Conversations
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Dario Di Clerico at Cannoleria
Dario Di Clerico’s culinary story began at just 14, when he first stepped into a professional kitchen in his native Italy. Since then, he’s forged a path defined by talent, grit and unshakeable passion. He trained under the youngest (at the time) Michelin-starred chef in the UK, refining his skills in high-pressure kitchens and learning…
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Ian Ho at Añada, Arcadia Cafe and The Rochey
When Ian Ho was a kid growing up in Malaysia, he dreamed of being a firefighter, not for the danger or the drama, but because he lived next to a fire station and from what he could see, they got to play sport all day. Fast forward a few decades and, while there are fewer…
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Mia Coady-Plumb at Magnolia
Step into Bar Magnolia on Sydney Road and you're wrapped in it straight away: the low golden light, the easy murmur of good conversation, the quiet thrill of something thoughtful happening behind the bar. Co-owners chef Mia Coady-Plumb and winemaker Lawrence Scanlon have created a space where classic French technique flickers with wit, soul, and…
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Guillaume Zika at Chef Notepad
Guillaume Zika began his career in some of France's most revered Michelin-starred kitchens, honing his craft in Paris and the south of France before moving on to Per Se in New York and Hibiscus in London. Australia became the next chapter, first as head chef at the iconic Cottage Point Inn in the Ku-ring-gai Chase…
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Bryan Nelson & Kate Dickens at Ciao Cielo
Kate Dickens and Bryan Nelson are the team behind Ciao Cielo in Port Melbourne and it was lovely to sit down with them both. We talk about how they adapted through Covid, how their vision for the restaurant has evolved, and what it takes to keep things moving in a fast-changing hospitality world. From sourcing…
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Daniel Migliaccio at Studio Amaro
When I first asked Daniel Migliaccio at Studio Amaro for a chat, he politely declined: not one for the media spotlight, he said. But persistence pays off, and second time lucky, I found myself at Studio Amaro with a chef who’s been quietly steering the ship across Commune Group kitchens for nearly seven years. From…
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Jung Eun Chae at Chae
Every now and then, you meet people who radiate such generosity, such quiet brilliance, that you walk away feeling a little bit better about the world. Chae and Yoora, the couple behind the tiny six-seat Korean restaurant, Chae, in the hills of Cockatoo, are exactly those kinds of people.This is a restaurant where time is…
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Mariano De Giacomi at Made a Napoli
From the bustling streets of Naples to the top of Melbourne's pizza scene, Mariano De Giacomi is a pizzaiolo who lives and breathes his craft. Raised in a tight-knit family with five children and few resources, Mariano began working at the age of nine, lugging shopping bags from a local deli to neighbours' homes. His…
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Adam Sanderson at Maison Batard
There's something grounded and quietly assured about Adam Sanderson. Maybe its the way he talks about kitchens as places of belonging. Or maybe it's the way his journey, which began in the north of England, has moved through some of the most celebrated dining rooms in the world: The Fat Duck, where creativity and precision…
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Daniel Poyner at Bang Bang
Daniel welcomed me into the 'red room' at Bang Bang's newest venue in St Kilda. Although it's only been open a few weeks, Bang Bang St Kilda already has a following. As executive chef and now a full partner in the Bang Bang group, Daniel oversees three restaurants and two additional kitchens across Melbourne's southeast.…