Josh Nicholls - The Milk Bar by Cafe Ish

Japanese cuisine and Australian bush tucker don't usually go together, but chef Josh Nicholls made this culinary mash-up his signature at Cafe Ish, the popular Surry Hills eatery he opened with his wife, Ai, in 2007. It later morphed into an izakaya and, recently, has transformed into The Milk Bar by Cafe Ish in Redfern, with its menu of $5 burgers, Malteser pies and killer shakes (think Miso Caramel or Rosewater, Berry and Rosella). Josh chats about his accidental career as a chef (mainly inspired by chasing 'the girl'), how he once got headbutted by an apprentice in the kitchen, the renewal of Redfern, the keys to a good burger, the cheat's guide to native ingredients and his favourite dining spots around Sydney. Oh, and whale bacon gets a mention, too. Thanks to the wonderful Alex Watts for producing this episode and the just-as-ace FBi radio for lending us its studios.Josh on Twitter: @Milkbar_CafeIshAi on Twitter: @torandkinpira