I am Consciously Curious

Our next guest is the Chef and Co-Owner of Bayan Ko and Bayan Ko Diner in Ravenswood, Chicago. The diner space was home to Glenn’s Diner for 17 years and now serves Cuban and Filipino staples all day. The OG location a couple doors east is now a tasting menu that allows the team to push boundaries and provide a more curated experience compared to the diner. We explore his journey of moving to Chicago for culinary school, his various restaurant experiences, and meeting his now wife, Raquel Quadreny. His family is his primary motivation for why he currently does what he does. Becoming an owner has allowed him to never miss an important moment with family. Please enjoy my conversation with Lawrence Letrero.https://www.instagram.com/lawrence_letrero/https://bayankochicago.com/https://www.bayankodiner.com/https://www.instagram.com/bayankochicagohttps://www.instagram.com/bayankodinerchicagoSupport our friends:If you’d like to try some of the kombucha we have on the show, head over to drinkrmbr.com and use the code, CURIOUS10 at checkout for 10% off. Enjoy!If you’d like to try some of the alt-chocolate bars from Mez (Mez Foods), they’ve provided a code for you to use: CURIOUS15

Our next guest is the Chef and Co-Owner of Lilac Tiger, Coach House, and Mirra. He reflects on his journey of stumbling into the world of finance only to be liberated by the 2008 Market Crash which sparked his curiosity into the world of food and hospitality. What was the early stages of a social media agency led him to feel the pulse of a kitchen and he was hooked ever since. From staging at Alinea, Bouchon, and Gaggan, and working his way up to Sous Chef at The Pump Room to eventually starting a supper club called Wazwan (in no particular order), Chef Zubair shares an underlying theme of “ask and you shall receive.” Through his various projects, he strives to display heritage and authenticity with an unforgettable level of hospitality. Please enjoy my conversation with Chef Zubair Mohajirhttps://www.coachhousechi.com/https://www.mirrachicago.com/https://lilactigerchi.com/https://www.instagram.com/zubairmohajirSupport our friends:If you’d like to try some of the kombucha we have on the show, head over to drinkrmbr.com and use the code, CURIOUS10 at checkout for 10% off. Enjoy!If you’d like to try some of the alt-chocolate bars from Mez (Mez Foods), they’ve provided a code for you to use: CURIOUS15

Our next guest is the artist behind Monsoon Pottery. Quality time with her family has her reflecting on life and what she wants to get out of it. I appreciate how singular she is with everything she takes on. From her daily tea practice, insatiable appetite for art history, and her pottery practice, she’s at a unique intersection that she relays throughout her tea tasting and pottery workshops. Please enjoy my conversation with Danielle Chutinthranond.https://monsoonpottery.com/https://instagram.com/monsoonpotteryhttps://monsoonpottery.substack.com/Support our friends:If you’d like to try some of the kombucha we have on the show, head over to drinkrmbr.com and use the code, CURIOUS10 at checkout for 10% off. Enjoy!If you’d like to try some of the chocolate bars from Mez (Mez Foods), they’ve provided a code for you to use: CURIOUS15

Our next guest is one of the moderators of the r/chicagofood subreddit. He shares why and how he started to moderate it. He’s made lists to organize his favorite chicken sandwiches, fries, and omakase restaurants. He’s currently organizing his favorite bib gourmand restaurants. Reddit was taken aback by how large and active the subreddit became and presented Mitch with an opportunity to cultivate the community. He began by buying out Obelix for dinner last year and a series of restaurants this year with the Reddit Community Fund. They visited places like Kyōten, Cellar Door Provisions, and Cariño to name a few. Please enjoy our conversation with Mitch Gropman. https://www.reddit.com/r/chicagofood/Cohost: Justin https://instagram.com/kyotoblackcoffeeSupport our friends:If you’d like to try some of the kombucha we have on the show, head over to drinkrmbr.com and use the code, CURIOUS10 at checkout for 10% off. Enjoy!If you’d like to try some of the chocolate bars from Mez (Mez Foods), they’ve provided a code for you to use: CURIOUS15

