World of Mouth podcast

Kenneth Nars

Looking for restaurants recommendations from the world’s best chefs? Introducing the World of Mouth podcast, where co-founder and creative director Kenneth Nars talks with some of the world’s best chefs. We get to hear their stories, about their background, their rise to fame and their favorite destinations to travel and eat. All of the recommendations mentioned in the podcast are available in the World of Mouth app.

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20 episodes
Updated Friday

Episodes20

Newest first

Friday · 58 min
102. New Indian cooking - Hussain Shahzad from Hunger Inc. in Mumbai
Hussain Shahzad is the Executive Chef of Hunger Inc. Hospitality in Mumbai, the group behind Papa's, The Bombay Canteen, O Pedro and Veronica's. He grew up in Chennai, and after training with The Oberoi Hotel Group in Mumbai, he moved to New York in early 2014 to join Eleven Madison Park. There he met Indian chef Floyd Cardoz and in 2015 joined as sous chef of The Bombay Canteen in Mumbai. He has since led the The Bombay Canteen, O Pedro and Veronica's, and in February 2024 opened Papa's, a 12-seater chef's-counter restaurant. In his podcast, Hussain Shahzad will share his thoughts on contemporary Indian cuisine, and he will also reveal the secrets of a great Bombay Duck, which has nothing to do with duck. He will also guide us to the best eating in Mumbai and the rest of India. All the recommendations mentioned in this podcast and thousands more are available in the World of Mouth app: https://www.worldofmouth.app/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 17 · 58 min
101. An Englishwoman in New York - Jess Shadbolt from King, Jupiter and Deans
Jess Shadbolt is the chef and co-founder of King, Jupiter and Deans in New York. She grew up in the UK, and joined The River Cafe as the assistant to Chefs Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers in 2009, before returning as a chef after having graduated from the Ballymaloe Cookery School in 2012. In 2018, she was named Best New Chef by Food and Wine Magazine. In March 2026, Jess Shadbolt opened Dean's in New York with co-partner Annie Shi as an ode to the great British pub, the traditions of British coastal cooking, nostalgic dishes and warm hospitality, inspired by Jess's upbringing in Suffolk. In her podcast, Jess Shadbolt will share her thoughts on the rise of British produce and gastronomy. She will also reveal some of her favourite places in New York, the UK and the rest of the world. All the recommendations mentioned in this podcast and thousands more are available in the World of Mouth app: https://www.worldofmouth.app/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 7 · 41 min
100. Moroccan fine dining - Fayçal Bettioui from Table 3 in Casablanca
Fayçal Bettioui is the chef of Table 3 in Casablanca, Morocco. Bettioui grew up in a family of pastry chefs. close to the port in Casablanca, and fish and seafood was always a staple food in his family. His studies took him to the United States, where he switched to his chef’s career in some of the best restaurants in New York and Miami. He worked at Per Se in New York, and in 2011 opened his first restaurant in Miami Beach. He later moved to Europe, where he launched Restaurant Krone in Germany’s Pfalz wine region. After that, he and his family moved to Morocco, where he opened his fine-dining restaurant, La Table 3, in June 2024. In his podcast, Fayçal Bettioui will share his thoughts on Moroccan gastronomy. He will also reveal some of his favourite places in Morocco and the rest of the world. All the recommendations mentioned in this podcast and thousands more are available in the World of Mouth app: https://www.worldofmouth.app/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
June 18 · 47 min
99. A London restaurant - Max Rocha from Café Cecilia in London
