Trigger and content warning: In this episode, we discuss violence, which includes sexual assault.

Hot kitchens. Sharp Knives. Loud voices. Cuss words. Those are the hallmarks of the back of house in a restaurant. And while there has been a level of glorification to being able to survive being toughened up the kitchens, the lines have too often crossed into abuse. A major shortcuming in the hospitality industry is its inability to take care of victims of abuse, many who remain silent for fear of being blacklisted.

Such is the story of the world famous Three Michelin star restaurant Noma, and its chef René Redzepi. Already having come under fire in the past for its expoitative use of stages (unpaid work by interns), Redzepi remains in the limelight for the extreme verbal and physical abuse of his staff. Behind meticulous plates, terror reigned, leaving behind broken hospitality workers who could not speak out.

Is this behaviour normal? Or are these outlier tales that get highlighted in mainstream media? André and Miroki tear off the veneer with industry veteran Chef Deron Engbers, discuss his experiences coming up as a young chef, if he's noticed improvements, and whether it is possible for real change? How will this affect diners - and do diners care?

Further reading:

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/dining/rene-redzepi-noma-abuse-allegations.html

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-canadian-winemaker-norman-hardie-accused-of-sexual-misconduct/

You can follow Miroki on Instagram @9ouncesplease

You can follow André on Instagram @andrewinereview

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Do you think you shop and eat local?

What if we told you that to eat food sourced solely in Canada, that you would be giving up staples like olive oil, lemons, vanilla, and even black pepper?

That's exactly the mission that Chef Hunter Guindon of The Table Culinary Studio has undertaken. Nestled in rural PEI, his restaurant stimulates the senses with an intimate 7 course dinner featuring not only 100% Canadian ingredients, but also a 100% Canadian wine list. Open for only 5 months of the year, diners book months in advance for an opportunity to taste dishes that are never repeated.

Andre and Miroki peel back the layers behind Hunter's ethos, witness some questionable practices he experienced coming up as a chef, and what took him from Ontario to Prince Edward Island. Will he and Andre will engage in fisticuffs over PEI vs Prairies as the superior beef?

Book a limited spot at The Table Culinary Studio: thetablepei.ca

You can follow Miroki on Instagram @9ouncesplease

You can follow André on Instagram @andrewinereview

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As comedian Ronny Chieng says, "Gong Hay Fat Choy" isn't "Happy New Year"...it's "Hope you get rich!"

Whether it's Miroki's Cantonese Lunar New Year celebrations, Vietnamese Tết, or Korean Seollal, festivities are in full swing during this period. As a first generation Chinese-Canadian, it's wonderful that Baker Joe of Wai Tack Kee is keeping Miroki's shelves full of delicious traditional Cantonese snacks. His daughter Audrey Tam joins us on Tasting Together to speak about Joe's journey from Hong Kong to Canada, and how their family business brings prosperity into homes all across the GTA through nut filled dumpling pastries, pineapple cakes and lotus flower cookies.

André and friends join Miroki's celebrations at Jumbo Lobster in Markham, partaking in a banquet that included sweet, succulent king crab and a lobster tower stir fried with a salted egg yolk. Corkage at this famed seafood spot only starts at $15, but Andre did ogle at their insanely high end wine list presented on a deceptively humble laminated menu. The question to always ask is...order more dim sum or try their dry aged steaks?

It has been nearly 7 years since Miroki has enjoyed a family style New Year dinner. Towards the end of Lunar New Year, she will finally have the opportunity to enjoy whole steamed fish (symbolizing wealth), noodles (prosperity) and barbecue pork (riches and strength) through delicious homecooking. Will this finally inspire her to take to the kitchen and learn to cook up some dishes that connect with her roots?

Wai Tack Kee: https://www.waitackkee.com/

Jumbo Lobster: https://jumbolobster.ca/

You can follow Miroki on Instagram @9ouncesplease

You can follow André on Instagram @andrewinereview

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Temperatures are frigid, but the month is hot with events and activities galore. Miroki and André give you a rundown of what’s exciting in February in Toronto and the surrounding region. Winterlicious will be just wrapping up, so now is the time to enjoy a great prix fixe in Toronto. André has found a new appreciation for spending a night out with Anja for Valentine’s Day, though he isn’t dining at the local institution in Hamilton. Why is that? Meanwhile, Miroki has found a way to stay warm in Waterdown. Less than an hour from Toronto, Terra Greenhouses is making the most of their slow season by hosting a bustling market of local vendors, welcoming visitors to spend a day shopping for plants, food, and crafts. At the end of the month, the smashing event Black Grapes returns to Toronto at Waterworks Food Hall. Will you get an elusive ticket before it’s sold out?

