The Menu
Interviews with top chefs, food innovators, and producers. Discover ingredients, trends, and stories shaping the world of food and drink.
Latest Episodes
Ailime, Dorsia and chef Albert Ponzo
This week, we meet Chicca Vancini in Turin at her restaurant, Ailime, to find out what she means when she says that her kitchen has an Italian ambience but a Japanese attitude. Also in the programme: we meet Marc Lotenberg of luxury restaurant-booking app Dorsia and Monocle’s Toronto correspondent, Tomos…
Food Neighbourhoods #373: George Town, Malaysia
George Town is the vibrant capital of the Malaysian Island of Penang. The bustling city was once an important trading hub within the Straits of Malacca and over the years has been influenced by a variety of cultures, which have transformed George Town’s food scene into the eclectic culinary destination…
The sweet stuff
This week’s episode is dedicated to all things sugary. Monocle’s Paige Reynolds meets with maverick baker Lily Vanilli, whose creations have appeared everywhere from fashion-week events to Elton John’s birthday party. Also in the programme: Michael Booth visits one of Provence’s best-known nougatiers and Fernando Augusto Pacheco joins us in…
Food Neighbourhoods #372: Aksaray
Monocle’s Hannah Lucinda Smith heads to Istanbul’s vibrant Aksaray district to discover the city’s lesser-known international food scene. Here, we wander Aksaray’s sprawling backstreets to taste everything from Uzbek to Senegalese cuisine.
The Finnish love of rye, Valle Isarco wines and chef Jean-Philippe Blondet
We sit down with Jean-Philippe Blondet, the executive chef at London’s Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester, to ask what it takes to cook at the highest possible level. Plus: Petri Burtsoff explains why rye holds such cultural significance in Finland and Ivan Carvalho heads to the Valle Isarco in the…
Food Neighbourhoods #371: Avignon
The southern French city of Avignon is internationally known for its annual summer cultural festival. For more than half of the 14th century, it was also home to the Roman Catholic papacy. Its culinary reputation, however, is often overshadowed by two neighbouring cities: Lyon and Marseille. In this episode, Monocle’s…
‘A Book about Bread’, Clyde’s Fine Diner and Domaine de Mourchon
We sit down with Dutch baker Issa Niemeijer-Brown, who tells us about his new book, ‘A Book about Bread’. Also in the programme: Monocle’s Tomos Lewis visits Clyde’s Fine Diner in Des Moines, Iowa, and finds out more about the city’s growing culinary scene. Plus: Michael Booth heads to the…
Food Neighbourhoods #370: Tainan
Taiwan might be a small island but its culinary staples, such as beef noodle soup and bao buns, are soaring in popularity worldwide. And there’s a rich diversity of regional cuisines that have yet to travel beyond its shores. Monocle’s Naomi Xu Elegant takes a trip to the southern city…
Glenfiddich and Club des Chefs des Chefs
We sit down with Struan Grant Ralph of Glenfiddich to savour the past and future of the heritage whiskey brand. Plus: Monocle’s Christopher Cermak joins us in the studio to discuss the world’s most exclusive gastronomic circle: the Club des Chefs des Chefs.
Food Neighbourhoods #369: Weserstrasse, Berlin
While the cool folk of Berlin can be found in all corners of the German capital, there’s one particular boulevard where they are known to congregate. Weserstrasse, in the heart of the Neukölln district, is a street where the food and drink offerings have stepped up to the city’s demands.…
