Conversations
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Greg Feck at Marnong Estate
There are a lot of things I love about doing Conversation with a chef, but the main one is the people I get to meet. It is such a joy and a privilege for me to be able to sit down with people and hear their story and I always come away feeling as though…
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Brigitte Hafner at Tedesca Osteria
The S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition is an annual event to support a personal vision for the world of food, demonstrating how food can have a positive impact on society at large through ethical and sustainable food practices. When it comes to choosing the judges for this prestigious award, the Academy looks for chefs who…
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Tommaso Bartoli at Park Street Past & Wine
Tommaso Bartoli is a passionate chef who learned to cook in Florence but felt a love for food and cooking much earlier on when he watched his mother and other family members cook. He talked about coming in from soccer training, smelling his mother's cooking and running up the stairs. After working for a few…
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Valentino Melas & Nika Perc at Sardo Sorrento
I drove to Sorrento on a sunny autumn day just as owners Nika, Stefano and Valentino were moving things from their original venue, Bardo a few doors down to their recently opened Sardo. I immediately felt like one of the family as Nika made me espresso and I sat down to chat with her and…
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Alessandro Bellomunno at Flour Child
I went in to Flour Child as day was turning to night. Through the huge windows upstairs on Acland Street, the panorama of palm trees, the Luna Park rollercoaster and the setting sun is perfect. Where else would you want to be? As I waited to talk with executive chef, Alessandro Bellomunno, I chatted to…
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Larry Xie at Bansho Dining
Larry Xie is here for a good time and that's what he wants for guests to Bansho as well. He is the epitome of hospitality and is constantly seeking ways to learn more about food and wine and to welcome his guests with warmth and conviviality. No stranger to hospitality, Larry grew up with a…
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Apoorva Kunte at The Westin Melbourne
I was lucky enough to be invited to The Westin Melbourne's nod to Wicked, the Musical, a glorious High Tea with a very prominent green focus. High Tea at The Westin is an impressive affair. The team goes all out on theme, creativity and flavour and the Wicked High Tea was no exception. I was…
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Sam Hopkinson at Botanical Hotel
Melbourne institution, Botanical Hotel has been around for a long time. In fact the recent MFWF line up featured a 20 years Apart event that saw ex Botanical Hotel Head Chef Paul Wilson team up with current Executive Chef Sam Hopkinson in a delicious then and now dinner. Botanical Hotel has been a Domain Road…
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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…