Conversations
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Jeremy Raven at Drumplings
Drumplings is one of those places where you walk in and the dining space is cool, kinda edgy, you already know that the food is going to be delicious because, well, cheeseburger dumplings, how could it not be? Then you walk out the back and it’s all artificial grass and street art and basically an…
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Dan Szwarc at Hotel Argentina
When I walk into Hotel Argentina, Dan greets me with a kiss on the cheek, “That’s how we say hello in Argentina,” he says. I love it. After our chat, I am treated to a delicious array of dishes from the new menu, inspired by the food he grew up with in Argentina. He tells…
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Amber Kaba at The White Jacket Effect
Amber worked at Quay in Sydney before heading over to work in Michelin starred restaurants in London. She loves being a chef and is a passionate advocate for the industry. She has also seen the dark side of it. After acknowledging her own alcohol demons and coming out the other side, the recent loss of…
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On Saengyojanr at Ging Thai
Often described as a mother hen in the kitchen, because of her great sense of family, loyalty, and care for her team, Chef On grew up around food and cooking. From an early age she learned the art of traditional Thai in the family kitchen with her mother and grandmother and then at the age…
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Sascha Rust at GoodFish Project
There are ways that some things can be done and more and more people are looking at the gaps in our knowledge and in what we are doing to ensure that what we are doing is ethical and responsible. It’s about being more considerate about what we are doing whether we are in a restaurant…
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Jack Stuart at Congress
Congress has been around for just over a year, gracing the corner of Peel and Wellington Streets in Collingwood. Jack Stuart stepped in as head chef from the start and has been plating up delicious food ever since. Jack is a stickler for quality and has chosen suppliers who favour one thing and do it…
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Master Chef Jack Aw Yong at Silks, Crown Melbourne
I sat down in the opulent Silks restaurant at Crown Melbourne with Chef Jack Aw Yong, renowned as the global godfather of Chinese cuisine. This month he is sharing with the lucky Melbourne dining public, his passion and talent garnered from years of hard work, determination and creativity. Chef Jack is a storyteller and I was treated…
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Elliott Pinn at Rascal
When I was doing some reading about Elliott before going to chat to him, I discovered that, not only is he from Christchurch, but he went to school in the same part of town as me, albeit years after me…! I mention age, only because Elliott might be young in years, but he has had…
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Nicola Dusi at The Hardware Club
When I walked through the door of The Hardware Club, Nicola greeted me like an old friend and revealed that he’s a big fan of my podcast and knew that he was the 202nd conversation I’d had. That made me happy and I felt happier still, perched up at the bar and hearing all Nicola’s stories…
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Nathan Scarfo at Risi
Nathan Scarfo is set to open his first solo venture, Risi in Moonee Ponds in March next year. Full of personality, it's clear from the moment you meet him that Nathan loves life, hospitality, and cooking Italian food. This is one of those conversations that would definitely have been great as a video because of…