Conversation with a chef

Alicia started working at Fancy Hanks before she went off travelling round the world checking out barbecue joints around America and doing a bit of couch-surfing. She eventually ended up working for a year in the kitchen at Restaurant Andre (No 14 on the Worlds Best Restaurants). The Fancy Hank’s team are glad they’ve got her back to head Heroes Melbourne and I feel lucky to chat to her. Alicia ex...

Simon Moss is an open-hearted chef who tells it like it is. Maybe it's because he's a kiwi. That might be my bias. Regardless, he is all about hard work, learning more and appreciating the run he's had so far. That goes a long way in my book.

Tong Li wanted to learn how to cook Mexican food, so he packed his bags, bought a one-way ticket to Mexico, learned Spanish and cooking pretty much at the same time and has been cooking up a storm every since. Now he's in Port Melbourne and boy does he have a story to tell.

Peter Jo, or Kimchi Pete as many people know him, has done the hard yards, earning his stripes in all facets of the hospitality industry, while at the same time distilling what it is he really wants to offer. He's close now that he has opened his own place, Shik, in the city. Chatting to Peter was a wonderful chase down the proverbial rabbit hole as we followed his thoughts and dreams and quest fo...

Another Kiwi making his mark on the Melbourne food scene, Daniel Wilson earned his stripes in the States and then reached for the stars in Melbourne. He was rewarded early on, jointly winning The Age 2003 Good Food Guide Young Chef of the Year and then continued his trajectory gaining hats at now closed Huxtable, the restaurant he co-owned and cooked for, and being at the forefront of the Melbourn...

Peter Roddy is one of those incredible chefs who has been working in restaurants since he was 14 years old and still exudes passion and delight at cooking. Having spent his formative years working with the likes of the Roux brothers, Gordon Ramsay and Terence Conran, Peter has earned success in every restaurant he has worked in and now has his own hatted restaurant in Richmond.

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.

The salmon I had for lunch at Ryne was the best thing I've ever eaten. No joke. Every mouthful was eye-closingly good. You know when you see a really good film and it ends and you just want to hold that feeling in your heart for a little bit longer? That's the feeling I had eating Donovan Cooke's food. Not bad for a lad from Hull who wanted to be a bricklayer.

Dave Verheul has a way with food that makes you at once raise your eyes in delight at the cleverness, as well as sink down into the cosy deliciousness of it. This is a chat from a couple of years ago and its one of my favourites.

When I arrive at Tipico, 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 kitchen I have ever heard.