Max Rocha is the founder and chef of Café Cecilia in London. He was born in Dublin into a family of creatives. He started working in the music industry, but felt he needed something else in his life. After attending a bread baking course in London, he ventured into the restaurant world, working at iconic London restaurants like The River Café, St. John, and Spring. In 2021 he opened his restaurant Café Cecilia in East London. The restaurant quickly became a hit with locals and food critics. The restaurant was designed with Max’s dad John Rocha, the food leans on the family’s Irish heritage and the staff uniforms are designed by his sister Simone Rocha. In his podcast, Max Rocha will tell about his journey from Dublin to London, from the music industry to the restaurant kitchen and from a stressful life with addiction to running a sustainable restaurant in balance with his life. He will also reveal his favourite places in London, Dublin and the rest of the world. The recommendations mentioned in this podcast and thousands more are available in the World of Mouth app: https://www.worldofmouth.app/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
June 11 · 27 min
98. Norwegian roots - Heidi Bjerkan from Credo in Oslo
Heidi Bjerkan is the chef and founder of Credo in Oslo, Norway. She grew up in the coastal town of Trondheim, where her grandfather, who was a fisherman, supplied the family with fresh fish and seafood. Her culinary journey took her from the Oslo Culinary School through some of Norway’s and Europe's most respected kitchens, including the Grand Hotel, the Queen Elizabeth II, Palace Grill, Bølgen & Moi and Claridge’s in London. In 1998 Heidi Bjerkan opened Credo in Trondheim. Almost 30 years later, she closed the restaurant and reopened it at the National Library in Oslo in 2025 where she also runs a bakery, canteen, food bar and summer terrace. In her podcast, Heidi Bjerkan shares her thoughts on how Credo is shaped by the respect for great Norwegian produce. She will also reveal some of her favourite places in Oslo and Trondheim. The recommendations mentioned in this podcast and thousands more are available in the World of Mouth app: https://www.worldofmouth.app/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 17 · 58 min
97. Singaporean DNA - LG Han from Labyrinth in Singapore
LG Han is the chef at Labyrinth in Singapore. Born to 3 generations of restaurateurs, food was never far from LG’s mind. He first studied finance at the London School of Economics and worked as a corporate banker in Singapore before quitting to pursue cooking. He cut his teeth working for internationally renowned chefs in Europe and Singapore, gaining a passion for the restaurant kitchen. In 2014, he founded Labyrinth, encapsulating his roots and memories of growing up in Singapore. In 2017, his restaurant was awarded a Michelin star and in 2021 it was recognised amongst Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. In the podcast we will hear LG Han tell about his obsession for great produce, finding the perfect cooking technique and telling the culinary story of Singapore. He will also reveal his favourite places for all the great dishes in his hometown. The recommendations mentioned in this podcast and thousands more are available in the World of Mouth app: https://www.worldofmouth.app/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 7 · 57 min
96. Zero waste pioneer - Albert Franch Sunyer from Restaurant Nolla in Helsinki
Albert Franch Sunyer is the chef and co-owner of Restaurant Nolla in Helsinki, Finland. Born in a small mining town in Catalonia in Spain, as a young student he left his biology studies behind, to explore his passion for cooking at Michelin-starred restaurants in Barcelona. As a pastry and dessert chef, he worked in Thailand and then moved to work at Helsinki’s top restaurants. He and his two colleagues then opened Nolla, a pioneering restaurant in sustainable gastronomy, and the first zero-waste restaurant in the Nordics. In the podcast, we will hear about Albert Franch Sunyer’s desire to serve great food without compromising zero-waste values and about his vision of the progressive changes that are needed in the restaurant industry. At the end of the podcast he will reveal his favourite restaurants in Helsinki, Barcelona and the rest of the world. The recommendations mentioned in this podcast and thousands more are available in the World of Mouth app: https://www.worldofmouth.app/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
