Food Tribe Food Tribe

Thanks for tuning in to the last episode of this season - we’re ending on a high! My guest today is the lovely, and incredibly talented co-founder and chef of the much-loved Japanese restaurant Koya.
Shuko Oda and her business partners John and Junya opened Koya in Soho back in 2010, specialising in Udon - the chewy moreish flour-based noodles which they handmake fresh every day and pair with an array of beautiful broths and toppings. Shuko is also renowned for her blackboard specials where she and the chefs at Koya really get creative and use the best of British ingredients to come up with dishes that wow! 
Koya opened a second restaurant in the city a few years ago, and what they’re doing is a recipe for success. Simple dishes, high-quality ingredients, thoughtful cooking, and exceptional flavours.
As we know, restaurants in London come and go, but Koya is still as loved, as popular, and as good today as it was 11 years ago. 
I’m so glad I got to sit down with Shuko and chat with her about how Koya came to be, the dishes that so many of us Londoners have come to love and crave, and what led her from Japan to London, and into the kitchen. 
Happy listening!

My guest today is a chef on a mission, championing Filipino cuisine in London. Budgie was born in the Philippines, grew up in Sydney, and moved to the UK 9 years ago, and that’s when he decided to change careers and become a chef. 
While working at other restaurants, he started Sarap as a supper club 4 years ago, as a way to connect to his heritage, to learn about Filipino food, and to champion this underrepresented cuisine in London. After winning the Brixton Kitchen competition, Budgie opened Sarap as a permanent restaurant in Brixton’s Market Row at the start of last year.
I absolutely love Budgie’s food - it takes you on a trip, it’s made from the heart, it’s lip-smacking good, and just really fun to eat.
Over lockdown, Sarap changed to Sarap Baon, offering a more casual menu that could be done to take away and have at home - things like Budgie’s signature pork Lechon and crispy fried chicken sinigang. But now that things are open, watch out for what Budgie does next…
I headed over to Sarap to chat to Budgie about his food, life as a chef, Filipino food culture and ingredients, and what led him to open Sarap.

Lulu has been cooking professionally since she was 18, first in the private catering world, and then moving into London restaurants, most recently as sous chef at the beloved Rochelle Canteen. Lulu began to grow more interested in produce, where it came from, and how it was grown, so last year she left the kitchen to go and work on farms and learn more about regenerative growing.   
This led to a whole lot of new doors being opened and Lulu co-founded SSAW Collective with two of her good friends. They grow the most beautiful flowers and do pop-ups and food events that champion local, seasonal ingredients.
We chat about her experiences in the kitchen and on the farm, and how she’s combined her knowledge of both to craft a whole new career for herself. We also talk about Lulu’s book she’s working on with Henrietta and Bridget from the Land Gardeners which is going to be called Soil to Table - and there'll be chapters on soil, regenerative farming techniques, spotlights on different UK producers, and Lulu’s recipes of course. 
Lulu is so lovely, she’s a fantastic cook, she’s someone who cares about where things come from and the connection between food, farming, and our environment. Definitely one to watch on the UK food and farming scene...
If you’re around this summer SSAW Collective is doing events and pop-ups where Lulu will be cooking – you can find out more about those here.
I hope you enjoy the chat with Lulu. 
 

Ollie Hunter recently published his second book, Join the Greener Revolution: 30 easy ways to live and eat sustainably. He believes that sustainability is the only way forward, and that it has to be at the centre of everything - whether it be food, our communities, economics, energy, education, or simply making a loaf of bread...
Ollie owns and runs The Wheatsheaf pub in Chilton Foliat with his wife Lauren, which was voted the most "sustainable business" in 2019. It’s not too far out of London so I headed over there for lunch to chat to Ollie about his views, his new book, how he found his way into food, hospitality and sustainability and what exactly joining the greener revolution means.

Today on the show I’m speaking to Vietnamese cook, author, food photographer, and stylist Uyen Luu.
A few years ago, I went to one of Uyen’s supper clubs she hosts in East London, I fell in love with her food and I've been a fan of hers ever since. Now, lucky for us she’s just launched her new book called Vietnamese - Simple Vietnamese food to cook at home. And it’s a beauty!  
As it so often is with beautiful food made from the heart, there’s a bigger story behind why it’s there and what it means to its maker. For Uyen, coming over to the UK as an immigrant when she was a little girl, meant food was about more than just the food - it’s been a bridge to home, a daily link to what was left behind, something real that can be touched and tasted and shared.  
And she’s been so generous in sharing her comforting home dishes with us, all wrapped up in one pretty pink book.
We chat about her new book, about Vietnamese food culture, about her and her family’s journey of moving over to London and making a new home here, and what led her from a career in film and fashion, to food. 
I hope you enjoy this conversation with the wonderful Uyen Luu. 

Bettina started her business, Bettina’s Kitchen, to share her knowledge on plant foods, seasonality, incorporating local produce into our diets, and to spread the word on how to eat more sustainably, and cook in a way that makes us feel good while still being damn delicious. 
This all came about as a result of being diagnosed with PCOS and endometriosis years ago and being told that she wouldn’t be able to have children. After changing her diet and lifestyle, Bettina fell pregnant 6 months later, and she’s been on a mission ever since to share the beauty and power of plant-based foods, to get more people cooking wholesome dishes from scratch, and to care about where our food comes from.
Bettina’s food and recipes are always so bright and flavoursome (take a look at her uber-popular Instagram account if ever you’re in need of inspiration). Her 3rd book, Celebrate, is out later this summer and as the name suggests, it’s all about the crowd-pleaser dishes perfect for feasts and parties and gatherings - and don’t we know we need a few of those in our lives! 
I met up with Bettina to chat about her career in food, her new book, and how food plays such a critical role, especially for women, in balancing our hormones and helping us thrive.
Happy listening!
Book we discussed – WomanCode by Alisa Vitti