Our next guest is the Founder and Keeper of Good Things Vending. She places local art and oddities in vending machines and places them in some of the most iconic places in the city. You can find some of her machines in places like The Chicago Cultural Center, Kimball Arts Center, and The Garfield Park Conservatory. I truly enjoyed learning how she found her way to the intersection of art and vending machines as well as discussing what our role is in the grand scheme of life. Please enjoy my conversation with the wonderful Steph Krim.https://www.goodthingsvending.com/https://www.instagram.com/goodthingsvendingSupport our friends:If you’d like to try some of the kombucha we have on the show, head over to drinkrmbr.com and use the code, CURIOUS10 at checkout for 10% off. Enjoy!If you’d like to try some of the chocolate bars from Mez (Mez Foods), they’ve provided a code for you to use: CURIOUS15

Our next guest is a hospitality veteran and has helped open spaces like Truce, Lilac Tiger, Coach House, and Mirra. I was first introduced to David through Justin of Kyoto Black Coffee when they put on a coffee cocktail pop up at Cindy’s Rooftop. I knew David was working on opening a bar, but it wasn’t until a recent dinner at Mirra when I realized David was also part owner. It was wonderful to hear how David has reclaimed some of that agency and is now working to reclaim some of the joy back in the work. Please enjoy my conversation with David Mor. https://instagram.com/davidmmorSupport our friends:If you’d like to try some of the kombucha we have on the show, head over to drinkrmbr.com and use the code, CURIOUS10 at checkout for 10% off. Enjoy!If you’d like to try some of the chocolate bars from Mez (MezFoods.com), they’ve provided a code for you to use: CURIOUS15

Our next guests are brothers and founders of an alternative chocolate brand, Mez Foods. But the implications of how revolutionary mesquite is makes this a very exciting time for these two. Their challenge is to introduce a product that is more sustainable (environmentally and production-wise), price competitive, and nutritive to cacao. This was truly an insightful episode that just kept unraveling. Please enjoy my conversation with Ben and Bob Schultz of Mez Foods.https://mezfoods.comhttps://instagram.com/mez.foodsSupport our friends:If you’d like to try some of the kombucha we have on the show, head over to drinkrmbr.com and use the code, CURIOUS10 at checkout for 10% off. Enjoy!If you’d like to try some of their chocolate bars (Mez Foods), they’ve provided a code for you to use: CURIOUS15

Our next guest is the Owner and Executive Chef of Vendador, a private dining company that imports an entire fine dining ecosystem into clients' homes. He shares how hungry he was to collect culinary experiences at a young age that eventually landed him at Roister (part of the Alinea Group). He reflected about being honest with what you want out of life and going after it despite your circumstances. The kitchen is a space (especially in fine dining) where those who truly want it will persevere. His humility, curiosity, and integrity really came through in this episode. Please enjoy my conversation with Chef Francis Pascal. https://www.vendador.com/https://instagram.com/vendadorchicagoGame changer episode that was mentioned: https://nav.al/kapilSupport our friends:If you’d like to try some of the kombucha we have on the show, head over to drinkrmbr.com and use the code, CURIOUS10 at checkout for 10% off. Enjoy!

Our next guest has been a tech recruiter for over 10 years and how he became one is a funny story. Last year he started a chex mix based snack brand that’s typically seen in Hawaiian households. The three flavors they have are The OG (Furikake), Bean (Vanilla), and Rooster (Sriracha). Only a few months after a successful launch, he approached Francis Almeda (Side Practice Coffee) with an idea for a musubi pop up at SPC. That idea eventually became Kanin which should be opening soon next door to SPC. Please enjoy my conversation with Julius Tacadena. https://instagram.com/krackishsnackcohttps://instagram.com/kanin.chihttps://instagram.com/kuya.julzhttps://krackishsnackco.com/Support our friends:If you’d like to try some of the kombucha we have on the show, head over to drinkrmbr.com and use the code, CURIOUS10 at checkout for 10% off. Enjoy!

Amin returns to reflect on life and how his side hustle of operating “Chicago Food Guide” has grown over the last year. From adding on team team members to CFG, new collaborations with athletes, and providing new services like influencer marketing and food photography, Amin manages to balance his side hustle alongside being a full time ESL teacher for grades 9-12 and becoming a new dad. We reflected on fatherhood, creating dinner parties, and what could be next for Chicago Food Guide. Please enjoy my conversation with Amin Tomalieh.https://instagram.com/chicago.food.guidehttps://www.chicagofoodguide.info/Support the show:If you’d like to try some of the kombucha we have on the show, head over to drinkrmbr.com and use the code, CURIOUS10 at checkout for 10% off. Enjoy!