Ben John is the chef behind BistroX at The StandardX in Fitzroy. He trained in Aotearoa New Zealand, came up through some of Naarm’s most exacting kitchens, and has led teams at places where standards are high and pressure is constant. At BistroX, he’s building something deliberately more relaxed: a neighbourhood bistro inside a hotel that doesn’t really feel like a hotel at all. We talk about suppliers and seasons, teaching young chefs properly, breaking down whole animals, and what leadership looks like now compared with when he was coming up. We also talk about balance, longevity, and how to stay generous in a demanding industry. I really enjoyed this conversation. Ben is thoughtful, grounded and deeply committed to the craft.
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Ben John is the chef behind BistroX at The StandardX in Fitzroy. He trained in Aotearoa New Zealand, came up through some of Naarm’s most exacting kitchens, and has led teams at places where standards are high and pressure is constant. At BistroX, he’s building something deliberately more relaxed: a neighbourhood bistro inside a hotel that doesn’t really feel like a hotel at all. We talk about suppliers and seasons, teaching young chefs properly, breaking down whole animals, and what leadership looks like now compared with when he was coming up. We also talk about balance, longevity, and how to stay generous in a demanding industry. I really enjoyed this conversation. Ben is thoughtful, grounded and deeply committed to the craft.
It’s been a few years since I last saw Punit, back when Elichi was still open in Black Rock and the world and hospitality felt very different. In the time since, he’s lived what feels like several careers’ worth of experience: closing a restaurant, cooking through lockdown with his family, stepping into senior hotel roles, winning AHA Chef of the Year last year, and quietly building the foundations for something deeply personal. That something is Bombay Meri Jaan, Punit’s Richmond restaurant and love letter to Mumbai. Not the shorthand version of Indian food most of us think we know, but a layered, regional, memory-driven expression of western Indian cooking shaped by coastal spices, street snacks, family recipes, and the rhythms of a city that never stops moving. In this conversation, Punit talks about slowing down, learning when to step back, and what it means to cook food that actually reflects who you are. We cover hotel kitchens and home cooking, leadership and letting go, butter chicken (of course), and why some of the most important dishes are the ones tied to trains, fishermen, and late-night streets.
Conversation with a chef
Ben John is the chef behind BistroX at The StandardX in Fitzroy. He trained in Aotearoa New Zealand, came up through some of Naarm’s most exacting kitchens, and has led teams at places where standards are high and pressure is constant. At BistroX, he’s building something deliberately more relaxed: a neighbourhood bistro inside a hotel that doesn’t really feel like a hotel at all. We talk about suppliers and seasons, teaching young chefs properly, breaking down whole animals, and what leadership looks like now compared with when he was coming up. We also talk about balance, longevity, and how to stay generous in a demanding industry. I really enjoyed this conversation. Ben is thoughtful, grounded and deeply committed to the craft.
