Podcast Summary: The Entrepreneurs – “Labombe by Trivet and Gracious Hospitality’s Cote”
Monocle Radio, September 10, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of The Entrepreneurs focuses on innovation and excellence in the global hospitality scene. Host Tom Edwards takes listeners on a transatlantic journey: first to London, where Johnny Lake and Isabel (Issa) Sabel, the acclaimed cofounders of Trivet, discuss their new restaurant project, La Bombe; and then across to New York with Simon Kim of Gracious Hospitality, sharing his success in redefining the American steakhouse and Korean barbecue experience at Cote.

Section 1: Trivet & The Creation of La Bombe (00:12–20:27)

Founders’ Background and Philosophy

• Trivet’s Beginnings:
  Johnny Lake and Isabel Sabel reflect on six years of Trivet, a project shaped by intense learning and deep collaboration, having met while working at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck.

  • “It took a lot of conversation to kind of draw that out of us, like what is it? What is our restaurant?” – Johnny Lake (00:34)

• Navigating Challenges:
  Their sense of perseverance was forged in the early days—opening just before the pandemic—which required determination and adaptability.

  • “More than being scared, it brought out the fighting spirit in me...For me, personally, it was not gonna happen. It’s one way or the other. We were gonna find a way to make it.” – Isabel (Issa) (04:18)

• On Entrepreneurial Naivety:
  Both founders agree that not knowing everything at the outset allowed them to pursue their vision more fearlessly.

  • “There’s a huge element of being, you know, true to it, knowing that you don’t know what you’re doing, but just, you know, asking a lot of questions and trying to figure it out.” – Johnny Lake (03:04)

Expanding Horizons: The Genesis of La Bombe

• Origins of the Name and Concept:
  La Bombe traces its name and initial inspiration to a childhood French class project by Johnny Lake, recently rediscovered in his parents’ basement.

  • “My restaurant was only food; it listed no drinks...And it was so perfect because here we are 35 years later...I’ve got the guy who can answer that question and...put together the missing pieces.” – Johnny Lake (09:04)
  • Memorable moment: The teacher’s red-inked feedback, “ou sans les boissons,” (where are the drinks?) now cheekily answered by Issa’s expertise in wine (09:04–10:07).

• Evolution from Pop-Up to Standalone:
  La Bombe began as a Monday night wine-bar pop-up at Trivet, focusing on a simpler menu and curated wines, and is now launching as a standalone venue at London’s Como Metropolitan in Mayfair.

  • “We always enjoyed sort of wine bars, sort of wine-focused restaurants...Then we thought, okay, let’s do La Bombe on Monday evenings at Trivet with a simpler menu...And from Monday evenings at Trivet we are coming to Como Metropolitan at Mayfair now.” – Issa (10:13–11:32)

Approach to Wine & Storytelling Through the List (12:12–16:48)

• Reinventing the Wine List:
  Issa’s passion for wine led her to create a wine list organized chronologically by the history of winemaking, inspired in part by her Turkish heritage and a lecture by archaeologist Patrick McGovern.

  • “I look at it and I go, ‘wine world is so much bigger’...It took me a good sort of eight, nine months...to think about how I would lay out the concept of the wine list...And what then became turned out to be a very sort of engaging and interesting, informative wine list without necessarily pretending to inform people.” – Issa (12:50–15:57)

• Inspired Collaboration in the Kitchen:
  Both founders emphasize how menu development is a collaborative process, drawing inspiration from the whole team and personal experiences.

  • “We work on them together and that always ends up being, you know, beneficial in terms of the end dish...what we’ve ended up with is a style of food that’s ours.” – Johnny Lake (16:48)

Looking Forward: Anticipation for Opening (18:24–20:27)

• What Excites Them:
  The creative realization of bringing an idea into reality is what drives both Issa and Johnny.
  • “That very moment, you open that door and the first few people are walking in...That's a sort of an amazing moment of realization that it has become a reality.” – Issa (18:51)
  • “I think more than the first service...when you’re really in it, maybe wearing a different uniform and kind of like showing people everything that you’ve kind of done. I think that'll be the moment.” – Johnny Lake (19:51)

Section 2: Simon Kim & The Modern Korean Steakhouse (20:27–29:30)

Reimagining the Steakhouse: The Cote Story

• American vs Korean Steakhouses:
  Simon Kim explains the contrast between traditional American steakhouses and his Korean approach at Cote, which emphasizes both rich, marbled beef and refreshing accompaniments for balance.

