The Menu

We’re back on familiar soil this week as we head to the East London neighbourhood of Dalston. This vibrant slice of the capital is renowned for its hole-in-the-wall coffee shops, high-end wine bars and some of London’s most exciting restaurants. Here, Monocle’s Hanna Pham shows us her favourite spots.

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We flick through culinary magazines and newspapers for an episode entirely dedicated to food in print. First up, we speak to Joseph de Klee, founder of ‘The Pass’, a paper highlighting the best of London’s gastronomic scene. Then: we’re heading to the Finnish newsstands to meet the editor in chief of a long-standing food magazine, ‘Glorian ruoka & vilni’. Plus: Fernando Augusto Pacheco, host of ‘The Stack’ on Monocle Radio, picks out the best in food publishing from around the world.

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We head to the ancient city of Cusco in the Peruvian Andes to wander its breathtaking (literally) cobblestone streets, and taste both its traditional delicacies and contemporary cuisine. Here, Monocle’s Elna Schutz takes us on a gastronomic tour of what is considered the oldest living city in the Americas. 

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This week, we sit down with Mike Davies, the chef at the helm of one of London’s most celebrated gastropubs, The Camberwell Arms, to leaf through his new seasonal cookbook, ‘Cooking for People’. Then, Petri Burtsoff heads to a Luscher & Matiesen winery on the Estonian island of Muhu to taste some of the nation’s unique tipples. Plus: Monocle’s Monica Lillis is in Somerset to learn more about the hotel and country estate that’s committed to the land and local culinary traditions.

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We head to Sweden, the home of cinnamon buns, or ‘kanelbullar’, to meet award winning home-cook Lina Walstrom. Monocle’s Tamara Thiessen heads to meet her in Vaxholm to learn how to make this staple Swedish treat.

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We leaf through a new cookbook by Tim Anderson dedicated to the cuisine of the Japanese island of Hokkaido. Also in the programme, George Ruskin meets chef Ben Slater to learn about the art of food styling and our in-house wine expert, Chloé Lake, crowns her wine of the month.

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Norway’s capital is not to be overlooked if you want a taste of the best that the Nordics have to offer. Much like its people, Oslo’s culinary scene is not brash or showy, so its most notable restaurants and bars can be easy to miss. Here, Monocle’s resident Norwegian, Gunnar Gronlid, helps us uncover some of the city’s best spots.

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This week’s episode is dedicated entirely to umami. First up, we sit down with Christopher Beckman, whose new book dives into the history and potency of anchovies. Also on the programme: Monocle’s Canberra correspondent, Aarti Betigeri, tastes Australia’s divisive spread, Vegemite. Plus: we unearth the bountiful possibilities of cooking with fungi with Sam White, executive chef at Fortnum & Mason.

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We swap city life for the hilltop town of Taormina in Sicily to soak up the last of the season’s sun. George Ruskin takes us on a tour of this elegant destination’s best culinary spots. 

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This week, we delve into the pleasure of ice cream whatever the season with founder of Happy Endings, Terri Mercieca. Also in the programme, Monocle’s Copenhagen correspondent Michael Booth meets chef and butcher, Michael Museth, at his restaurant and shop, Butcheria, dedicated to delivering high-quality-meat products to the city. Plus: Mae-Li Evans visits a new exhibition at Japan House London, ‘Looks Delicious!’, all about the art of hyper-realistic food replicas in Japan.

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