//podcastplus.net/feed/conversation-with-a-chef~c5c9aea3 Ever wondered what goes on in the kitchens of Melbourne’s restaurants? Conversation with a chef gives the back story of our city’s favourite eating spots. This is not a slick podcast, in fact it's pretty rustic. I'm Jo Rittey. I'm a French teacher and food writer and not that great on the technology. What you'll hear is the conversation how it happened, with no bells and whistles. I'll work on that! Sat, 15 Aug 2026 21:29:11 +0000 https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2188336067-user-849862417-322-ioannis-kasidokostas-aegli.mp3 When I walked into Aegli in South Melbourne, the first thing I noticed was the light: soft, golden, everywhere. Then I met Ioannis Kasidokostas, and it makes even more sense. Aegli was a goddess, Yanni tells me: elegant, dazzling, radiant, and that’s exactly what he’s built here. The space, the food, the feeling. Yanni doesn’t see hospitality as a job. He calls it a culture. It’s about philoxenia, the Greek art of making a stranger feel like they’ve come home. It’s there in how he talks about his team, the way he refuses to rush a service, and the stories woven through every dish. We talked about patience, trust, and what it means to build something that glows from the inside out. We talked about a raw prawn and nectarine dish that started as a lesson from his fisherman grandfather, a 90-day kopanisti that’s worth the wait, and a philosophy that Greek cuisine doesn’t need to reinvent itself, it just needs to remember where it came from. Aegli means light, but it’s also warmth. And I think th... Sun, 12 Oct 2025 06:30:55 +0000 https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2188336067-user-849862417-322-ioannis-kasidokostas-aegli.mp3 https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2182123983-user-849862417-321-rachel-miyazaki-niji-sweets.mp3 Today I’m chatting with Rachel Miyazaki from Niji Sweets. If you’ve walked through Queen Vic Market lately, you might have stopped in your tracks at a stall that looks more like a jewellery counter than a lolly stand: trays of shimmering kohakutou, those jewel-like Japanese sweets that catch the light and your imagination all at once. Rachel trained as a pastry chef, working everywhere from LuxBite to Marvel Stadium, but with Niji Sweets she and her friend Yiying are doing something entirely different. We talked about how a childhood love of baking, a detour through computer studies, and a trip to Japan all converged on these edible crystals. From the patient, days-long process of crystallising agar to the thrill of seeing someone’s face light up when they bite through that crunchy shell into soft jelly, Rachel is bringing something rare and beautiful to Melbourne and I am very happy to have had the opportunity to sit down with her and hear all about it. Sat, 04 Oct 2025 06:31:33 +0000 https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2182123983-user-849862417-321-rachel-miyazaki-niji-sweets.mp3 https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2180424867-user-849862417-320-luke-vu-lukes-banh-mi.mp3 When Luke’s Bánh Mì opened in the CBD, the response was extraordinary. Queues ran down Little Bourke Street, and more than 1,200 bánh mì were sold that first day. In fact, customers were averaging two or three each, so the real number was far higher. I went to the preview and then couldn’t resist coming back the very next day just to see it all unfold. I even filmed the line, and for the first time ever, something I posted went viral. But the real story is bigger than one opening. Luke Vu is a third-generation Vietnamese baker whose journey began in his family’s bakery in Ho Chi Minh City, with memories of wood-fired bread and early morning deliveries on his bike. After moving to Melbourne and completing a university degree, Luke still couldn’t shake the pull of the bakery. The lure of bread, pâté and pickles was too strong, and he soon set up his own shop, first in Reservoir, then in Moonee Ponds and South Melbourne, where the bánh mì quickly became local fixtures. That history, and the hard ... Thu, 02 Oct 2025 02:31:50 +0000 https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2180424867-user-849862417-320-luke-vu-lukes-banh-mi.mp3 https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1835535519-user-849862417-242-paramjit-singh-ahuja-gurpreet-singh-divine-darbar.mp3 I sat down with brothers, co-owners and chefs Paramjit 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. Paramjit has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and Gurpreet has a Masters in IT. While studying, they got part-time jobs in kitchens and they felt drawn to hospitality in such an overwhelming way that they embraced it wholeheartedly, opening Divine Darbar in December last year. They want to share the food they grew up with and are passionate about creating a whole experience for diners. Paramjit and Gurpreet were nervous about talking to me, but they had so many great things to say and this was a lovely conversation. Sun, 02 Jun 2024 02:08:21 +0000 https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1835535519-user-849862417-242-paramjit-singh-ahuja-gurpreet-singh-divine-darbar.mp3 https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1834201836-user-849862417-241-steven-he-le-yeahllow.mp3 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: to create celebratory cakes that bring happiness to people's lives,” and he explains the name as being inspired by the colour yellow, embodies joy, energy and playfulness. I spoke to Le Yeahllow’s pastry chef Steven He at their CBD venue to hear all about the creative process behind the glorious, playful and inventive cakes. Le Yeahllow also sells other patisserie favourites including canelés, Paris-Brests, and financiers, but it is the surrealist creations such as le Mandarin, the Love Letter and the Ballon Puppy cake which have the wow factor and go viral on social media. Fri, 31 May 2024 01:37:48 +0000 https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1834201836-user-849862417-241-steven-he-le-yeahllow.mp3 https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1833426189-user-849862417-240-julian-hills-on-truffles-navi.mp3 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 was very happy to get to talk to him and this time share it with you. Thu, 30 May 2024 06:10:04 +0000 https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1833426189-user-849862417-240-julian-hills-on-truffles-navi.mp3 https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1832627055-user-849862417-239-salvatore-giorgio-rocco-esposito-bar-rosella.mp3 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 starting at Bar Rosella, he has changed the menu and upped the food ante. Wine was already well sorted by owner Rocco Esposito, who was Group Director of Wine at Vue de Monde as well as owning his own hospitality businesses. He lives and breathes hospitality and Spaghetti all'Assassina may well be on your radar since Stanley Tucci’s Puglia episode came out, but Rocco is from Puglia and has been serving it every lunchtime at Rosella. It remains on Salvatore’s menu. What an absolute delight to sit down with these two men and chat about food and wine, stories and connections. Rocco even gave me a bottle of his 49 Chardonna... Wed, 29 May 2024 04:20:32 +0000 https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1832627055-user-849862417-239-salvatore-giorgio-rocco-esposito-bar-rosella.mp3 https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1830517887-user-849862417-gabriele-coniglio-on-truffles-officina-gastronomica-italiana.mp3 #238 Gabriele Coniglio On Truffles | Officina Gastronomica Italiana by Jo Rittey Sun, 26 May 2024 09:55:09 +0000 https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1830517887-user-849862417-gabriele-coniglio-on-truffles-officina-gastronomica-italiana.mp3 https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1830506109-user-849862417-ryan-lynch-on-truffles-locavore-studio.mp3 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. Sun, 26 May 2024 09:24:59 +0000 https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1830506109-user-849862417-ryan-lynch-on-truffles-locavore-studio.mp3 https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1830504606-user-849862417-236-mark-ebbels-on-truffles-reem.mp3 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. Sun, 26 May 2024 09:21:28 +0000 https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1830504606-user-849862417-236-mark-ebbels-on-truffles-reem.mp3