Mise en Place - the Podcast

On this week's episode we have a many of many hats on the podcast. From a rugby player and cement truck driver to a builder a writer, a founder of the Chefs' Table and a person I call a friend Mr. Jamie Maw. Former food editor of Vancouver Magazine, retired but never stopping. I have wanted to get Jamie on the podcast for a long time. His insights into the Vancouver and Canadian dining scene are second to none. He knows everyone in the business and has been a Champion of the Canadian food scene worldwide for decades. I hope you enjoy our chat, and I will have to have him on again soon as I know I only scratched the surface. Send us your feedback

On this weeks podcast I have a 5th generation Shellfish Farmer, Malindi Taylor. The Taylor name is synonymous with some of the best oysters in the Pacific Northwest and they also own and run Fanny Bay Oysters, their shellfish farm north of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. They also own and operate many restaurants in Washington and in Vancouver. The one here is Fanny Bay Oyster Bar & Shellfish Market. The best place for fresh oysters and a bottle of wine in town. I hope you enjoy my chat with Malindi and get a glimpse of her unbridled passion for the business and all things shellfish. Send us your feedback

On this weeks episode I am very happy to have Jonah Joffe of Bar Bravo and soon to be opened Barnacle at the brand new Time out Market. Jonah has garnered a real great reputation with how he runs his kitchen and how he does an amazing job with fish. I hope you enjoy our conversation and head over to Fraser st and sit at his bar, enjoy some sunshine and a cold beer. Send us your feedback

In this industry we speak of great Chefs and amazing restaurants, but there is an upper echelon of space reserved for the real Titans of our Industry. I am very happy to introduce you to a chef who has been at the top of Vancouvers food scene for 40 years. Chef Michel Jacob. He sold his world famous restaurant Le Crocodile to his former young cook, Chef Rob Feenie, two years ago and it looks like Michel is enjoying his retirement. I really hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did. Michel is a gentleman and Chef.Send us your feedback

On this weeks podcast I am happy to share the stories from an absolute legend in Vancouver. For 40 years Caren has been a cook, teacher, entrepreneur and community advocate. I really hope you enjoy her stories and some very sage advice when it comes to business and to life. Send us your feedback

I am very happy to have Chef Warren Chow of Wildlight Kitchen and Bar to the podcast this week. Warren is an highly motivated young talent who has made a very strong name for himself in a short time. His work with Culinary Team BC and the Chaine d' Rottisiers has cemented his name as a new Hospitality Leader in BC. I hope you enjoy our chat. Send us your feedback

In collaboration Les Dames d’Escoffier we are celebrating the Woman Leaders in Hospitality. Each week we will bring the amazing stories of 4 incredible women to you in this long form podcast. The last in our collaboration  in the series will be Cristina Dias of Mogiana Coffee. Les Dammes d'Escoffier is an international community of women leaders in food, beverage, and hospitality. Les Dames invests in the next generation through scholarships and mentorship and celebrates the women shaping our culinary community.Cristina Dias is the founder of Mogiana Coffee, a BC-based small-batch roastery connecting Canadian coffee lovers directly with beans from her family’s multi-generational farm in Brazil’s Mogiana region. Born in Rio de Janeiro and raised with deep ties to coffee farming, she blends traditional Brazilian growing practices with modern roasting in British Columbia. Cristina is also an active member of Les Dames d’Escoffier BC, where she supports mentorship and collaboration across the culinary community while sharing her passion for ethical sourcing and exceptional coffeeSend us your feedback