April 30 · 44 min
95. A new restaurateur - Lynn Hazim from Middle Child in Dubai.
Lynn Hazim is the owner and restaurateur of Middle Child in Dubai. She grew up in Beirut in Lebanon as the middle child of her food-obsessed family. Hazim made a career in the corporate world and moved to Dubai ten years ago working as a Google executive with a food blog. During covid, she gradually made the shift to becoming a cook, host and just some months ago, a restaurateur. This year, she was awarded the One To Watch Award by the 50 Best Restaurants. Her restaurant, Middle Child, is part restaurant serving an all-day menu with Hazim’s favourite dishes, part cookbook shop and pantry. In this podcast Lynn Hazim will tell how she made the switch to restaurateur and also how she operates in a country at war. At the end of the podcast she will reveal her favourite restaurants in Dubai and the rest of the world. The recommendations mentioned in this podcast and thousands more are available in the World of Mouth app: https://www.worldofmouth.app/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
April 21 · 28 min
94. The French Connection - Luke Selby from Palé Hall Hotel in North Wales
Luke Selby is the chef at Palé Hall Hotel in North Wales. Selby started cooking when he was 14, and he began his career at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, where he progressed from commis chef to sous chef under Raymond Blanc, before moving on to Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and Hide. He then ran the kitchen at Soho restaurant Evelyn’s Table with his brothers, where they received a Michelin star. A Roux Scholar and National Chef of the Year winner, Selby is recognised for his progressive cooking shaped by international experience, strong seasonal sourcing and clarity of flavour. After returning to Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in 2025, in 2026 he moved to Snowdonia, as Chef Partner at Palé Hall Hotel. At the end of the podcast Luke Selby will reveal his favourite restaurants in the UK and the rest of the world. The recommendations mentioned in this podcast and thousands more are available in the World of Mouth app: https://www.worldofmouth.app/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
April 2 · 33 min
93. Brazilian blend - Ivan Ralston from Tuju in São Paulo
Ivan Ralston Bielawski is the chef and owner of Tuju in São Paulo. He was born in São Paulo in 1985, and comes from a family with strong ties to gastronomy; his parents are the founders of the Brasilian Ráscal restaurant chain. He initially studied music at the Berklee College of Music in the United States, but in his twenties decided to follow his true passion: cooking. He then trained abroad and worked at some of the world’s most famous restaurants, including El Celler de Can Roca and Mugaritz in Spain, and RyuGin in Japan. In 2014, Ivan Ralston opened Tuju in São Paulo. Just one year later, the restaurant earned its first Michelin star, and in 2016, it joined the list of the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants. In this podcast, we will hear about Ivan Ralston’s Brazilian identity with multiple ethnic backgrounds. At the end of the podcast he will reveal his favourite restaurants in Brazil and the rest of the world. The recommendations mentioned in this podcast and thousands more are available in the World of Mouth app: https://www.worldofmouth.app/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
March 20 · 45 min
92. Big in Japan - Jacob Kear from Lurra in Kyoto, Japan
Jacob Kear is the chef and owner of Lurra in Kyoto, Japan. Born to a Japanese mother in California, he grew up both in Japan and the US. After completing culinary school in Pasadena, and working in hotel kitchens, he won a national competition on the Food Network that caught the attention of a restaurant in Korea where he became the executive chef at the age of twenty-four. He then trained in kitchens across Europe, Asia, and North America, among them Noma in Copenhagen. In 2019 he returned to Japan and founded Lurra in an old townhouse in Kyoto, where he blends technical precision with strict seasonality and craft. In this podcast, we will hear about Jacob Kear’s search of his place in the culinary world, and his deep respect of the Japanese culinary tradition. At the end of the podcast he will reveal his favourite restaurants in Kyoto and the rest of the world. The recommendations mentioned in this podcast and thousands more are available in the World of Mouth app: https://www.worldofmouth.app/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
March 6 · 33 min
91. Lebanese legacy - Yasmina Hayek from Em Sherif in Beirut, Lebanon
