Ep 36: Chef Eric Adjepong

Ep 36: Chef Eric Adjepong

Author: Mike Schibel, Travel With Meaning March 8, 2020 Duration: 44:30

Our conversation with Chef Eric Adjepong was held in front of a live audience at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI) as part of Bermuda Restaurant Weeks 2020. Chef Eric was in Bermuda to cook several meals as part of Restaurant Weeks with the highlight being the Bermuda Culture and Heritage Dinner. Chef Eric talks about the special menu he planned with local chefs from Bermy Eats featuring locally harvested foods and unique Bermuda flavors (12:22). During our talk you'll also hear Chef Eric mention his thesis that he wrote while attending the University of Westminster for his Masters. Part of the research of his thesis took him to Ghana and ultimately helped him down the path to cooking the West African cuisines that he loves. (20:42). Chef Eric has made his thesis available for the public through the Bermuda National Library. Chef Eric was a finalist on Season 16 of Bravo's Top Chef and will be returning for Top Chef Season 17 AllStars, premering March 19th on Bravo. As a first-generation Ghanaian-American born and raised in New York City, Eric sources the flavors and influences in his cooking from many of the West African dishes he grew up eating. He is passionate about introducing diners to West African cuisine and the impact its diaspora has had on South American, Latin American, Caribbean, and American food, all in his elegant, artfully plated style. Chef Eric will be opening his first restaurant On The Double at the famed D.C Food Hall Union Market in Spring 2020. Co-founder of Pinch & Plate alongside wife and decorator Janell Adjepong. Prior to launching Pinch & Plate, Eric cooked in several Michelin-starred restaurants in New York after graduating with degrees in culinary arts and nutrition from Johnson & Wales, one of the country's premiere culinary universities. He also holds a Master of Public Health in International Public Health Nutrition from the University of Westminster in London.


Mike Schibel sits down with a fascinating array of guests on Travel With Meaning, but the destination is rarely the main point. Instead, this podcast explores the profound personal shifts that happen when we step outside our familiar surroundings. Each conversation delves into a specific journey-whether it’s a life-altering pilgrimage, a chaotic business trip that sparked a new idea, or a simple vacation that unexpectedly clarified a career path. You’ll hear from artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, and seasoned travel experts, but the focus remains on the transformative moment, the insight gained, or the connection made that reverberated long after the suitcase was put away. Schibel, founder of Travel With Meaning, guides these discussions with a genuine curiosity, allowing his guests to unpack not just their itineraries but the emotional and professional baggage they carried with them. The stories reveal how travel acts as a catalyst, reshaping identities, forging unexpected creative directions, and offering a new lens on one’s place in the world. Listening feels like being part of an intimate, thoughtful dialogue where the map of a life is redrawn by the roads taken. This isn't about recommendations or tips; it's about the lasting imprint of a place on a person. The podcast consistently uncovers how the world, in all its diverse complexity, has a way of teaching us exactly what we need to learn, often when we least expect it.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 133

Travel With Meaning
Podcast Episodes
Episode 72: Adam Montiel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:00
Hello Meaningful travelers! Welcome to a special episode of the Travel With Meaning Podcast. This was the first live conversation we've had with a guest in person since the pandemic. This episode was recorded at the beau…
Episode 71: Sahara Rose De Vore [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:07
Hello Meaningful Travelers! We had the opportunity to speak with Wellness Travel Coach and Founder of The Travel Coach Network, Sahara Rose De Vore. The Travel Coach Network is a global community of travel coaches and tr…
Episode 70: J.J. Kelley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:52
Hello Meaningful Travelers! This episode we had the chance to speak with J.J. Kelley. J.J. Kelley is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker and explorer focusing on issues of conservation and wildlife crime. Three of Kelley's docum…
Episode 69: Ernest White II [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:26
Hello Meaningful Travelers! Today's podcast features Ernest White II! Ernest White II is a storyteller, explorer, executive producer and host of television travel docu-series FLY BROTHER with Ernest White II, currently a…
Episode 68: Mike Siegel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:31
Hello Meaningful travelers! Welcome to this week's episode of the Travel With Meaning Podcast. Today we are joined by fellow podcaster, Comedian and TV host Mike Siegel. Mike created the Travel Tales Podcast – a lighthea…
Episode 67: Jacqueline Hampton [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:14
Hello Meaningful Travelers! Welcome to another inspiring episode of the Travel With Meaning Podcast! Today we speak with the Founder and CEO of Portico Travel, Jacqueline Hampton. Portico helps you save, plan, organize,…
Episode 66: Ryan Hitzel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:37
Hello Meaningful Travelers! In this episode we speak with Ryan Hitzel. Ryan is the Founder and Creative Director of The Roark Revival, a brand that follows a wayward adventurer named Roark around the globe making apparel…
Episode 65: Beth Santos [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:38
Welcome to the Travel With Meaning Podcast Season 4! A very special guest, Beth Santos, the founder and CEO of Wanderful joins us on this episode of TWM™. Wanderful is a global lifestyle brand and inclusive community of…
Episode 64: Joanna Wallfisch [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:52
Described by Downbeat Magazine as "an exquisite singer-songwriter", Joanna's music conveys a beauty of a many-coloured sort that speaks to straight to the human condition. Her songs reveal personal truths about love, los…
Ep 63: Peter Cole [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:58
Show Notes: Early travel memory to a classic baseball stadium (8:51) The curiosity that led him to the real estate industry and to Marriott Hotels (15:45) Peter's philosophy around creating a community through travel (22…