Conversations

I feel very lucky to get to talk to incredible chefs, most of them with many year's experience in the industry. I often ask chefs what their advice would be to people at the start of their career and I have heard so many gems. It seems apt then, every now and then to chat…

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What a divine experience to talk to David Zhou at Oriental Teahouse in South Yarra on the eve of their 20th birthday celebrations. David is softly spoken with a wealth of wisdom and knowledge about his teas, hospitality and people. While we spoke, I was treated to a glorious pot of David's calm concentration tea,…

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Dale Kemp began his cooking career back home in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Although he had always been aware of and interested in the fact his grandmother was a great cook – she had a huge garden and grew fruit and vegetables throughout the year he didnt think about becoming a chef until he got an…

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I went in to chat to Adrian Richardson at La Luna Bistro on a rainy Saturday afternoon when a wedding lunch was winding up in the downstairs dining room and the staff were prepping for evening service. Longstanding restaurant manager, Linda thrust a glass of wine into my hand and Adrian and I went for…

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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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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 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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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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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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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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