In collaboration Les Dames d’Escoffier we are celebrating the Woman Leaders in Hospitality. Each week we will bring the amazing stories of 4 incredible women to you in this long form podcast. The third in the series will be Dr. Jane Ruddick, Food Scientist. Les Dammes d'Escoffier is an international community of women leaders in food, beverage, and hospitality. Les Dames invests in the next generation through scholarships and mentorship and celebrates the women shaping our culinary community. Dr. Jane Ruddick is a food scientist, consultant, and longtime leader inCanada's culinary and foodservice industry. With a Ph.D. in Food Sciencefrom the University of British Columbia, she founded J.R. Food Consultants,where for more than 30 years she advised hotels, foodservice companies, andculinary teams on food safety, product development, quality control, andoperational systems.Earlier in her career, she managed catering standards for Canadian Airlines,overseeing foodservice operations across 34 airline kitchens, and workedwith CP Air and CP Hotels developing sanitation and quality controlprograms.Dr. Ruddick has also played a major role in Canada's culinary community,supporting Culinary Team Canada, mentoring chefs competing internationally,and serving as a longtime member of Les Dames d'Escoffier and the BritishColumbia Culinary Arts Foundation, helping advance education and mentorshipin the industry.Send us your feedback

In collaboration Les Dames d’Escoffier we are celebrating the Woman Leaders in Hospitality. Each week we will bring the amazing stories of 4 incredible women to you in this long form podcast. The second woman in the series will be Maj Yee of Goldilocks Bakery. Les Dammes d'Escoffier is an international community of women leaders in food, beverage, and hospitality. Les Dames invests in the next generation through scholarships and mentorship and celebrates the women shaping our culinary community. Maj is the President and Managing Director of Goldilocks Bake Shop (Canada) Inc. and a proud second-generation leader of the iconic Filipino bakery that has served communities across Canada for decades. A graduate of the University of British Columbia with an Executive General Management certificate from the Sauder School of Business, she blends entrepreneurship with cultural stewardship and community leadership.Maj is a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier, an international organization of women leaders in food, beverage, and hospitality. A five-time consecutive winner of the Hyatt Gingerbread Lane competition and returning seasonal judge, she was also recognized as one of the 75 Faces of Immigration, celebrating 75 years of Canada–Philippines relations. She was also featured for International Women’s Day by The Province in 2023 and Vita Daily in 2025 for her work championing Filipino culinary heritage and supporting women in leadership.Send us your feedback

In collaboration Les Dames d’Escoffier we are celebrating the Woman Leaders in Hospitality. Each week we will bring the amazing stories of 4 incredible women to you in this long form podcast. The first in the series will be Susan Mendelson of the Lazy Gourmet and Compass foods. Les Dames d’Escoffier International is an international organization of women leaders with more than 2,800 members in forty chapters in the US, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Italy who provide leadership, educational opportunities, and philanthropy within their communities. Les Dames are named after Georges Auguste Escoffier a restaurateur, culinary writer, and philanthropist, who popularised and updated traditional French cooking methods.The BC Chapter (LDBC) is comprised of BC’s hospitality, food and beverage professionals who are committed to inspiring, advancing and supporting women, particularly in these sections. Their work largely focuses on granting scholarships to women and their applications are open this year until March 14th. Apply now at www.lesdames.ca Susan Mendelson is the founder of Vancouver’s iconic Lazy Gourmet, which she started in 1979. A celebrated caterer and bestselling cookbook author, she has written ten cookbooks, beginning with Mama Never Cooked Like This, which helped home cooks simplify classic gourmet recipes. For more than four decades, Susan has been known for her passion for beautiful food, her commitment to exceptional ingredients, and her generous spirit as a mentor, philanthropist, and champion of Vancouver’s food community. Today, The Lazy Gourmet remains one of the city’s most respected catering companies, built on Susan’s enduring love of food and hospitality.Send us your feedback

I had the opportunity to chat with Chef Lucais Syme, a local, very well known Chef and restaurateur here in Vancouver. The food and restaurants he has built over the years has made Lucais a legend in our community and Canada. His steadfast dedication to using the best quality local ingredients he can find is also a great reason to eat his food and listen to this podcast. I hope you all enjoy our chat and like always if you have suggestions or comments please reach out via instagram. Send us your feedback

I am very happy to share my latest podcast with Ali Finn of Cream Pony in North Vancouver and soon to be open Main st. We chat all things about opening a foodservice place in Vancouver, the good and bad, the highs and lows. We chat about working with family and how doughnuts started on a bit of a whim from Alis' Mom, Erin Smith. The doughnuts and the fried chicken are delicious and you should seek them out when you are on Lonsdale or sometime in March or April when they are open on Main st. I hope you enjoy our chat. Send us your feedback

