エピソード

  • #355 Michael Conlon | O'Connell's Hotel

    #355 Michael Conlon | O'Connell's Hotel
    2026/05/05
    When I sat down with Michael Conlon at O’Connell’s in South Melbourne, the paint was still fresh. There’s been a substantial refresh. New carpet, new upholstery, commissioned artworks, and a dining room that feels intentionally set apart. More like a restaurant you arrive at, even though you’ve come through the pub. But the bigger shift is in how he talks about the role of a pub like this: it’s not just somewhere to eat, but somewhere that has to work at different speeds. A quick midweek pint and something more considered on the weekend, all under the same roof. Michael comes from a group that understands pubs from the ground up. He’s worked across venues like Hobson’s Bay Hotel and the Flying Duck, places with their own histories. So, stepping into O’Connell’s isn’t about wiping the slate clean. It’s about reading the room, and the neighbourhood, properly. We talked about growing up on the Gold Coast, baking with his dad, cooking over fire, and the shift from being a good chef to becoming a good leader.
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    26 分
  • #354 Matt Forbes Cobb Lane

    #354 Matt Forbes Cobb Lane
    2026/05/05
    I visited Matt Forbes at Cobb Lane’s Yarraville headquarters, where he reflected on the long path from his early years in some of the UK’s most exacting kitchens to building a Melbourne bakery that’s grown from a single 25 kilo bag of flour to seven or eight tonnes a week. He talked about stepping away from restaurant life to create something of his own, and how that hands on, flavour first approach now shapes Cobb Lane’s newest outpost in the CBD, where dough is prepared in Yarraville each morning and baked on site so the smell of fresh bread drifts through the heritage lined space. Alongside shelves of sourdough, five seed baguettes, there are the pastries he loves to make, plus the cult favourites Cobb Lane is known for: peanut butter cookies, carrot cake and all the flaky, buttery things. This was a lovely conversation about instinct, community and the quiet satisfaction of creating something beautiful before the city wakes.
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    31 分
  • #353 Apoorva Kunte | The Westin Melbourne

    #353 Apoorva Kunte | The Westin Melbourne
    2026/05/01
    I always enjoy catching up with chefs to hear how they’re going, what they’re learning, and how their craft is evolving. And every couple of years, that brings me back to the Westin Melbourne to sit down with Executive Chef Apoorva Kunte. In the five years he’s been leading the hotel’s kitchens, he’s become known for his curiosity, his generosity with his team, and the thoughtful way he brings creativity, culture, and sustainability into everything he does. This conversation is another chance to check in on his journey; from navigating a post construction, fully revived hotel, to exploring native ingredients, to raising a very adventurous little eater at home. As always with Apoorva, it’s a warm, grounded chat that reflects the kind of chef and leader he’s become.
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    32 分
  • #352 Matt McConnell | Bar Lourinha

    #352 Matt McConnell | Bar Lourinha
    2026/04/28
    When you talk to Matt McConnell about food, hospitality and Bar Lourinhã, there is a quiet certainty and warmth that comes through immediately. Twenty years is a long time to do anything well, and Bar Lourinhã has done it with quiet confidence. Matt approaches this milestone with equal parts pride, humility and curiosity. A long, wandering journey through Spain and Portugal in the nineties inspired the bar on Little Collins Street which is built on warmth, simplicity and generosity. In this conversation, Matt reflects on that trip that changed everything, the discipline of consistency, and the enduring joy of feeding people well.
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    28 分
  • #351 James Gallagher | Enbarr

    #351 James Gallagher | Enbarr
    2026/04/23
    I sat down with James Gallagher at Enbarr on a lovely autumn afternoon. We talked about mythology, Irish foodways, and the arc of his life in this building; a pub he worked in for years and has now come full circle to own. Once we’d finished talking, I was lucky enough to eat the food we’d been discussing. I haven’t stopped thinking about the soda bread since, or the boxty, dishes that felt like a deliciously warm hug. The food at Enbarr draws from Irish tradition, preservation, and storytelling, filtered through experience and restraint, and elevated without losing its soul. I’m already planning my return.
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    27 分
  • #350 Ian Ho | Yum Sing House

    #350 Ian Ho | Yum Sing House
    2026/04/19
    Reaching 350 episodes feels a little surreal, and I couldn’t think of a better guest to mark the moment than someone I’ve spoken to before and genuinely admire. Sitting down again with Ian Ho at Yum Sing House reminded me why I love these conversations so much. Ian is one of those chefs who gives generously with his time, his stories, and his honesty and this time around, we went deeper than ever into the mindset behind the craft. In our first chat, we talked about food, creativity, and the energy of a busy kitchen. This time, we explored the inner workings of a chef’s psyche: how Ian navigates pressure, how he’s learning to draw boundaries, and how he’s growing his style of leadership while stepping into an already established team. He spoke openly about adapting to a new kitchen, finding his rhythm, and learning to let go of the things that don’t matter. We also talked about nostalgia, collaboration, and the evolution of Yum Sing House’s menu, including the radish cake he’s transformed from a humble staple into something personal and expressive. Ian’s reflections on creativity, constraint, and identity in food were thoughtful and grounded, and they made this milestone episode feel especially meaningful.
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    23 分
  • #349 Mike Flemming | Spaghetti Club

    #349 Mike Flemming | Spaghetti Club
    2026/04/18
    I visited Spaghetti Club just as everything was arriving. There were boxes everywhere, glasses and pots still wrapped, that slightly frantic but very exciting feeling of something about to begin. It already felt warm and full of personality, even mid unpacking. I sat down with head chef Michael Flemming to talk about what’s taking shape here: cooking over fire, handmade pasta, Italian family rituals, and the road that’s brought him to this opening. This is a conversation about food, internal pressure, leadership, as well as about trying to recreate the feeling of sitting around Nonno and Nonna’s table on a Monday night. Michael told me this was the first time he had done a chat like this and I think you’ll agree, he’s an absolute natural: easy, generous, and with a great radio voice to match.
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    24 分
  • #348 Raffaele Pelligra

    #348 Raffaele Pelligra
    2026/04/12
    When I first came across Raffaele Pelligra on Instagram, what struck me was his honesty. He was travelling, cooking, thinking deeply, asking questions, and sharing what he was learning and I really wanted to hear more. Now, I love a pull quote, those gems where people reveal their passion in such a perfect way. Honestly, every second sentence felt like gold in this chat, the kind you screenshot and save because it captures something bigger than food. Raffa had a lot to say about culture, creativity, community, and what it means to learn by doing. At one point, he asked me why I’d invited him onto the podcast at all. He said, “I’m not trained as a chef. I’m not a sous chef or a head chef.” And that is exactly why I wanted him here. This conversation isn’t about titles or hierarchy, it’s about perspective. It’s about what happens when you approach food as a traveller, a listener, and a human being who genuinely wants to understand where flavours come from and what food can do beyond the plate. This chat is a refreshing one. It’s about Sicily and Melbourne, tradition and fusion, adrenaline and meditation, stress and flow. It’s about learning in kitchens, markets, family homes halfway across the world and it’s about being open enough to change your mind along the way. Raffa is a young Sicilian traveller who loves to cook, and who is still very much becoming who he’s going to be. And I think that makes this conversation especially worth listening to.
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    41 分