Yasmina Hayek is the Executive Head Chef at Em Sherif restaurants and cafés, and she is based in Beirut, Lebanon. She grew up in a family where food brought people together, told stories and upheld traditions. As a child, she loved visiting her mother Mireille’s restaurants and that led her to studies at the Institut Paul Bocuse in France, before working in Michelin-starred kitchens, from Paris to Copenhagen. She later returned to Beirut to work at Em Sherif, which has grown from the original restaurant in Beirut to branches in Harrods London, Monaco, in Abu Dhabi and many other locations. In this podcast we will hear about the legacy of Lebanese dining Yasmina Hayek is spreading around the world. At the end of the podcast she will reveal his favourite restaurants in Beirut, Copenhagen and the rest of the world. The recommendations mentioned in this podcast and thousands more are available in the World of Mouth app: https://www.worldofmouth.app/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
February 20 · 31 min
90. Cape cooking - Ryan Cole from Salsify in Cape Town
Ryan Cole is the chef and co-owner of Salsify at the Roundhouse in Cape Town. Cole was born in 1989 into a Cape Town fishing family. In high school, he worked for three days in a hotel kitchen and decided to attend the South African Chefs Academy to become a chef. He moved to London in 2010 and worked at The Square and La Trompette. Three years later, he returned to Cape Town and worked his way to the award-winning The Test Kitchen with chef Luke Dale-Roberts and later became its head chef. In 2018, Dale-Roberts and Cole opened Salsify at the historic Cape Town Roundhouse in Camps Bay. In this podcast we will hear about Ryan Cole’s love for South Africa’s nature and the farmed produce, and at the end of the podcast he will reveal his favourite restaurants in Cape Town and the rest of the world. The recommendations mentioned in this podcast and thousands more are available in the World of Mouth app: https://www.worldofmouth.app/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 29 · 54 min
89. From the streets to the stars - Tim Raue in Berlin
Tim Raue is the chef and owner of restaurant Tim Raue in Berlin and many other restaurants in Germany. He’s one of Germany’s best-known chefs and has redefined German top gastronomy. He was born in Berlin in 1974, and had a rough youth as a member of a street gang in the Kreuzberg district. He saw the kitchen as a way into the working life, and began his culinary training at the age of 17. After a 30 year long career in various restaurants, Tim Raue has been awarded two Michelin stars and was ranked No. 26 by the World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2022 and he was also featured in a episode of the Netflix series "Chef's Table". In this podcast we will hear about Tim Raue’s troubled youth, about not giving up and about his love for his hometown Berlin. At the end of the podcast he will reveal his favourite restaurants in Berlin and the rest of the world. The recommendations mentioned in this podcast and thousands more are available in the World of Mouth app: https://www.worldofmouth.app/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 19, 2025 · 46 min
88. Reaching the stars - Torsten Vildgaard from FZN in Dubai
Torsten Vildgaard is the executive chef at FZN by Björn Frantzén in Dubai. He grew up in Copenhagen, and as a young chef had a dream of joining the small team at newly founded Noma. Finally, after winning the Chef of the Year competition in Denmark, he got the job. At Noma he spent many years as sous chef and head of R&D. After Noma he opened his own fine-dining restaurant, Studio in Copenhagen. In 2023 he joined the Frantzén Group to lead the kitchen at FZN in Dubai, and under his leadership the restaurant earned three Michelin stars in the 2025 Dubai Michelin Guide, a first for the UAE. In this podcast we will hear about Torsten Vildgaard’s passion for reaching the heights in fine dining and his lifelong pursuit of Michelin stars. At the end of the podcast he will reveal his favourite restaurants in Dubai and Copenhagen. The recommendations mentioned in this podcast and thousands more are available in the World of Mouth app: https://www.worldofmouth.app/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 29, 2025 · 43 min
87. The travelling chef - Marcin Król from Cypsèle in Paris
