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Conversation with a chef

Conversation with a chef

Written by: Jo Rittey
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About this listen

 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!All rights reserved Social Sciences
Episodes
  • #336 Aidan Robinson | Chic de Partie

    #336 Aidan Robinson | Chic de Partie
    Feb 11 2026
    I love getting to check back in with someone I’ve spoken to a few years on. When I last spoke to Aidan Robinson from Chic de Partie Cake Couturier in 2022, he was figuring out life after Dinner by Heston. Now his cakes have found their way to Lady Gaga, Chappell Roan and Yungblud, yet the operation is still just him, a spreadsheet and beautiful buttercream. We talk about what the in-between years actually looked like: three-day bakes, clients who want childhood memories encapsulated in cake, and why fondant superheroes are a firm no. There’s also the unglamorous side: rising food costs, Valentine’s Day roulette, and literally doing everything on your own. It’s a relaxed catch up about craft, taste and the reality behind the polish.
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    28 mins
  • #335 Aitor Jeronimo Orive | Basque Txoko at Nobody's Baby Bar

    #335 Aitor Jeronimo Orive | Basque Txoko at Nobody's Baby Bar
    Jan 24 2026
    I sat down with Aitor Jeronimo Orive, who’s in Melbourne right now for a pop-up at Nobody’s Baby in South Yarra. He was born in Madrid, raised in Australia, trained in Valencia, and went on to work in Michelin-starred kitchens in Spain, the Basque Country, London including Nerua, Mugaritz, and The Fat Duck before running his own one-star restaurant in Singapore, Basque Kitchen by Aitor. His cooking is grounded in Basque home food: charcoal, seafood, stews, big cuts of meat, and that’s what he’s cooking here. We talked about growing up between countries, his family’s cooking, life in high-pressure kitchens, and what brought him back to Melbourne.
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    32 mins
  • #334 Nick Deligiannis | Bar Sophia

    #334 Nick Deligiannis | Bar Sophia
    Jan 18 2026
    Nick Deligiannis and I last spoke almost three years ago at Audrey’s in Sorrento, in the thick of summer service and seafood season. Now he’s at Bar Sophia in Glen Iris, a Greek wine bar built around one key limitation that’s also its best feature: a woodfire oven and no stoves. We talk about how that shapes everything, from menu thinking to prep discipline, plus his recent time in Greece, the Athens Riviera influence, and his focus on simple food finished with bold dressings, freshness and acidity, including house-made halloumi made from scratch each week.
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    22 mins
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