Gourmand

Today we’re sitting down with Chef Taka Sakaeda, Chef and Partner at Nami Nori, a Japanese Temaki Bar in the West Village. Previously, Chef Taka was a chef at the acclaimed Three Michelin Star Masa Restaurant in NYC.

Today we chat with Taka about his upbringing in a Japanese household and his passion for food, his time at Masa, and the origins of his new temaki concept Nami Nori, one of our favorite restaurants in NYC.

This episode uses Royalty Free Music - (Music: www.bensound.com).

In episode two of the Restaurant Series, we're chatting with Buddha Lo. He’s the Executive Chef at Huso in NYC, a fine casual caviar restaurant located inside Marky’s Caviar retail shop on the Upper East Side. Today, we speak with Buddha about his experiences in restaurants around the world, winning the cook battle at Eleven Madison Park, and what he's up to now at Huso.

This episode uses Royalty Free Music - (Music: www.bensound.com). This episode was edited by Delali Bruce.

Today we’re sitting down with Ellen Yin, the James Beard Award-nominated founder and co-owner of High Street Hospitality Group. She’s the restaurateur behind some of Philly’s most acclaimed spots, from Fork to High Street on Market.

In today’s episode, we chat with Ellen about her journey to becoming a restauranteur, how you can support restaurants at this time, and the future of restaurants after COVID. You can find Ellen on Instagram on @therealellenyin. & If your in Philly, be sure to visit Fork, High Street on Market, or High Street Provisions.

And Calling All Penn Students! On March 25th, 34th street will be releasing an issue of the spring dining guide called Reality Bites. It centers how COVID-19 is shaping the industry and includes tales of restaurants rising to the challenge of staying open through innovation, philanthropy, and justice. To support these local businesses, please pick-up a copy of the dining guide at either the compass, Paris baguette or high rise field. As a bonus, every issue comes with the chance to win a golden ticket

This episode uses Royalty Free Music - (Music: www.bensound.com)

Today we’re here with Alice Cheng. She is the Founder & CEO of Culinary Agents, a professional networking and job matching website for professionals in the food, beverage and hospitality industry. Their growing community includes over 900,000 members and 28,000 businesses nationwide. The platform is dedicated to helping talent succeed in their careers within the hospitality industry.

In this episode, we chat with Alice about the challenges and rewards of building Culinary agents, her 12 year career at IBM, and what she sees for the future of the industry.

This episode uses Royalty Free Music - (Music: www.bensound.com). This episode was edited by Delali Bruce.

We are so excited to release this special episode with TV personality, culinary traveler, cook and author Adam Richman. You may know Adam from his time on the Travel Channel’s Man Vs. Food or Secret Eats with Adam Richman.

In this episode, we chat with Adam about the intersection of food, history, and culture, breaking into the world of food TV, and his two upcoming series: "The Food that Built America," which premieres on the History Channel on Feb 14, and “Modern Marvels,” premiering on Sunday, Feb 21.

This episode uses Royalty Free Music - (Music: www.bensound.com)

We're excited to wrap up our inaugural season, Sweet Treats, with Paola Velez, the Executive Pastry Chef at Maydan, Compass Rose, and La Bodega Bakery in Washington, DC. She is also the co-founder of Bakers Against Racism, which united professional and home bakers alike in what has become the world’s largest bake sale.

In this episode, we chat with Paola about storytelling and culture through the lens of food, Bakers Against Racism, and the future of the restaurant industry, all while Paola is baking burnt tahini cookies. Let’s dig in.

This episode uses Royalty Free Music - (Music: www.bensound.com). Headshot by @mojalvo.

In this first episode of 2021, we’re sitting down with cookbook author, recipe developer, and award-winning food stylist Erin Jeanne McDowell. Erin’s work has been featured everywhere from Food52 to The New York Times, and her new book, The Book on Pie, just launched this past fall. In this episode, we chat with Erin about entering and navigating the food media space, must-have cookbooks, and all things pie. 

This episode uses Royalty Free Music - (Music: www.bensound.com)

Today's guest on the show is Elisabeth Holder, President of Ladurée North America and Innovation Director for the brand. Ladurée dates back over 150 years as one of Paris’s first tea rooms. Now, with over 100 stores globally, Ladurée is world famous for bringing a bit of Paris worldwide with their beautiful macarons.

In today's episode, we chat with Elisabeth about what it's like working in a family business, how innovation intersects with keeping true to the Ladurée brand, and what the world's most expensive macaron is.

This episode uses Royalty Free Music - (Music: www.bensound.com)

Today we’re so excited to chat with Kimberly Camara, founder of Kora Doughnuts, an online-only bakery out of Queens, New York. Started during the pandemic, Kora has quickly become known for their creative take on donuts, inspired by a wide range of Fillipino flavors. And these are no ordinary doughnuts––take a look at Kimberly’s Instagram and you’ll see what we mean. They look and taste like works of art, and have attracted quite the fanbase.

In this episode, we talk about cuisine and culture, what Kim's job interview for the number one restaurant in the world was like, and starting an online doughnut business that now has a waiting list of over 10,000.

This episode uses Royalty Free Music - (Music: www.bensound.com)