Marcin Król is the chef and restaurateur of newly opened Cypsèle in Paris. He was born in Poland but left his native country in 2013. His culinary career started when he was 18 years old, working at Noma in Copenhagen. After a year in Copenhagen, and some failed university studies, Marcin Król Marcin started as Sous-Chef at restaurant Boragó in Chile. After Borago, he worked at Stockholm’s Oaxen Krog and Le Chateaubriand in Paris, followed by a move to Tokyo to be a part of the opening team of Noma’s sister restaurant Inua. After a move to Paris, he was running chef Sota Atsumi’s Maison for the past three years. A week ago, at the age of 30, Marcin Król opened his first own project, restaurant Cypsèle, located in the very center of Paris, on Île Saint-Louis. In this podcast, we will hear Marcin Król’s story from rural Poland to the center of the world’s culinary capital, of traveling the world, learning from the very best chefs and finally opening his own place. At the end of the podcast he will reveal his favourite restaurants in Paris. The recommendations mentioned in this podcast and thousands more are available in the World of Mouth app: https://www.worldofmouth.app/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 6, 2025 · 29 min
86. Roman tradition - Sarah Cicolini from SantoPalato in Rome
Sarah Cicolini is the chef of SantoPalato in Rome. She was born in Abruzzo, and grew up in the countryside with her young parents and grandparents. She attended medical school, but at the age of 23, she quit her studies to become a chef. Without a chef’s training, she wanted to pursue her personal dream of cooking for people. She worked her way to some of Rome’s most famous restaurants, and opened SantoPalato in 2017. Seven years later, her restaurant has become a benchmark contemporary trattoria, redefining the thousand year old recipes of the Roman kitchen. In this podcast, we will follow Sarah Cicolini’s journey from rural Abruzzo to the kitchens of Rome. We will also hear her tricks on how to master the most iconic of all pasta dishes: the Carbonara. At the end of the podcast she will reveal her favourite restaurants in Rome and the rest of the world. The recommendations mentioned in this podcast and thousands more are available in the World of Mouth app: https://www.worldofmouth.app/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 23, 2025 · 51 min
85. Crossroads Cooking - Ivan Brehm from Nouri in Singapore
Ivan Brehm is the chef-owner of restaurant Nouri and the creative space Appetite in Singapore. As a chef, he is known for his thoughtful approach to food, creativity and "Crossroads Thinking”, emphasising the connections and interdependence of all things, extending beyond cooking. This comes partly from his multi ethnic heritage and childhood in São Paulo in Brazil. As a young chef, he left Brazil and worked in some of the world’s best restaurants that left a clear mark on his cooking philosophy, like Thomas Keller’s Per Se, Andoni Luis Aduriz’s Mugaritz, and Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck. In this podcast, we will hear Ivan Brehm tell his story, and how he combines cultural exploration, history, anthropology, and culinary traditions into a collective exploration of food and meaning. He will also reveal his favourite restaurants in Singapore and the rest of the world. These recommendations and thousands more are available for free in the World of Mouth app: https://www.worldofmouth.app/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 11, 2025 · 39 min
84. German heritage food - Alex Strödel from EI in Berlin
Alex Strödel is the chef at restaurant EI in Berlin. She grew up in the South of Germany in the Bavarian Alps, and at the age of 16, started working in restaurants as a front of house. Working in Munich, she switched to the kitchen and then moved to Berlin to work in fine dining restaurants Tulus Lotrek and Nobelhart & Schmutzig. At her current Berlin restaurant EI, she focuses on local produce and does her own take on German heritage cooking. In the podcast she will also tell how her all female restaurant team is still in minority in the male dominated restaurant world. She will also reveal her favourite restaurants in Berlin and the rest of the world. The recommendations mentioned in this podcast and thousands more are available for free in the World of Mouth app: https://www.worldofmouth.app/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 18, 2025 · 30 min
83. Norway’s finest - Esben Holmboe Bang from Maaemo in Oslo, Norway
Esben Holmboe Bang is the chef at three Michelin star restaurant Maaemo in Oslo, Norway. Originally from Denmark, he’s lived in his wife’s homeland Norway for more than 20 years. In 2010 he founded Maaemo to showcase the bounty of exceptional Norwegian produce. Six years later, Maaemo became one of the first Nordic restaurants to be awarded 3 Michelin stars. Today, the restaurant holds a steady position as one of the best examples of Nordic fine dining. In the podcast we will hear Esben Holmboe Bang tell the story of the success of the New Nordic restaurants and about his love for the unique Norwegian seafood and vegetables. We will also hear his favourite restaurant recommendations to Oslo, Copenhagen and the US. The recommendations mentioned in this podcast and thousands more are available for free in the World of Mouth app: https://www.worldofmouth.app/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.