[[MUSIC]]

I’M KASSATA BOLLMAN. 

TODAY MY GUEST IS CHEF IVAN BREHM.

HE JOINS US FROM SINGAPORE…..

WHERE HE’S CURRENTLY CHEF-OWNER OF MICHELIN-STARRED RESTAURANT NOURI…

HE’S ALSO THE BRAIN BEHIND  ‘APPETITE’…A CREATIVE SPACE AT THE INTERSECTION OF FOOD, ART AND MUSIC. 

I’LL OPEN OUR CONVERSATION….BY ASKING YOU TO REACH INTO YOUR MEMORY….

HERE…. “HAVE YOU EATEN YET ?”....IS FOCUSED MORE ON THE GREETING…IT’S A CHECK-IN OF SORTS….

WE’RE TWO MINDS…. ABOUT TO TAKE A TRIP INTO YOUR LIFE….

SO THIS IS AN OPENING… FOR US TO CONNECT…THROUGH FOOD….

THIS CAN BE A MEAL FROM ANYTIME IN YOUR LIFE….THE HOPE IS WHATEVER MEAL YOU CHOOSE TO TALK ABOUT…. IS MEANINGFUL….THAT IT BRINGS UP A  MEMORY…..OR EMOTION….

ONE OF THE BEAUTIFUL PARTS OF A MEAL…HAPPENS LONG AFTER THE ACTUAL EVENT….THOSE MEMORIES CAN BE POWERFUL….AND WE LIKE TO HONOR AND EMBRACE THAT  CONCEPT HERE….

[[CHEF IVAN BREHM DISCUSSES]]

CROSSROADS

I’VE READ ABOUT YOUR BELIEFS ON A TERM THAT YOU CALLED ‘CROSSROADS THINKING’....IN A PREVIOUS INTERVIEW YOU SAID QUOTE

”IT’S MY ATTEMPT AT HIGHLIGHTING THE INTERDEPENDENCE OF THINGS…. USING FOOD AND OTHER FORMS OF EXPRESSION…AS A POINT OF DEPARTURE.” 

PLEASE EXPAND ON THIS THOUGHT ?

[[CHEF IVAN BREHM DISCUSSES]]

ADVICE

WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE THAT YOU'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN ?

[[CHEF IVAN BREHM DISCUSSES]]

EARLY DAYS

LET’S GO BACK TO YOUR EARLY DAYS IN THE INDUSTRY…

YOU’VE WORKED IN MANY KITCHENS…SUCH AS THE FAT DUCK…AND PER SE…TO NAME A FEW…

ARE THERE ANY HURDLES AND/OR HIGHLIGHTS THAT STAND OUT TO YOU ?

[[CHEF IVAN BREHM DISCUSSES]]

TRUE

HOW DO YOU STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF WHILE NAVIGATING THE UPS AND DOWNS OF LIFE ?

[[CHEF IVAN BREHM DISCUSSES]]

YOUNGER SELF

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF ?….MAYBE IT’S ADVICE, A THOUGHT….OR A FEELING….….

[[CHEF IVAN BREHM DISCUSSES]]

SERVICE 

REFLECTING ON YOUR CAREER…IS THERE ONE SERVICE THAT STICKS OUT …THAT BROUGHT YOU A DEEP SENSE OF JOY ?

[[CHEF IVAN BREHM DISCUSSES]]

TRIP

WHAT’S ONE TRIP THAT YOU’VE BEEN ON THAT HAS POSITIVELY IMPACTED YOUR LIFE…THIS COULD BE AN ACTUAL TRIP….. OR….MAYBE IT’S A GOOD MEMORY….LIKE A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE…OR...IT COULD BE A PSYCHEDELIC TRIP…

[[CHEF IVAN BREHM DISCUSSES]]

CULTURE

WHEN IT COMES TO NOURI…AND HOW YOU’RE RUNNING THE KITCHEN THERE….WHAT’S ONE THING THAT YOU LOVE OR ADMIRE ABOUT THE CULTURE…THAT YOU FEEL GOES UNNOTICED OR ISN’T TALKED ABOUT AS MUCH ?

[[CHEF IVAN BREHM DISCUSSES]]

INSPIRATION

HOW DO YOU KEEP INSPIRATION FLOWING THROUGH YOUR KITCHEN EACH DAY ?

[[CHEF IVAN BREHM DISCUSSES]]

NEXT

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU ?...….WHAT ARE YOU EXCITED FOR IN THE MONTHS TO COME ? ……IT COULD BE TRAVELING….CHANGING YOUR DAILY HABITS….SLOWING DOWN IN LIFE….A WORK RELATED PROJECT…WHATEVER YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO….

[[CHEF IVAN BREHM DISCUSSES]]

DEATH

DEATH IS A TOPIC THAT WE OFTEN AVOID OPENLY DISCUSSING IN OUR SOCIETY…YET IT’S SOMETHING THAT WE ALL FACE AT SOME POINT IN LIFE….

PERSONALLY, HAVING HEALTHY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT DEATH PRODUCES AN AWARENESS ABOUT THE PRESENT MOMENT…AN APPRECIATION FOR LIFE….AND HELPS ME LIVE FULLY…

DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS OR INSIGHTS ABOUT DEATH…. FROM YOUR UPBRINGING…..OR LIVED EXPERIENCE….THAT YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE?

[[CHEF IVAN BREHM DISCUSSES]]

SYNCHRONICITIES

HAVE THERE EVER BEEN ANY SIGNS OR SYNCHRONICITIES IN YOUR LIFE…. THAT GUIDED YOU IN SOME WAY  ?…IT COULD BE A CHANCE ENCOUNTER WITH A STRANGER….A CONVERSATION THAT LED TO AN OPPORTUNITY….THAT YOU COULD NOT HAVE ARRANGED….EVEN IF YOU TRIED….THERE’S A WIDE SPECTRUM HERE…..NOTHING IS OFF LIMITS…

[[CHEF IVAN BREHM DISCUSSES]]

REMEMBERED

HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED?

[[CHEF IVAN BREHM DISCUSSES]]

TAKEAWAY

THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR WISDOM WITH US …

I BELIEVE THAT THE JOURNEY…. IS ALWAYS GREATER THAN THE DESTINATION. 

IT’S ON THE PATH THAT WE LEARN….EVOLVE AND….. ENCOUNTER LESSONS…. THAT SHAPE US…. INTO OUR BEST SELVES.

I ALWAYS LIKE ENDING…. BY ASKING…. IF THERE’S ANY TAKEAWAY THAT YOU’D LIKE TO LEAVE WITH LISTENERS…..THAT CAN POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THEIR LIVES.

IT COULD BE SOMETHING WE JUST TOUCHED ON…. A LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED ON YOUR JOURNEY…. OR GENERAL LIFE ADVICE THAT YOU LIVE BY...

[[CHEF IVAN BREHM DISCUSSES]]

AND WHERE OR HOW …..IS THE BEST WAY FOR PEOPLE TO CONNECT…. OR GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU  ?

[[CHEF IVAN BREHM DISCUSSES]]

OUTRO

THANKS FOR LISTENING….AND IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY….... FOLLOW  “HAVE YOU EATEN YET?” ….WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR PODCASTS….

[[MUSIC]]