Michael Lambie is a renowned chef and restaurateur who has significantly influenced Melbourne's dining scene since the late 1990s. Originally from the UK, Lambie trained under esteemed chefs, including Marco Pierre White and Alain Roux, before relocating to Australia. In Melbourne, he made his mark with establishments such as Stokehouse, Circa at The Prince, Taxi Dining Room, and Lucy Liu. After selling Lucy Liu in 2020 and a brief period in Queensland, Lambie returned to Melbourne to open Juni in late 2024. Named in honour of his late mother, June, Juni offers a contemporary pan-Asian menu which includes dishes that nod to some of Michael’s favourites across his career. Michael tells the best stories about chef life in the nineties: wild kitchens, big personalities, and the industry’s transformation into what it is today. I loved every minute of this chat, and I could have listened to Michael for hours.