Conversation with a chef

Owning one restaurant, let alone two with a vision for even more was not part of the plan when Kabir Singh came to Australia for a month-long stay from New Delhi in 2020. Now Singh, as his regulars call him, is a Fitzroy local with a huge heart for the neighbourhood, hospitality and for his beloved Mukka, the restaurant he bought as Melbourne went into lockdown. I have always loved Mukka. I sat do...

I last spoke to Anthony Thalassinos when he was newly head chef at The Hellenic House Project. Anthony is enthusiastic and passionate and it is no wonder he has been snapped up by Project North Hospitality Group who oversee Tickled Pink Venues in Elwood, Thornbury and Bali and well as a dessert bar in Coolaroo. Anthony is just as enthusiastic and passionate and now he is jet-set as well, flying be...

When I was asked if I’d like to talk to Michael Wilson, chef patron at Michelin Star fine dining Marguerite as well as Hortus in the Gardens by the Bay Flower Dome in Singapore I of course said yes. Then I got nervous. Michael trained in Melbourne under Guy Grossi and Andrew McConnell before heading to Shanghai where he earned his first Michelin Star, 5 months after opening Phenix in the Puli Hote...

If you have not been to Dessous, you are missing out. I say this with absolute certainty, because I, like you, had absolutely been missing out until I went and spoke to head chef Dan Sawansak and then spent a glorious evening completely in his hands with the Leave it to us menu, my favourite way to eat. If you are amongst the wise people who have eaten at Dessous, then you already know how good it...

Tyler Preston is a passionate chef who discovered his love for cooking at just 12 years old in Wellington. After graduating high school, he moved to Melbourne at 18 to start his culinary adventure. With over 20 years of experience, Tyler began his career at the iconic Vegie Bar in Fitzroy, mastering the art of wok cooking. After a brief stint in music and audio engineering, Tyler returned to the k...

I last spoke to Matteo Tine in 2018 at his now closed restaurant, Mr Ottorino, and when I looked back over that chat, I’d mentioned that Matteo started talking as soon as I walked in, that his enthusiasm was contagious and that talking to him felt like a really fun ride. Nothing has changed. I stepped through the door of Orlo, Matteo ran up the stairs to greet me and just started talking. It was w...

Today I’m talking to Aiven Lee at Yum Sing House. Evolving from its original iteration when it opened in 2021, at Yum Sing House the spotlight is no longer on the karaoke upstairs, although you can certainly still belt out the hits should you wish, but the focus is now the culinary experience downstairs. Helmed by Malaysian-born Head Chef, Aiven who was head chef at Longrain and Mamasita, the menu...

I sat down with brothers, co-owners and chefs Parmjit Singh Ahuja and Gurpreet Singh to talk about their restaurant Divine Darbar. They made me a delicious chai and talked about growing up in New Delhi and how food was a central part of their family but that they had never intended to become chefs. Parmjit has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and Gurpreet has a Masters in IT. While studying, they...

Le Yeahllow is a happy place. It’s bright and light and the display cases, like a jeweller’s, are full of gleaming treasures. Owner Samsky Yeung who also founded White Mojo coffee shops, opened Le Yeahllow in 2021 when he took over the former Adriano Zumbo Patisserie space in South Yarra and started baking and delivering cakes around Melbourne. Sam says, “Le Yeahllow was born from a simple idea: t...

This is a bonus episode in the truffles series with Julian Hills with Navi, who kindly had a second attempt at a chat with me after my equipment failed the first time through. In 2023, Julian was named Good Food Guide's Chef of the Year, and Navi has maintained its Two Hat-status as of 2024. Julian is a creative and passionate chef; a lovely man and he has an enduring fascination with truffles. I...

It is always lovely to catch up with chefs and see what they are up to. I first met Salvatore Giorgio when he was at Bar Bambi and then I had my 300th chef chat with him out at Marnong Estate. Salvatore has been working in kitchens since he was 11 years old. He loves the adrenaline rush of service and appreciates a well organised kitchen and he is certainly always up for a challenge. Since startin...

#238 Gabriele Coniglio On Truffles | Officina Gastronomica Italiana by Jo Rittey

Originally from Nelson in Aotearoa, New Zealand, head chef Ryan Lynch is doing creative things out in the Yarra Valley at Locavore Studio. I was lucky enough to be invited to dinner out there and the way he treats local produce is glorious. I was sure Ryan would have some things to say about truffles and I was not disappointed.

I spoke to Mark Ebbels a while ago when he was head chef at TarraWarra in the Yarra Valley. He’s still out in that beautiful area, and most recently has been working on menu creation and set up at Re’Em part of the Helen and Joey estate. Mark is a passionate and creative chef with a real heart for local Yarra Valley produce and it was such a pleasure catching up with him again and talking truffles...

This is the fourth instalment of my truffle series. In this episode, I talk to Jason Staudt at Stokehouse. I spoke to Jason quite recently and so when I turned up again on a Friday afternoon, I felt like I was catching up with an old friend. We drank wine and talked truffles and laughed a lot. It was wonderful.

This is the third instalment of my truffle series. In this episode, I talk to Jordan Clay from Pipi's Kiosk. Pipi's is one of my absolute favourite restaurants and it is always a pleasure to talk to Jordan. I am fairly certain I have secured some kind of homage to Jo Rittey vanilla and truffle ice cream, but I might be wrong. Whatever they do down there, it is always good and whether that is pouti...

#233 Annie Smithers On Truffles by Jo Rittey

I recently saw an Instagram post from Robert at GGs Gourmet Food where he was heralding truffle season. It got me thinking. I don’t know much about truffles but they do seem to cause a stir in certain circles. Some refer to them as black gold, others as a culinary treasure. I wanted to find out what makes them so special, so I had a chat to Dion Range at Stonebarn Truffles in WA. He gave me the ve...

Dingo Ate My Taco are the team responsible for bringing birria tacos to Melbourne back in 2020 lock-down. And thank goodness they did. Since then, the Dingo kitchen has been pumping out authentic, and an entirely made-from-scratch menu of traditional Mexican and Texan dishes including their iconic birria, breakfast tacos (set to be the next big thing for Melbournians) plus so many other true-to-st...

When you enter Mill Place Merchants, you enter another world. For a start, it’s one of those delicious hidden bars we can’t get enough of in Melbourne. Entering through a red door at the end of a laneway you find yourself in a sewing room complete with machine, mannequin and rolls of fabric and once through the full-length mirror at the end of the room, you are in the golden age of the thirties an...

#229 Tom Jones-Davies | DOC St Kilda by Jo Rittey

The Kitchen of Somewhere is a deeply personal story of how food shapes our connection to place, the environment and most importantly our understanding of who we are. It weaves a narrative inspired by a plum-velvet, covered notebook found by Anna shortly after her mother's passing by suicide. The notebook was bursting with stories of her mother's travels, and the recipes she collected along the way...

#227 Winston Zhang | Akaiito by Jo Rittey

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 hold sustainable and ethical food sourcing as a central to their c...

Partners in life and love, Patrick Kwong and Cindy Pan opened Ronin almost two years ago in the space that was previously occupied by Massi and for a millisecond, Cucina Povera. The high-ceilinged industrial slab feel of the room serves as the perfect backdrop for Patrick to shine and shine he does. Patrick learned Japanese cuisine and, more specifically sushi from two Japanese masters. His techni...