Tasting Together
by Andre Proulx and Miroki Tong
Tasting Together invites you to explore Canada's food and drink scene. Join André Proulx and Miroki Tong in meeting some of the country's best chefs, mixologists and restauranteurs. Along the way, you’ll learn about pairing food and beverages, the history of some of the city’s classic dishes and trends that you’ll start to see on menus around the city. André Proulx, aka @andrewinereview is the co-founder of the 80x wine company, creating high-quality small batch wines. He also loves food so much he married a chef! Miroki Tong, aka @9ouncesplease, has tasted her way all around the world and is eager to prove that that wine can be paired with almost any dish, from wagyu to hákarl! See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='n
Episodes
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We ask a 4th gen farmer about GMOs, pesticides and organic labels
"I think more people die worrying about how safe our food is, then actually how safe the food is." - Dennis Bulani Saskatchewan farmer Dennis Bulani is on a mission to demystify everything that there is to do with farming in North America. Discussing where our food comes from is like opening a...
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Bagel vs Bagel - André Takes On Montreal
When Miroki asked André what he did during his weekend Montreal trip, he said, "not much"...until he started jotting down some notes. Planning a family trip with a toddler means not everything can be wholly centered around food and drink, so a trip to the Biodome had to happen to see the…
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Down the Rabbit Hole with Rioja Wine
Season 4 of Tasting Together launches with a wine episode! Rioja was one of Miroki's first glimpses into what terroir meant in winemaking. After speaking with Clément Gallois, the Canadian Rioja DOCa representative, both her and André learn that the meaning of terroir has taken on a whole new...
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Tequila is way more than college shots
Most of us have had some sort of adversial relationship with tequila, but both Miroki and André have discovered its magic over the years. Far from the bad stuff pounded back in university, tequila, like all fine spirits, can be the complex result of terroir, distillation, and small batch…
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From Frog Legs at the CNE to Steak at Barberian’s
Miroki is away, so André is joined by guest host Guillaume Frénéhard — his business partner at 80x Wine Company, local foodie and snobby Frenchman. Guillaume recently made an annual pilgrimage to the CNE, and armed with blogTO’s rundown of the wildest new foods, made it his mission to eat his way...
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Miroki unleashes her inner Han Solo
She didn't necessarily traverse many galaxies to smuggle in goods, but when Miroki spotted a bottle of one of André's beloved bourbons during a trip in the states, she agreed to cart it back for him. But perhaps her efforts mean little, as rumours are circulating that US alcohol may find their…
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What happens when a picky 10 year old meets escargot in France?
André and Miroki are joined by André’s younger brother Gilbert - and his two young sons Tristan and Kylin - to talk about the challenges and surprises of travelling through Europe with a self-described picky eater. Gilbert explains how his family balances adventurous eating with food aversions,...
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Go to Dartmouth where you can get treated like a "Dear Friend"
André joins Miroki diving into his recent trip to Halifax and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, where he put Canada's 100 Best Bars list to the test. He visited two spots on the list - The Narrows Public House (#12) and Dear Friend (#15) - and while The Narrows delivered a great, cozy meal, it was Dear...
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Happy Canada Day (from 2023!)
Happy Canada Day from Tasting Together! We’re reaching into the way-back machine for one of our favourite episodes from our radio days: a Canada Day special that unpacks a hard to define question — What is Canadian food? André and Miroki dig into a deeper conversation about Canadian identity,...
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What do Playa Bowls, Brisket, and Nomad Culture have in common?
This episode is a litteral roller coaster - starting on a high note as Miroki got the opportunity to check out Playa Bowls a new restaurant that opens in Toronto on June 18. They then reflect on nomad culture - and proper etiquette when camping out in a coffee shop - especially given that so many...
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Miroki was right ... André was wrong... About Hybrid grapes...
André joins Miroki fresh from a short trip to the east coast. He had a chance to visit two wineries in the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia. He had a chance to visit Benjamin Bridge, and Lightfoot and Wolfville. There were many surprising moments he experienced while visiting the wineries - but…
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How Suite 115 Became One of Canada’s Best Cocktail Bars
The cocktail scene has come a long way since Strawberry Daiquiris and Sex on the Beaches. Toronto has become especially rich with innovative cocktail spots, a number of which recently made it into's Canada's Best 100. Miroki was particularly thrilled to learn that Suite 115, the place that...
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Going crazy for Crozes-Hermitage
As wine aficionados, Miroki and André are always asked what is their favourite wine? If you don't know André's, you may have been sleeping on previous Tasting Together episodes. Miroki, however, has often said her favourite depends on her mood...until you see how her eyes light up when Syrah is...
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Did you celebrate Malbec World Day?
