On this week’s episode of Mise En Place, we head to Bristol for one of our most chaotic (and delicious) recordings yet with Dan O’Regan, the man behind Bank and Lapin. Sat inside the container-yard madness of Wapping Wharf, what starts as a gentle chat quickly turns into a full-blown hospitality war story — complete with lager-and-Picon drinks, soufflés inspired by Le Gavroche, and a running argument about why everyone in Bristol doesn’t already have Blink.

Dan’s story is what makes this episode properly compelling. He didn’t come up through kitchens — he was made redundant from coffee during Covid, opened a restaurant anyway, and promptly lost eye-watering amounts of money. He talks us through losing £80k in year one, another £40k the next, and staring down the barrel of closing Bank completely. There’s a brilliant moment where he describes deciding to “dig until there’s nothing left,” like a cartoon prospector — only for things to finally turn after landing in the Good Food Guide Top 100. It’s a proper reminder of how close success and failure sit in this industry.

And then there are the service stories — the kind you genuinely couldn’t make up. A head chef leaving mid-service for hospital with sepsis, a 21-year-old holding down the kitchen alone, Dan jumping on pans while hand-washing plates for 60 covers, all while the dishwasher breaks and he’s worrying about finding another £8k he doesn’t have. Or the customer who complains about everything — lighting, music, even the pass lights — before shouting at staff and leaving a one-star review. Dan’s take? If you’re aggressive, you’re out. Hospitality goes both ways.

Food-wise, it’s relentless. We get deep into Lapin’s philosophy — classic French done properly, food that “eats well,” no anxiety on the plate — while working through gougères, wild garlic soufflé, Orkney scallops, and what might be one of the best glasses of Chablis we’ve ever had on the pod. There’s also a great tangent on why restaurants shouldn’t rely on minimum spend, how no-shows quietly wreck the atmosphere, and why most people misunderstand just how thin margins really are. It’s funny, brutally honest, and packed with insight — the kind of episode that reminds you restaurants aren’t just about food, they’re about surviving the madness behind it.

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Ivan Orkin joins Mise en Place for a brilliant, wide-ranging conversation on ramen, restaurants, and the realities of hospitality. Recorded in London over bowls of tonkotsu, fried chicken and aubergine, this episode finds the New York-born chef reflecting on the journey that took him from Manhattan to Tokyo, where he became one of the most unlikely success stories in modern food: an American cook opening a ramen shop in Japan and earning the respect of one of the world’s most exacting food cultures.

Across the episode, Ivan talks about his first life-changing bowl of ramen in Shibuya, the obsessive craft behind a great broth, and why ramen is one of the most misunderstood dishes in the business. He explains why a proper bowl has to be eaten fast, why the details matter so much, and how he built a style that was rooted in tradition without ever being trapped by rules. From oven-roasted tomatoes and deep umami to the pressures of pricing, labour and running restaurants across Tokyo, New York and London, it is a masterclass from a chef who has truly lived every side of the industry.

It is also a deeply personal conversation. Ivan opens up about loss, reinvention, moving back to Japan, and the path that led him to build Ivan Ramen into a global name. He speaks candidly about the challenge of opening in Tokyo as an outsider, the moment the queues started forming, and how Chef’s Table changed everything. What comes through most is his honesty: about the hardships of the trade, the economics of hospitality, and the responsibility restaurant owners feel towards the people who make service possible.

Along the way there are plenty of gems: his love for London, his thoughts on Tokyo neighbourhoods, his dream 48-hour food trip, his views on “bad customers,” and the pizza place he says might serve some of the best in the world. Funny, sharp, and full of wisdom, this is an episode for chefs, restaurateurs and anyone who cares about what makes a meal memorable. Ivan Orkin at his very best: generous, opinionated, and completely devoted to the craft.

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Order The Greatest Meat In The Country From HG Walter Here & Have Restaurant Quality Meals From Home - www.hgwalter.com

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Eleanor “Ells” Henson joins Mise en Place for a brilliant, wide-ranging conversation from the stunning dining room at Spring in Somerset House — the restaurant created by the late, great Skye Gyngell and now guided by one of her closest protégées. In this episode, Ells reflects on what it means to lead one of London’s most influential kitchens, the weight and privilege of carrying Skye’s legacy forward, and the mentorship, clarity and sense of purpose that still define the restaurant today.

At the heart of the conversation is Spring’s deeply thoughtful approach to food. Ells shares the story behind the restaurant’s much-loved Scratch Menu — a daily-changing, four-course menu built from offcuts, surplus produce and pure kitchen imagination — and gives a rare, honest look at what it really takes to run a restaurant rooted in genuine seasonality. From muddy vegetables arriving fresh from Wales to the challenge of absorbing entire harvests from partner farms, this is a fascinating portrait of produce-led cooking without compromise.

The episode also explores the figures and philosophies that shaped Ells as a chef, including the profound influence of Darina Allen and Ballymaloe. Ells speaks beautifully about Darina’s role in opening up a whole way of thinking about food, farming and education — not just for chefs, but for ordinary people at home — and about how Ballymaloe helped form her understanding of seasonality, accessibility and the wider food system. Alongside Skye Gyngell’s example, Darina’s impact comes through as a major thread in Ells’s cooking life and leadership.

And because it wouldn’t be Mise en Place without some glorious detours, there’s plenty of that too: anti-soup hot takes, biodynamic baked potato ambitions, private chef horror stories, dogs ordering steak, dolls being served at table, and a dream West Country weekend taking in The Three Horseshoes and Osip. It’s thoughtful, funny and full of strong opinions, sharp insight and proper hospitality heart — a must-listen for anyone who cares about restaurants, ingredients and the people who make them matter.

Pre Order Ben's Incredible Book - All You Can Eat - By Clicking Here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/All-You-Can-Eat-British/dp/1805221523

Get 2 Months of Blinq For Free - With Code - GOTOBLINQ - https://blinqme.com/

Order The Greatest Meat In The Country From HG Walter Here & Have Restaurant Quality Meals From Home - www.hgwalter.com

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