Conversations

Sam Pinzone and his food kept popping up in my Instagram feed and piqued my interest. Reading more about him, I was even more fascinated. At 29, having worked with the likes of Neil Perry, Jacques Reymond, received two chef hats and starting up his own consulting company, you've got to hand it to him,…

Read more

There's something very exciting about getting to follow a chef's trajectory at somewhat a close range. I spoke to Hayden McMillan very soon after he landed in Melbourne from New Zealand. Next minute, he's got his own place, and is garnering accolades from all over. Hayden's considered approach to running his kitchen and creating his…

Read more

Bryan Nelson is living the dream. He loves nothing more than making people happy through his food and transporting them elsewhere. Now that he and partner, Kate, have opened in the beautiful heritage-listed former court house on Bay Street, his hard work and commitment to hospitality allow him more than ever to make that happen.…

Read more

Masahiko Yomoda still loves cooking French food even though he is now cooking beautiful Japanese. He also loves making good food accessible to a wider dining public. He dreams of opening his own place one day and he's interested in bringing chefs together in community to share ideas and experiences. and are lucky to have…

Read more

When I arrive at , Domenico is busy making pasta. Owner Andrea Da Como pours me a beautiful glass of Barbera and before I know it, I’ve embarked on a glorious ride of a conversation with Domenico, including a tour of the kitchen and some of the most wonderful descriptions of team work in the…

Read more

Anthony has worked all over the city and in various suburbs over the course of his career and he thinks it’s important to understand your diners. While restaurants in the city can have a different crowd through the door every night and are after that one-off experience, neighbourhood restaurants have to cultivate their community and…

Read more

I sit at a table with Petros in an upstairs room at as the afternoon sun slants through the sash window and lights up the vintage pasta poster framed on the wall. Petros asks if he can peel slippery mushrooms while we talk. Why not? That seems like the epitome of a conversation with a…

Read more

Sitting down with Sophie Storen is a soul filling experience. Her energy and excitement for creating food is palpable and her story had me on the edge of my seat, wanting to hear more and maybe secretly even wanting to be her. Sophie, you sound like exactly the kind of person I love talking to…

Read more

Not only did Nacho regale me with stories of the history of Spanish cuisine, his competitive nature and the technique for perfect paella, he also fed me. Nacho is right, you can't really understand a chef until you've eaten his food. Having devoured Nacho's croqueta de Jamon Serrano and his Salmon Curado of marinated salmon,…

Read more

Sean Judd has a voracious appetite for knowledge. He loves finding out more about food, cooking and all sorts of other things. Get him talking about the man knocking on the door selling pine mushrooms or the one month window he has to enjoy Apollo Bay truffles and then you will see the epitome of…

Read more