Argentinian Malbec is, without a doubt, a cornerstone for Canadian wine drinkers...Canada is Argentina's 4th largest global export market! With Malbec World Day having recently passed on April 17th, Miroki and André are reminded about the quality that Argentine wines present for the dollar. But...
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Why do we hate the foods we hate?
If you look at all of André's favourite dishes, you would think that chili would naturally be a part of his regular menu. Surprisingly, it's not! Not for the combination of ingredients, but from a lingering, unpleasant childhood memory. Meanwhile, why did Miroki polish off every, single grain of...
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Rene Redzepi - "You may be a fantastic cook - but you're a shit chef"
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...
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A 100% Canadian restaurant means no lemons, chocolate or black pepper
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…
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What to eat during Lunar New Year for luck and riches
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...
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February is exciting in Toronto and nearby areas!
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...
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What’s the real reason why 4000 restaurants will close in Canada?
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…
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Pairing Dry January with Deli Sandwiches
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…
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It’s Only a Podcast If It’s From Champagne — Otherwise It’s Sparkling Opinions
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*…
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What makes the Holidays magic? Is it luxury wine?
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...
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Can fruit wine be as good as grape wine?
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...
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Is Caviar the most overrated treat from the sea?
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...
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What makes the best wedding? Is it Scotch?
It’s been one year since Miroki got married, and she’s been reflecting on some of the crazy decisions she made to make her wedding the best it could be. Luckily, she had the very talented wedding planner Trevor Frankfort supporting her. Now, Trevor is back with his 2nd Best Wedding Ever...
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Miroki's Delicious Guide To Vancouver
The most terrifying Halloween wine story is shared this episode - that of pairing candy with wine. Has anyone who has written about it actually tried and enjoyed it? Miroki and Andre want to know. Miroki would much rather be pairing wine with her catches from her crabbing adventures out in…
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Ziggy Zaggy Turkey Pumpkin Pie!
Andre has been lamenting about summer being over, and clearly the deities heard - how has the spectacularly warm fall been affecting grape harvest for wine? Speaking of harvest season, there's lots of festivities happening, from Oktoberfest in Kitchener to the upcoming Thanksgiving holidays....
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Let's Celebrate the End of Summer With Harvest (and the Michelin guide)
Where's the best places to eat? The latest Michelin guide for Toronto has been released - check out the list of new restaurants, and some of Miroki and Andre's shoutouts. Wanna win an all inclusive wedding worth $211,000? Miroki's incredible wedding planner, Trevor Frankfort is hosting a...
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Is Vinho Verde an Underdog in the Wine World?
Last November, André visited the north of Portugal in the search of great, food friendly wine. Vinho Verde - is a region that he visited in 2017 - and it made an impact on him. He felt the need to return. While this was recorded Miroki was planning her own trip to Portugal. Vinho Verde is on so...
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What is the future of Chardonnay? (and maybe cool climate wine)
Miroki and André spent a whirlwind weekend at the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration. Miroki proposed that before we showed up - we should ask people 'What is the future of Chardonnay?' Such a broad question had so much to unpack. As the podcast unfurled, it became apparent that...
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What Is The Grossest Food You Will Eat?
Miroki and André return from a much needed break to discuss a few things that have popped up in the news ... First - Miroki is in the final hours of a Kickstarter for her day job - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rockpapercynic/dnd-party-game Second - We learned that André and Miroki are…
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Tasting Together - Taking a short break for the summa!
Let's keep this note short and sweet - André and Miroki are taking a short break for the summa! We will cya in a couple of weeks!
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The Lead Up To i4C 2025!
Miroki had the chance to catch the recent Weird Al show at the Budweiser stage - and she had some thoughts on the hospitality offered. Miroki and André finally catch up on the same continent - and they go through what they are looking forward to about i4C. You can still grab a last minute ticket…
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Feed Drop - The Cool Sip - Conversations from i4C
Miroki is still on the road - but André has been busy doing work for i4C - which is coming up quickly. Take a listen to the first episode of the Cool Sip - Jeff Moote has been a long time attendee at i4C. First as a volunteer and paid guest - this year he will be joining the event as a producer....
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Will A Canadian Make The World's Best Oeufs En Meurette?
André catches up with Chef Edgar Trudeau who will be representing Canada at the Clos Vougeot in October where he will be attempting to make the worlds best Oeufs en Meurette. Miroki has some thoughts on food she has experienced in Portugal and Greece. You can follow Miroki on Instagram...
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Do They Eat Vegetables In France?
André is back in Canada - Miroki is still in Europe - she has some thoughts on what it was like to travel by train from Paris to Barcelona. What's the best way to pack a suitcase when bringing wine and food home from your travels? And sadly, someone lost a bottle of wine to breakage in their...
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Taking A Toddler To France Was A Good Idea After All...
