As I drove out of Melbourne and left the fog behind, the day opened up into that bright, golden Daylesford light and the whole town seemed to be out walking, eating, browsing and making the most of it. I’d arrived a little early, wandered up one side of Vincent Street, back down the other, bought a scarf and a block of soap from Marseille, then stepped into Kadota to meet chef and co-owner Aaron Schembri. Kadota is calm, beautiful and deeply considered, but Aaron’s path to it has been anything but straightforward. He grew up around here, left school young, found his way into kitchens, and later into Japan, where food opened up something much bigger for him than technique. Sitting with him in the restaurant he has built with his wife, Risa, what struck me most was how thoughtful he is, and how lightly he wears what he has already achieved. There is no sense of wanting to settle into success. He is still questioning, still pushing, still learning, still trying to make Kadota more fully itself.