Winterlicious: https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/festivals-events/winterlicious/restaurants-menus/ 

Terra Greenhouses Winter Market: https://terragreenhouses.com/waterdown-winter-market/ 

West Avenue Cider House: https://www.westavenue.ca/ 

Black Grapes: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-history-month-black-grapes-wine-tasting-tickets-1978391844263 

You can follow Miroki on Instagram @9ouncesplease

You can follow André on Instagram @andrewinereview

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

January is generally a pretty blue kind of month, especially when the bombshell is dropped that 4000 restaurants will close by the end of the year. Emotions run high as customers and industry workers alike debate the reasons, trying to find one major factor to point the finger at. But sometimes the reasons lie in places we never consider. This is why we wanted to ask the best expert in the field. Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, aka The Food Professor, brings his research based expertise to this episode to help us answer some burning questions, and peel back some layers to reveal just what is cutting into the deep web of the food industry.

https://agrifoodanalyticslab.substack.com/p/canada-is-poised-to-lose-4000-restaurants

Sylvain Charlebois - Faculty of Management - Dalhousie University

The Food Professor

You can follow Miroki on Instagram @9ouncesplease

You can follow André on Instagram @andrewinereview

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

André is not participating in Dry January this year. Miroki has never done it. Both discuss their relationship with alcohol as industry workers, and why going cold turkey for a month may not (or might?) be a sustainable decision to recalibrate drinking habits. Meanwhile, a sandwich has traveled all the way from Italian Star Deli in Regina, Saskatchewan to Toronto just so Miroki could see what the hype is all about. Will this sandwich change her life like how André predicted?

Listen to: The Triumph Of Mom and Pop Sho…–Tasting Together – Apple Podcasts

https://www.italianstardeli.com/ 

Why I'm Not Not Doing Dry January - by Lenn Thompson

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As you tune into this episode on New Year’s Eve, you suddenly realize, “Sacré bleu! I didn’t get any sparkling wine to toast in the New Year!” Well, don’t you worry, Miroki and Andre have gotchu. From baller Champagnes tasted this year, the last great secret deal hidden in Ontario *cough* sparkling wine *cough*, fun and fancy free Prosecco, they will keep you well stocked for the celebration whether your budget is $15 or $500, while also reminding you that, no, it’s not all Champagne. 

Thank you for a fantastic 2025 and 3 years of Tasting Together! Happy New Year!

Champagne:

krug.com/en-int 

champagne-gaidoz-forget.com/en/welcome/11/ 

champagne-bollinger.com

tarlant.com 

champagne-giraud.com 

perrier-jouet.com/en-ww 

Ontario:

hinterlandwine.com 

rosehallrun.com 

featherstonewinery.ca 

Prosecco:

bottegaspa.com/en/the-collections/wines/prosecco-sparkling-wines/

Classic Penedes:

albetinoya.cat/en/

Also listen to:

Temperatures - Baller Champagne - Tariffs - What more could you ask for? - Tasting Together | Podcast on Spotify

Taking A Toddler To France Was A Good Idea After All... - Tasting Together | Podcast on Spotify

You can follow Miroki on Instagram @9ouncesplease

You can follow André on Instagram @andrewinereview

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The holidays can be both a wonderful and chaotic time of year. What is Miroki and André doing to make Christmas and Hanukkah with their families a time of joy? Maybe it’s using the right kitchen tools to make cooking turkey a breeze (pssst André tells you what it is). Maybe it’s planning out the perfect white elephant so no one ends up with a strange reject mug. The two reflect on what is the most important as festivities begin. They also recall their preview visit to Stone Eagle Winery earlier in the fall, a new luxury wine experience in Niagara-on-the-Lake as a part of Two Sisters’ portfolio. 

You can find Stone Eagle here - https://www.stoneeaglewinery.com/

You can follow Miroki on Instagram @9ouncesplease

You can follow André on Instagram @andrewinereview

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The cider scene may be on fire right now, but if we said apple wine vs cider, I think a few of us would suddenly don our snob caps. Either thought of as too sugary, or poorly made, fruit wine has had a bit of a bad rap. But Miroki has frequented Kawartha Country Wines up in Ontario’s cottage country since 2012, and has enjoyed a delicious array of wines made of everything from blueberries, rhubarb and even pumpkin! She finally had a chance to sit down with founder John Rufa to discuss the many intricacies that not many think about when making wine with dozens of agricultural products, and how it was like to pioneer ciders in Ontario before it became cool.

https://kawarthacountrywines.ca/

You can follow Miroki on Instagram @9ouncesplease

You can follow André on Instagram @andrewinereview

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Andre has never liked caviar. Miroki has wanted to like it, but didn’t understand the hype from the ones that she’s tasted. That was before Grégoire Doulain of Axyon showed up and bewitched them both. A purveyor of truffles, caviar, cured meats, oysters and pantry, Grégoire is no stranger to the finer foods in life, and convincing you that it’s worth lightening up your wallet for these goodies. He shares his unbridled passion in this interview, teaches great tips on how to buy, and digs into some of the complexities of importing these ingredients.

You can follow Miroki on Instagram @9ouncesplease

You can follow André on Instagram @andrewinereview

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.