Miroki and her husband Eric joined André and his family (Anja and Spencer) on their trip to Champagne. Earlier this year we had a chat with Alina and Kyle about bringing a toddler with them to France - and it eased André's nerves. While there were definitely some challenges ... It has been a good...
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Whiskey - Whisky - Rye?
Both Miroki and Andre are lovers of whisk(e)y, but how much do they know, outside of the fact that Scotch spells it “whisky”? Miroki had a chance to attend a UK tasting that featured drams from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. Plus, she catches up with Foxes Bow co-founder, Tony Foote, to…
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Easter, Passover, and $15 Eggs!
Miroki and André catch up while Miroki is still on the road celebrating passover with her in-laws in Massachusetts. The Easter Bunny visited Spencer for the first time - with a large basket of chocolate. How are Americans coping with tariff's on the horizon - and 15$ eggs in the grocery stores......
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Temperatures - Baller Champagne - Tariffs - What more could you ask for?
Miroki and André get caught up on some news of the day - and take a look at a couple of tastings they recently attended. They attended a tasting hosted by Wakefield Wines where the theme of the night was the importance of serving temperatures for wine. An opportunity to taste La Belle Epoque…
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Would you spend $1000 on Dinner?
Miroki recently visited Danico for her first One-Michelin star dining experience. André has been very critical of the Michelin Guide in Toronto ... Did Danico deliver the goods - or did Miroki leave disappointed? https://www.danicotoronto.com/ https://guide.michelin.com/ca/en/ontario/toronto You...
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What do Beer and Terroir Have In Common?
André and Miroki have been chatting about the concept of beer and terroir for quite some time on and off. So this week they set off on a mission to find brewmasters to help them dissect whether or not beer and terroir function in the same sentence. After all - You can import you ingredients -...
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David Adelsheim Pioneer of Oregon Pinot Noir (and Chardonnay)
David Adelsheim is the charismatic founder of his eponymous winery. He also makes amazing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Miroki and André sit down with David to get some stories about what it was like getting his winery started in the 70s - and where the Oregon wine industry is going. You can learn...
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What do you know about Port Wine?
André visited the city of Porto last November. While he was on vacation - he took the time to visit a handful of Port Houses to learn everything he could. His visits included Taylor-Fladgate, Niepoort, and Ramos Pinto. André and Miroki dive into all things Port on this episode of Tasting Together…
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Happy Lunar New Year - Is Bringing A Two Year Old to Champagne A Good Idea?
It's Lunar New Year! - Miroki opens up about what it's like to connect with her roots, and how important it is for her to celebrate. Is this going to be the catalyst that makes her fall in love with cooking? André is planning a trip to Champagne - with a two year old - so what better way to plan...
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Decolonizing Cuisine with Chef Shane Chartrand
Miroki and André are big fans of Top Chef Canada - seeing great cooking coming from all corners of the country is inspiring. This season one chef stood out - and that is Indigenous Chef Shane Chartrand. Shane joins Tasting Together to talk about his time on the show - and to talk about his own...
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TWO GUYS TALKING WINE - The Man Behind The Wine Lists At The Fairmont Royal York
THIS IS NOT AN EPISODE OF TASTING TOGETHER - BUT TWO GUYS TALKING WINE - WE HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS EPISODE AND HAVE A GREAT 2025! Why don't we see more Ontario wine on wine lists in Toronto? We put that question to the Sommelier at the Fairmont Royal York - Steven Karataglidis. Steven has made it…
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NOT Another Turkey Wine & Food Pairing Podcast
Let's face it - André is old... and he has been doing the writing about wine thing for awhile... So this year he said he's not going to do the wine and holidays writing. Can Miroki make his heart grow three times bigger and change his grinchy ways? You can follow Miroki on Instagram…
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The Epic Wine Tasting We're Glad We Didn't Miss
On a nice October day - during the week Miroki was due to be wed - André forced her to drop all her plans to attend the grand cru culinary wine festival in support of UHN programs hosted by Halpern. 2024 was the 20th incarnation of this festival and raised 38 million in support of the new…
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About this show
Tasting Together invites you to explore Canada's food and drink scene. Join André Proulx and Miroki Tong in meeting some of the country's best chefs, mixologists and restauranteurs. Along the way, you’ll learn about pairing food and beverages, the history of some of the city’s classic dishes and trends that you’ll start to see on menus around the city.
André Proulx, aka @andrewinereview is the co-founder of the 80x wine company, creating high-quality small batch wines. He also loves food so much he married a chef! Miroki Tong, aka @9ouncesplease, has tasted her way all around the world and is eager to prove that that wine can be paired with almost any dish, from wagyu to hákarl!
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Hosted by
Andre Proulx and Miroki Tong