On this episode we have a legend of the Vancouver Restaurant scene, Quang Dang. Originally from Alberta, Quang came to Vancouver to pursue his career and his accomplishments are many. From Diva at the Met to C Restaurant, West, the Bocuse D'or and so many more great accomplishments. Quang has a reputation as a Chefs Chef. Incredibly hard working, imaginative and fantastic cook. I hope you enjoy our chat about amazing local ingredients, the pitfalls of working to hard and amazing food culture we have here in Vancouver. Send us your feedback

Hello everyone, on this weeks podcast I am very happy to be joined by Chef Tushar Tondvalkar of Kavita Restaurant. On the show we get a great understanding of a recent immigrants journey as a cook in the United States, south east Asia and Canada. Kavita was one of my favourite restaurant meals in 2025 and I am very happy to announce that Tushar will be leading the team for the Cultural meal at COOKSCAMP in September. He, along will a deep talent pool of amazing Chefs will be celebrating the diverse cuisine of India. Send us your feedback

On this weeks podcast we are presenting an introduction to the Restaurant Culture Shift Toolkit. This FREE resource is available on the Chefs' Table Society of BC website. It's geared towards small independent foodservice businesses, and can save hours and hours of work. The whole idea is to make your culture better which in turn, helps morale amongst the employees, that leads to better engagement with customers and ultimately more revenue. Take a look at the website and I hope you enjoy our conversation. Send us your feedback

On this weeks podcast we have longtime Chef and owner of La Quercia in Vancouver and La Bettolina (seasonal) in Halfmoon Bay. There are very few Chefs who put ingredients and technique ahead of ego in our Culinary world and Adam is definitely one of those Chefs. That stoic and unrelenting pursuit of quality has forever cemented the reputation of La Quercia and Adam as the high-water mark for food and hospitality in Vancouver. We get an opportunity to chat and he tells the story of how it all came together for him, and his deep respect for the mentors that helped shape and inspire him. I hope you enjoy the chat as much as I did. Send us your feedback

Welcome back to Mise en Place, after our restful Holiday break and very happy to share our latest podcast with Chef Sean Cousins and his life and business partner Sandra Dowsett. I met Sean when I first started at C Restaurant in 2002. Sean was running Raincity Grill for Harry Kambolis and it was killing it. He was pushing the limits of local foods, I even remember him picking chanterelles in the endowment lands out at UBC. He has just opened a new restaurant with Sandra in Hope BC called Nomad Social Eatery. I hope you enjoy our conversation Send us your feedback

This week’s episode perfect for ending the old year or kicking off the new one depending on when you tune in. This episode features two of the key operators behind a true Vancouver institution: Chef Raymond Mah and front of house manager Richard Mah from the Northern Café.A beloved diner since 1949 the Northern Café came under the Mah family’s ownership 17 years ago. Patriarch Jimmy Mah and his wife Connie both seasoned restaurant veterans were looking for a way to stay active in retirement. Word quickly spread about the excellent food and Jimmy soon called on his son Raymond an accomplished fine dining chef to lend a hand whenever possible. That collaboration elevated the menu even further drawing bigger crowds.Then Richard the other son and a longtime marketing and advertising executive based in Japan decided it was time for a major life change. Wanting his children to grow up in Canada he moved his family back home and joined the family business as well.I’ve always had a soft spot for classic diners. They take me back to childhood road trips with my dad long haul trucking runs filled with simple soul satisfying food made with real care and love. The Northern Café delivers exactly that 75 years of lived in character genuine hospitality and food that feels like home.The Mah family truly understands what hospitality means: a warm smile, remembering your name, attentive service, delicious plates, and the irreplaceable history that fills the space. It’s an authentic experience that many Michelin starred restaurants could only dream of capturing.Send us your feedback

