Kiwi Foodcast

Welcome again to the Kiwi Foodcast. Today on the show we have Kevin Ngadisastra, one half of the duo behind the Popup that has been taking Wellington by storm, Townhouse Ramen. Kevin’s ramen journey began in 2016 with a trip to Japan. But he is actually a systems analyst by day and not a chef! How did Kevin’s love affair with ramen begin? Can you run a successful food business if you also work full time? How can YOU score a seat at one of his pop ups? Let’s chat to him and find out!

Julie Gillingham was a dental hygienist when she fell in love with the keto lifestyle. After giving birth to two children, she loved how keto made her feel. The sleep was better, she had more energy and of course, the weight loss was a bonus. She did miss eating ice cream though. And pizza!"When my family was following keto strictly, we would have pizza once a week but could never find a pizza base that was both tasty and affordable." So she decided to try making them herself. Julie had hit on the right pain point because anyone doing keto knows that giving up bread is the hardest bit. Not because of its doughy goodness but rather because you need a 'base' for the food you cook or to mop up that curry.Julie eventually traded in her mask and scrubs for an apron & chefs cap to pursue her dream of running and growing Keto Smart Bakes full time. The range of products she offers has continued to expand from pizza bases to bagels, tortillas and garlic bread, with more to come!The unique thing about Keto Smart Bakes is that everything is made in small batches, hand-crafted and freshly baked weekly. "I work on a pre-order basis and that can be a bit challenging for new customers because we live in such an instantaneous world. But my customers know that I am a solopreneur and that I'm also a mom. They know that I put so much into my business and my products that it's worth the wait."Specifically, we chat about:As a small business owner, finding the balance between work life and home lifeWorking around production challenges when everything is hand-craftedMaking 'convenience' products that are still worth the wait

Sachie came to New Zealand after graduating high school, mainly to speak English. What was she most surprised with on coming here? She says, "I was surprised with the size...not of the country but with the size of vegetables here. In Japan, a capsicum may be the size of an egg while here it's more like an apple!"Sachie's journey in entrepreneurship started rather serendipitously while she was working in hospitality sales. She went in one morning and learned of a colleague that had passed away from a heart attack at just 45. That same afternoon she heard of another friend that also passed away. "It was a lightbulb moment. If I die tomorrow, will I have any regrets? I went back home and drew a mind map. What do I love - food, what do I enjoy doing - I love cooking and sitting with others to eat, what skills did I have - I know how to cook Asian food really well. So I thought, that's it. I will teach those who love Asian food how to cook it. It's in my kitchen so I will call it Sachie's kitchen and so it began."It has now been ten years since that day and Sachie's Kitchen has gone from strength to strength. It is now one of the most-awarded cooking schools in Australasia. To date, more than 50,000 New Zealanders have been through Sachie’s Kitchen with millions more watching her demonstrations on the small screen – her television show is broadcast in over 35 countries.Her classes appeal to individuals with a passion for Asian cooking and also corporate teams who book events that cover Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Chinese, Indian & Korean cuisine. Sachie has gone on to launch her own range of branded food products nationwide and is now exploring virtual cooking classes as well.Favourite quotes:Growing up for me, food = peopleWhen I opened the door to Sachie's kitchen in Parnell I had to really think of how people would find me and know about my kitchen. For me, the answer was media. So, I wrote it down on my mind map. I wrote TV, radio, magazine. And the law of attraction took over. When I write things, it attracts opportunities in my life. Over the next two weeks, my husband bumped into someone that ran a radio station and I got onto the radio. Same for my TV show, I wrote it down and then one day, the producer came through the door.Opportunities are always around you. They are ready, for anyone to grab. But if you're not ready, you will not see them. You will miss the boat.In front of my computer, I have a wall where I have a mind map. I write on it opportunities I want to attract, where I want to be and then I transfer it into my yearly calendar and then it does just happen. 

Monisha's journey cooking and eating fresh, healthy food started long before she joined Instagram. In India, she worked as a naturopath, as an aerobic instructor and a yoga teacher. Life changed when her family and she decided to move to New Zealand. They began their journey in Invercargill where Monisha was unable to resurrect her career in naturopathy and started working in a meat and freezing works. A seven-month stint at the local Pita Pit reminded her how much she loved being around fresh food and simple flavours. So, when they moved to Rotorua a few months later, Monisha continued to work in hospitality. But then she got sick. To help her body recover, Monisha resorted to making lots of smoothies. "When it came to food, I always something a bit extra, so I'd make these pretty layered smoothies", says Monisha. When her son saw her pretty creations, he opened an Instagram account for Monisha. "I had no clue what I was doing. If you scroll down 1000 posts you will see I didn't even know how to write hashtags correctly. But I learned. And I made friends. And then companies started approaching me to give them ideas for dishes. But it's the smoothies that got me started".On the episode we talk about:Being real on social mediaFrom influencer to recipe developer, the journeyAdding colour to food and how that can change your mealFollow Monisha and her colourful, fresh food on Instagram