  • “A Korean steakhouse is...the best beef...served with leaf. So it’s beef and leaf experience...it’s a Korean word for yin and the yang. Right. So you get something really decadent...pair that with something that's really refreshing and light, and what you have is pretty well balanced dinner.” – Simon Kim (21:28)

• Challenging Preconceptions:
  Cote disrupted expectations about Asian cuisine, particularly the notion that Korean BBQ is always casual and inexpensive.

  • “When we first opened, people didn't know what to expect. And it was a fancy setting with a big wine list, so people were confused...What's really ironic is people who didn't catch on quickly were Koreans.” – Simon Kim (22:57)

• Global Reception:
  In cities like Singapore, Cote again faced initial skepticism due to cultural expectations about pricing and formality in Asian restaurants but eventually won people over.

  • “Going back to going closer to Asia, we have thought that people would accept it even easier...Initially it was a little confusing and a little shocking...But ultimately...Singaporeans started to really love Cote Korean steakhouse experience.” – Simon Kim (24:07)

Accolades & Impact on Perceptions (24:51–26:04)

• Michelin Recognition and Its Significance:
  Earning Michelin stars for Cote’s New York and Miami locations marked a cultural shift in how Asian fine dining is perceived.
  • “Michelin guide is definitely the holy grail of our today's restaurant world...It kind of showed what you can be right, how our Asian food can be interpreted as or received as. And I think that I’m very proud that it opened a lot of possibilities.” – Simon Kim (25:13)

Elevating Fried Chicken: KokoDak (26:04–29:23)

• The Cathedral of Fried Chicken:
  With KokoDak, Kim set out to create “the cathedral of fried chicken,” focusing on sustainable sourcing, gluten-free batter, and eco-friendly oil, turning a classic into a luxury experience.
  • “The mission of Cocodag was to create the cathedral of fried chicken. We wanted to elevate fried chicken...So together we create really amazing fried chicken experience. But it’s not complete...unless you pair that with the largest champagne list in America.” – Simon Kim (26:26–27:53)
• High-Low Pairing Philosophy:
  Pairing $26 chicken nuggets (with optional caviar) and 450 champagnes creates an environment where billionaires and students alike enjoy themselves.
  • “When I create this experience of low brow, high brow...my favorite part is there's a billionaire sitting next to NYU students and both of them are having the best time of their lives.” – Simon Kim (28:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If I’d known, I never would have. Or actually, it was liberating, because I just didn’t take no for an answer.” – Interviewer (03:50)
• “You gotta be really confident and to put it out there and be ready to listen to any feedback that comes back. But however we’ve got here, that’s what we’ve ended up with.” – Johnny Lake (17:53)
• “The fried chicken experience is not complete unless you pair that with the largest champagne list in America.” – Simon Kim (27:59)
• “When you create this experience of low brow, high brow...my favorite part is there's a billionaire sitting next to NYU students and both of them are having the best time of their lives." – Simon Kim (28:30)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:12 – 01:51: Introduction to Trivet; Founders’ background.
• 03:04 – 05:15: Resilience during the pandemic and startup mindset.
• 07:17 – 10:07: The origin and conceptualization of La Bombe.
• 12:12 – 15:57: Issa’s philosophy of wine curation and storytelling.
• 18:51 – 19:51: Anticipation for La Bombe’s opening.
• 21:28 – 22:43: Simon Kim explains the beef-and-leaf concept at Cote.
• 24:51 – 26:04: Michelin star as cultural breakthrough for Korean cuisine.
• 26:11 – 27:53: The story and philosophy behind KokoDak (fried chicken).
• 28:30 – 29:23: The delight of high-low dining and shared experiences.

Summary Tone and Closing

This episode is driven by optimism, risk-taking, and a willingness to break industry conventions. Whether in London or New York, these entrepreneurs demonstrate that vision, adaptability, and a quest for authentic storytelling can reshape even the most revered traditions in hospitality.