On this Special Christmas Podcast we have our friend, outspoken Chef Ron Mckinlay. Having just come off a year of touring through Europe and US and finishing up at a special Guest Chef Spot at Published on Main with Chef Gus, Ron joins us on the podcast for a catch up. We discuss his time going from guest Chef spots from Atlanta, Philly, Austin, Chicago, Nashville and Vancouver. I have missed some spots for sure. We chat about protocol as a guest Chef and as the Chef inviting someone to come do a dinner. Ron tell it like it is, as he always does, no sugar coating, just down to business.  I hope you enjoy our chat as much as I did. Merry Christmas!Send us your feedback

On this weeks episode we invited long time front of house industry veteran and now media creator, James Grass to the podcast. After learning the trade of hospitality from some of the best in BC, James started his own business, showing what he learned so well. That slowly morphed into his early ideas for Chefs' Favourites and Mates on Crates. It has become the go to platform to get the word out about what is happening in the food scene in Vancouver. The Chefs Favourites team has big plans to expand their reach and continue the amazing work in other cities and beyond. I hope you enjoy our chat and make sure to check it out on instagram. Send us your feedback

A Vancouver born native, Chef David Speight fell in love with our industry as most of us have, out of need and then finding purpose and meaning in the cooking and hospitality. After cooking and running some larger restaurant operations, he was presented with the opportunity to run the behemoth that is GM Place and did so successfully at the same time that the Canucks had their best years. Coincidence, I don't think so. Then he left for the biggest challenge of his career, running all the food operations at the University of British Columbia, with potentially 70000 people eat everyday. His passion for food security, potential food waste and sustainability has put his at the forefront of Chefs who are feed ing so many people and considering all factors involved with that process, not just the cooking. I hope you enjoy our chat.Send us your feedback

On this weeks podcast I have the opportunity to sit down with President and CEO of Glowbal Restaurant Group. As a young eager and ambitious immigrant from Egypt, Emad moved to Canada in the 1980's. His humble beginnings as a breakfast cook in a very busy hotel, took him to be a very successful Chef and then restauranteur. His constant drive for hospitality and sharp business sense has grown the Glowbal Brand to 8 restaurants and the 9th coming in 2026. From his stories of the highs and lows of the hospitality industry, I hope you understand and take away some of his hard earned lessons of running a business and that at the end of the day its always about people. Send us your feedback

I was very pleasantly surprised to find my old friend Todd Perrin was in town for Whistler's Cornucopia event. He was able to carve out a bit of time to come down to the Commons Studio. We chatted about his career, Mallard Cottage, the future of restaurants and a bit of politics. I hope you enjoy our chat as much as I did. Send us your feedback

On this week's episode we have long time chef and educator Ben Kiely. Head instructor at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts here in Vancouver. His many years of cooking in England and across Europe led him to Greece where he found himself falling for a Canadian woman and he followed her back to Vancouver and they started a family. A story as old as time. Especially for a cook. I hope you enjoy Ben's insights on this business and industry at large. I really enjoyed chatting with him. Send us your feedback

Hailing from Manchester England, Chef Andre Richardson, is a quiet giant. A chefs Chef, so incredibly respected by the restaurant community and his peers, that lives for the work and the craft. We sat down and had a chance to chat about his time here in Vancouver and opening and running some very Iconic Vancouver restaurants. I hope you enjoy our chat as much as I did. Send us your feedback

On this week's Podcast we have Community advocate and Farmer Tomer Rockman. Tomer's story is inspiring for anyone looking to find their own place in this world. I was struck by Tomer's curiosity and tenacity for knowledge and his story of just learning and trying to understand what interests him and what can make a dramatic impact on people and our community. I hope you enjoy our chat. Send us your feedback

On this week's episode we have the community advocate, social impact provocateur, and speaker, Mark Brand. He is also an accomplished barman, restaurateur and Dj, and has made an indelible mark on the culinary and hospitality scene across North America. I was lucky enough to get to sit down and chat about his work, his history and the future. His infectious personality has helped him facilitate real positive change for people in Vancouver and now his home town of Halifax. From school lunch programs, feeding literally thousands of children everyday, to his long established Greasy Spoon dinners that have brought together some of the best chefs in Canada to cook for a good cause. I hope you enjoy our chat as much as I did. Send us your feedback

