Benjamin Cooper is the Executive Chef at Melbourne’s iconic restaurant Chin Chin. With a background that spans fine dining in the UK and Europe to leading some of Australia’s busiest kitchens, Benjamin brings a balance of technique, intuition and creativity to his work. He is also the author of three cookbooks in the Chin Chin Collection: The Book, Feed Me and Still Hungry.
On this episode, Benjamin reflects on the early decisions that shaped his career, the importance of curiosity, adaptability and and creative risk-taking, how philosophy guides his work, how nourishment goes beyond food to become a form of connection, how great restaurants create moments of true presence, how vision and collaboration bring a restaurant to life, the responsibility that comes with hospitality, how purpose and reason evolve over a lifetime and so much more.
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00:00 – Intro
03:02 – Kitchens & Creativity
07:45 – Led by Curiosity
12:10 – Lessons from High-Volume Service
20:55 – Asian Culture
25:15 – Australian Identity
30:14 – Kitchen Choreography
32:41 – Nourishment, Pleasure, and Presence
37:12 – Collaborative brand Building
43:55 – Gatekeeping vs Natural Evolution
48:55 – Philosophy Over Process
55:51 – Purpose, Reason, and Sacrifice
1:03:20 – Chin Chin and the Lucas Legacy
1:14:29 – Guiding Philosophy
1:15:51 – Redefining Imposter Syndrome
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Follow Benjamin on Instagram: @chefjamincooper
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