Mise en Place - the Podcast

On this weeks podcast we have Pastry Chef Oliver Bernardino of the Wentworth Hospitality Group here in Vancouver. Oliver knew from a young age that being a pastry Chef was what he wanted and he has devoted his life to it. Please take a listen to this humble man's journey to fulfilling his dreams and accomplishing so much more. I hope you enjoy our chat.  Send us your feedback

On this week's podcast I had a great chat with Chef Karen Barnaby, cookbook author, Chef, development Chef, practicer of voodoo and woohoo. We go back in time a bit talk about some of the older restaurants in Toronto and Vancouver along with her very long tenure at the Fish House in Stanley Park. Now working a bit slower pace of life as a development Chef, Karen imparts the best advice any Ch...

On this week’s episode, I’m thrilled to chat with hospitality and hotelier legend Charles McDiarmid of the Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino BC. Charles grew up in Tofino and fell in love with the idea of running his own hotel from a young age. After studying at Cornell and gaining experience with the Four Seasons Hotel Group across North America, he returned home to Tofino to pursue his dream. We talk a...

On this week's podcast I get to chat with return guest, amazing pastry chef, chocolatier, small business owner and opinionated guy, Mr Thomas Haas. We try and tackle some of the bigger problems that we see out there in our industry right now. Commodity pricing, macro economics of chocolate and food, seeing if there is much sense to be made in our very unnecessarily complex system of food. We...

This episode is part 2 of my conversation with longtime hospitality pro and wine expert Kurtis Kolt. In this part we talk about mental health, the state of the industry, tipping and where he sees the industry going. All very insightful takes. I hope you enjoy our chat.  Send us your feedback

In this week's podcast we have a two parter. Kurtis Kolt has been a front of the house legend and sommelier in BC for as long as I have been in Vancouver. Originally from Ontario, he has called Vancouver home for a very long time. His love for wine and our industry permeates everything he does. As one of the founders of Top Drop Vancouver, Kurtis and his partners have built one of the most pr...

On this weeks podcast, we have a very old friend and Industry veteran Luke Kennedy. Vancouver born, starting as a young eager dishwasher at a local North Van place to working in Michelin starred kitchens in Europe to opening Daniels Boulud's first restaurant in Toronto. We chat about his story in the business and in and outs of this amazing industry. Luke has also been involved with COOKSCAMP...

On this weeks podcast I am happy to have on Coulson Armstrong, Culinary Director of Our House Hospitality, based out of Toronto, Ontario. Coulson grew up on a farm and has an incredibly deep love for agriculture and utilizing the best he can find locally. He trained here and Canada and like a lot of friends of the podcast, he fell in love with the business of food and travelled to see the world th...

On this podcast we have cook, Chef, sustainability expert, Order of Canada Recipient, Robert Clark. Originally from humble beginnings in Gaspé Quebec, making his way through the kitchens of Toronto, to around the world and ending up in Vancouver. This is where Robert, turned his passion for great product into his lifelong work in seafood sustainability. A great Chef, a voice and and advocate for o...

Mise en Place on the Road. On this weeks podcast, we are recording is sunny, windy, rainy, overcast and beautiful St. Johns Newfoundland. We are joined by a true native son, fourth generation Newfoundlander, Chef Todd Perrin of Rabble Restaurant in St. Johns. We chat about the sights, some of the history and what it is like to run a restaurant in St. Johns in 2026. I hope you enjoy our chat.  Send...

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 s...

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 Mar...

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...

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 i...

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 g...

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 nex...

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 for...

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 c...

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...

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 enj...

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 COO...

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...