On this weeks podcast we have longtime supplier and hospitality veteran Jenice Yu of EatFish.ca Jenice comes from a very strong food and supply chain background, she has been part of it most of her life. Her family, seafood wholesalers themselves, set the stage for Jenice's life long passion for fresh and delicious seafood. We chat about her experiences, her working for Bruno Marti and becoming an extremely successful entrepreneur herself. I hope you enjoy our chat.Send us your feedback

On this weeks episode, we chat with Certified Master Chef and Educator Tobias Mcdonald. Currently on faculty of Culinary Arts at Vancouver Community College. Tobias and I discuss his time her in Vancouver going through his apprenticeship and working with very strong mentors such as JC Felicella, Scott Jaeger and Bruno Marti. We then go through the challenges of the Certified Master Chef program and potential pathways to improve the entire Red Seal and cook training system. I hope you enjoy the chat as much as I did. Send us your feedback

On this episode we recap some of the highlights of this years COOKSCAMP that happened about 3 and half weeks ago. We are all still floating on the good feeling from this years absolutely epic event. We chat about some of the past ones and look towards the future and what COOKSCAMP is becoming. Unanimously, our best on yet and we can't wait to start planning for next September. Send us your feedback

On this podcast we talk about the recently announced opening of the brand new Chefs’ Table Society of BC Culinary Commons.  a brand new brick and mortar space built as a new community hub for our Culinary and Hospitality people throughout Vancouver, British Columbia and Canada. The Commons will have a large reference library, archive of menus and restaurant memorabilia, an event space, continuing education, podcast studio, not for profit incubator, and so much more. Officially opening October 14th.Send us your feedback

On this weeks episode we have Executive Chef of the Fairmont Pacific Rim, Damon Campbell. A native Vancouverite with very deep ties to our whole Culinary community. We have a great chat about the business of being a Chef at a hotel, the Culinary Teams and where technology is helping in the kitchen. I hope you enjoy our conversation. Send us your feedback

On this weeks episode, an absolutely massive announcement from the Chefs' Table about the brand new Commons by CTS space. Also we have a long time friend of mine and of the CTS, Chef Brodie Swanson of the Haida Nation. We chat about his history, wild foods, fishing, foraging and indigenous agriculture. I hope you enjoy the show. Send us your feedback

On this weeks podcast I am very happy to chat with an amazing Chef and incredibly knowledgeable wild foods expert, Robin Kort of Swallow Tail Culinary Adventures. We chat sustainability of our foods and our people of the industry. After this podcast please take the opportunity to join Robin and her team on a mushroom picking or wild foraging adventure, It will open your mind to flavours you did even know could exist. Send us your feedback

On this weeks podcast we have long time restaurateur and business owner Calen McNeil from Victoria. His first venture into the hospitality business was over 25 years ago and the restaurant is still running very strong in Victoria. Zambri's is my favourite Italian restaurant around and if you are in Victoria make sure to go and check it out. Calen also runs 5 outlets of his fast food concept called Big Wheel Burger. We share a lot of the same ethos of good affordable food, done fast and right. I hope you enjoy his history and insights into the business. Send us your feedback

On this weeks podcast we have Executive Chef of Boulevard Restaurant, Roger Ma. A Vancouver native who made cooking his life. From culinary school, to the stoves at Daniel Restaurant in NYC and now running one of the best restaurants in Canada, Roger's vision for getting the best from people is a true evolution from the old school kitchen. I hope you enjoy the podcast.Send us your feedback

On this weeks podcast we have the owner/ operator of Como Taperia Shaun Layton. A long time industry vet who has been part of many iconic Vancouver restaurants over the last 15- 20 years. Como, at Main and 7th and open 7 years now, has become a Vancouver go to for industry and anyone looking for a lively, and fun place to go. Shaun's insights into opening and operating restaurants and bars is hard earned and very insightful. I really hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. Send us your feedback

