Summary
Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.
In this episode, the guest returns for a tasting menu where she reacts to the dream menu of a previous guest, Richard Herring. Throughout the conversation, the guest and hosts discuss everything from recent hair treatments and tour hotel choices to unfortunate moustache mishaps and memories of growing up. Along the way, the guest evaluates the menu's unconventional items, including fountain of youth water, a massive sheet of injera bread, singing blackbirds, a loaded jacket potato, and a selection of nostalgic crisps.
- The guest explains that when choosing hotel accommodations for a comedy tour, avoiding budget options like Premier Inn helps prevent feeling depressed. 18:36
- The guest shares that she stopped drinking vodka after a party incident where it made her speak too honestly to a guest. 1:02:23
- The guest recalls learning how to open a bottle of San Miguel beer for her father in the Philippines. 1:08:39
Chapters
- 0:00Episode Intro and Guest Announcement
Hosts Ed and James introduce the episode and announce Sindhu V as the returning fan favourite guest.
- 1:46Back to the Tasting Menu Format
Ed explains the tasting menu concept and how they will surprise Sindhu with a menu from a previous guest.
- 2:54Sindhu’s Hair Botox Story
Sindhu recounts her experience getting hair botox in a Mayfair salon and the challenges she faced.
- 24:37The Fountain of Youth Water Experiment
The hosts introduce a fictional fountain of youth water and discuss its absurd effects on Sindhu’s hair and personality.
- 28:50Ethiopian Bread Obsession
Sindhu and the hosts debate the idea of an enormous injera bread as part of the tasting menu and its comedic implications.
- 32:50AI and Future Concerns Debate
The trio discuss AI, killer AI myths, and the importance of living in the present rather than fearing the future.
- 33:27Closing and Final Thoughts
The episode wraps up with final jokes, reflections on the tasting menu, and a reminder to enjoy the moment.
- 34:37Cozy Furniture Sponsorship Pitch
A commercial break where the hosts promote Cozy furniture, tying it to the theme of creating a comfortable home environment.
- 40:35Mushroom Cultivation and Family Dynamics
The hosts discuss how the guest’s mother encouraged him to cultivate a taste for mushrooms, reflecting on parenting tactics and family expectations.
- 41:23Parenting Styles and Identity Formation
The conversation shifts to the broader theme of guiding children, balancing control and independence, and the impact of parental influence on identity.
- 43:20Karmic Load and Family Relationships
The hosts touch on the concept of karmic debt, exploring how past relationships shape current family dynamics and personal beliefs.
- 44:33Medieval Blackbird Pie and Cultural References
A playful debate about a medieval pie with live blackbirds turns into a discussion of historical banquet traditions and pop culture trivia.
Highlights
- 13:26
The guest recalls running into the host in Montreal and immediately telling him he looked like a pedophile because of his new mustache, prompting him to shave it off.
- 21:29
Fountain of Youth Waterinsight
The hosts present the first course, water from the fountain of youth in Big John Little John, which the guest refuses after hearing it turns you into an eight-year-old.
- 38:19
Two Generations of Crispsstory
The starter is revealed as two bags of salt and vinegar kettle chips from the 1990s and the present day, which leads to a discussion of how the guest discovered British crisps.
- 44:33
Singing Blackbirds in a Pieinsight
The guest reacts to the main course of four and twenty live blackbirds in a pie, arguing that medieval birds would have been baked dead rather than flying out alive.
- 1:02:23
The guest explains why she temporarily gave up vodka after a dinner party incident where a blunt remark caused a fellow guest to storm out.
- 1:22:42
Guessing Richard Herring's Menuinsight
After hearing all the items on the tasting menu, the guest successfully guesses that the menu belongs to comedian Richard Herring.
Quotes
“We like to keep it spontaneous, but we also, we didn't want you to say too much before we started recording because you were telling us that you got hair botox and I want to talk about it on the podcast.”
Unnamed speaker · 4:20 “The hairdo for the poster of that show is indeed swanky.”
Unnamed speaker · 15:41 “Don't worry about the future, James.”
Unnamed speaker · 33:28 “I ate mushrooms under the fear of death. I had mushrooms on my pizza because she used to have mushroom pizza and it was very expensive.”
Unnamed speaker · 40:47 “I love mushrooms now, but I think for a long time I was just afraid. So I would just eat them.”
Unnamed speaker · 41:04 “Not in the same context. I have bigger fish to fry than forcing my half white kids to eat mushrooms, right?”
Unnamed speaker · 41:16 “I love owls. Do you know? Because first of all, first of all, I don't even know why you're laughing.”
Unnamed speaker · 49:32 “I would love it if it had four and twenty owls.”
Unnamed speaker · 49:25 “I have gone back to drinking neat vodka, because I don't drink so much of it. Like, you don't have a double.”
Unnamed speaker · 1:10:57 “I had that moment of panic that you have with a foreign language.”
Unnamed speaker · 1:23:09
Sponsored segments
- Edgamble 0:20–0:29
- Everything Iconic 0:26–0:37
- Arm & Hammer Hardball Cat Litter 1:07–1:17
- Cozy 34:37–36:49
- Everything Iconic 1:00:46–1:00:57
- Arm & Hammer 1:01:19–1:01:50
- cinduvie.com 1:25:48–1:25:54
- gamble.co.uk 1:26:00–1:26:03
- Everything Iconic 1:26:18–1:26:49
About this episode
Another fan favourite returns to the Dream Restaurant, and this time it’s straight-talking stand-up Sindhu Vee, all the way back from episode 15. Will she have more words of wisdom like ‘to the hungry person even the doorway looks like crisps’? Listen to Sindhu’s original episode https://podfollow.com/off-menu-with-ed-gamble-and-james-acaster/episode/eece14d43d9031aa3e6aa30f51cedb5ad40be941/view Sindhu Vee is on tour across the UK in 2026 and 2027 with ‘Swanky’, including a date at London’s Eventim Apollo. For dates and tickets go to www.sindhuvee.com https://sindhuvee.com/ Follow Sindhu on Instagram @sindhuvee https://www.instagram.com/sindhuvee/ and TikTok @sindhuvee100 https://www.tiktok.com/@sindhuvee100 Don’t forget, video episodes of Off Menu are out every Wednesday on our YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@offmenupodcast. Off Menu is now on YouTube: @offmenupodcast https://www.youtube.com/@offmenupodcast Follow Off Menu on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/offmenuofficial and TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@offmenuofficial: @offmenuofficial. And go to our website www.offmenupodcast.co.uk https://www.offmenupodcast.co.uk/ for a list of restaurants recommended on the show. Off Menu is a comedy podcast hosted by Ed Gamble and James Acaster. Produced, recorded and edited by Ben Williams for Plosive https://www.plosive.co.uk/. Video production by Ben Williams and Megan McCarthy for Plosive https://www.plosive.co.uk/. Artwork by Paul Gilbey https://www.instagram.com/pushgilbey/ (photography and design). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
18,953 words · 5 speakers
Topics
- Swanky
- Hulu
- The Mob
- Disney Plus
- Off Menu podcast
- Disney+
- Walmart
- Amazon
- Duolingo
- The Traitors
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