting his product. At one point in the conversation, he waxed lyrical…
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Chanon Boriharnvanakhet at Tonka
Everyone calls Chanon Boriharnvanakhet Chachi, so I am just going along with that too. Chachi is head chef at Tonka, having taken over the reins three and a half months ago. It's his first head chef role, having never really set out to climb the ranks, and so he is feeling his way carefully, talking…
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Hendri Budiman at Coda
I met Hendri Budiman when I was writing an article for Broadsheet about the new direction of Coda and Tonka now that co-owner and executive chef, Adam D'Sylva has moved on. I really loved the way he talked about food as well as all the different restaurant experiences he has had and the fact that…
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Anthony Thalassinos at The Hellenic House Project
Anthony Thalassinos is the head chef of George Calombaris new restaurant, The Hellenic House Project in Highett, a bayside suburb about 35 minutes from Melbournes CBD. I think you would have to have been under a rock if you didnt know that George Calombaris had opened a new restaurant and I, like many was following…
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Georgios Smyrnios at Raph’s Deli
Georgios Smyrnios got in touch with me to ask whether I'd like to have a chat about what he was doing at Raph's Deli in Abbotsford, and I am so glad he did. I live in Abbotsford, but the opposite side to Raph's and unbelievably this cute little deli and sandwich shop had escaped my…
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McKay Wilday at Alta Trattoria
McKay Wilday is a fascinating guy. He gives off a calm, unflappable and very assured vibe and he comes out with the most unexpected things. I knew I was going to enjoy talking more to him, having spoken briefly to him when I was writing about Alta Trattoria, the restaurant he owns with Carlo Grossi,…
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Brad Cunningham at WAYGOOD
I was excited to speak to Brad Cunningham at Waygood for a number of reasons. He is an ex-pat chef from Aotearoa New Zealand and he has worked in numerous places around the world, including my home town of Otautahi, Christchurch, as well as in Paris and London. I particularly loved that in his LinkedIn…