On this weeks podcast we are happy to have Chef TJ Conwi of Ono Vancouver. I have never known anyone in our industry or others that have given of themselves so incredibly selflessly to help his community. I am happy that he is on the CTS board and I am proud to call him a friend. Last summer TJ and a large group of amazing Filipino Chefs, cooked the cultural dinner at COOKSCAMP. It will forever go down as the one to strive for. I hope you enjoy our chat. Send us your feedback

On this weeks podcast we have Mo Jessa, President emeritus of Earls Restaurants. From very humble beginnings starting as a dishwasher at Earls, through hard work and ambition he was able to work his way up the company ladder to being the first non family member as President. Mo help spearhead the a change in the company to evolve with the times and expand into new markets as they continued to support their people from within. I really hope you enjoy our conversation, it was inspiring and extremely informative. Send us your feedback

On this weeks Podcast we have one of my favourite Chef's, James Walt of the Top Table Group. If you have been to Araxi, you know his food and if you have eaten at a Top Table restaurant you can feel his influence. I hope you enjoy his insights into our business and the impact one man can have.Send us your feedback

Very happy to have Hospitality Giants, Meeru Dhalwala and Shira Blustein on this weeks podcast. They talk about their restaurant Lila up on Main st. How they partnered on the project, how it all came together and how it is going. They give very scholarly advice on the restaurant business and how being precise, but agile helps with success. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. As always please DM me comments on Instagram.Send us your feedback

In the summer of 2006 I met a young Chef opening his first new restaurant Gastropod, right beside my new restaurant, Fuel. We became fast friends and have been working together in one way or another ever since, Chef Angus An is a Chef and Restaurateur in the truest definition. He and his team have opened eight very successful restaurants, all garnering much critical acclaim and solid business. I hope you enjoy his story and his advice to young restaurateurs and Chefs out there.Send us your feedback

I am very happy to have this next guest to the Podcast. I love talking with people who are trying to affect change in our hospitality industry. Mark von Shellwitz has been representing Western Canada on behalf of Restaurants Canada for almost 30years. We dive right into some of the tough subjects, from tipping, to work safe and CRA, to his long history tied to the more political side or policy side of this complicated business. It was great chatting with him and better understanding his role and the national role that Restaurants Canada does for all of us. I hope you enjoy the conversation and as always if you know of someone I should chat with please DM me their contact information. Send us your feedback

On this weeks episode we have Chef and owner of Humo Izakaya and Ask Pablo Cocktail Bar, Kai Koroll. I first met him at COOKSCAMP and was struck by his passion for our community, and continued mentoring of our greatest resource, our people. He is currently the President of Okanagan Chefs Association, strongly leading their members through some of the toughest times our industry has ever seen. I hope you enjoy getting to know Kai as much as I have. Send us your feedback

Every once in a while a new restaurant comes along that try and do something really innovative, interesting and different. Devon Latte and Lucas Johnston have done that with Nero Tondo, a very small little place in deep east Van, on a block known for great little spots. Now for what it is lacking in size, it makes up for in the enormity of its hospitality. Although this podcast was recorded before I ate there, my only regret is not eating there sooner. Send us your feedback

I am so happy to share this Podcast with you. I first met Lesley in 2022, the North Vancouver Island Chefs Association was putting on the first meal of of first in person COOKSCAMP. Remember this was the first time we were really able to get together after the pandemic. Lesley and Ronald led a good sized contingent from the North Island and delivered a delicious lunch and amazing continued support of COOKSCAMP ever since. Chef Lesley is a no nonsense, no bullshit person who knows exactly what they want in the kitchen and in life. She tells some absolutely amazing stories of her life before the professional kitchen and also her life changing time with Chef Bruno Marti. Now retired but would put most Chefs to shame with the amount of work she still does. All for the benefit and betterment of our industry. I hope you enjoy the episode.Send us your feedback

Good Day everyone! On this weeks podcast we have a special treat. This Chef came to work for me back in 2004 - 2005, when I was working as the CDC at C Restaurant. He was and is a very talented and hardworking cook and Chef. I am happy to introduce you to my friend Antonio Martin of Haven Restaurant and Stevens Cocktail Corner, both in Langley BC. Listen as we delve into his past and heritage, his love of good scotch and fast motorcycles. But mainly his passion for friends, family and his extended community. Antonio is a proud Filipino, he loves his community and absolutely loves sharing it with people and especially other cooks. This was highlighted last summer at COOKSCAMP 2024 where the Filipino Community and its food were highlighted in the first nights cultural meal. He along with some of the best Chefs in the community deliver a meal that will go down in COOKSCAMP history as the one to top. A 250 person Boodle Fight. If you don't know what that means, I highly suggest getting yourself invited to one or at least look it up. I hope you enjoy our chat. As always please feel free to DM me with comments and suggestions on who I should talk with next. Send us your feedback

On this weeks episode of Mise en Place, we have Chef Alex Kim, the Chef and Culinary Director of Five Sails and Glowbal Restaurant in Vancouver. He joins us to share his journey from Seoul, South Korea, to becoming a Chef here in Canada. He moved from Korea to Edmonton as a teenager and fell in love with the idea of becoming a Chef and has dedicated his life to his craft. He loves the use bits and pieces of his culinary heritage in his modern take on fine cuisine. This different but delicious perspective to him onto win the gold medal and People’s Choice Award at the 2025 Canadian Culinary Championship. On the podcast, Kim delves into the personal and cultural influences that shape his cuisine and how he leads by example with his restaurant teams. I hope you enjoy the insight and as always please message me with any feedback and show suggestions. Send us your feedback

On this weeks episode of Mise en Place - the Podcast, we’re delighted to welcome Chef Reuben Major, a dynamic force in Vancouver’s culinary and hospitality scene whose innovative leadership has left a lasting mark on the city’s dining landscape. From his early days crafting menus at Veloute Bistro in Toronto to his role as Executive Chef and part owner of The Settlement Building’s Belgard Kitchen, Reuben has blended culinary creativity with a knack for sustainable practices, like using brewery spent grain to create unique dishes such as IPA-braised roasts. His tenure as Director of Culinary Development at Earls saw him elevate everyday offerings like burgers and breads, while his current role as CEO and Partner at Havana Restaurant showcases his ability to steer iconic establishments toward continued success.Reuben’s journey is defined by his entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for fostering collaboration, empowering chefs, and building strong relationships with guests and colleagues alike. Join us as we dive into his stories of balancing quality with innovation, his experiences within Vancouver’s  food scene. As always please DM me with comments or suggestions. I hope you enjoy our chat. Send us your feedback

On this episode of Mise en Place- the Podcast we welcome Chef Chris Andraza, a driving force in Vancouver’s culinary landscape and a passionate advocate for sustainable seafood. Originally from Southern Ontario, Chris found his calling in British Columbia’s rich coastal bounty after moving to Victoria in his 20s, where he studied at Camosun College and immersed himself in the world of fresh, local ingredients. From his formative years at Rodney’s Oyster House to his innovative leadership as Executive Chef at Fanny Bay Oyster Bar, Chris has earned acclaim for his playful, seasonal menus that highlight the pristine flavors of oysters, clams, and shellfish. Now at the helm of Lift Bar and Grill in Coal Harbour, he continues to push boundaries with his surf-and-turf creations, all while prioritizing sustainable sourcing to preserve our oceans for future generations.Chris’s journey reflects a deep curiosity, relentless dedication, and a commitment to elevating the culinary arts. A two-time competitor at the BC Seafood Festival and co-champion of the 2019 Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown, he balances high-profile accolades with a grounded focus on fostering a positive kitchen culture. Also a member of the Chefs' Table Societies board he helps bring important issues affecting the culinary community to light. I hope you enjoy our chat and as always please DM me for comments or suggestions. Send us your feedback