The Stoveside Stories Podcast

Born in Hong Kong and raised in Toronto, Canada, Chef Vicky Cheng spent time training in Canada and United States, including a stint at Restaurant Daniel in New York City under chef Daniel Boulud. . . Upon returning to Hong Kong, he developed his own idea of "Chinese x French" when he opened VEA restaurant in 2015. . . After receiving (and still maintaining) a Michelin star in 2016 and being liste...

Chefs Yagi Keisuke and Tatsuro Ume knew each other since 6 years old when the latter moved from Tokyo to Kanazawa. After training in Japan, they moved to Spain in order to further sharpen their culinary skills at restaurants like SAUC and ABaC. . . After returning to Japan, they opened Respiración in Kanazawa in 2017 along with another friend Yusuke Kitagawa. . . Creating original recipes using in...

Chef Tam Kwok Fung was raised in Hong Kong and began his professional culinary career at 16. . . Starting from fast-food places, he moved on to perfect his craft at numerous traditional Chinese kitchens all over the world including Thailand and Greater China. . . Joining Wynn Palace in 2018, he has been one of the driving forces in the rise of Macau's culinary credentials. . . He opened Chef Tam’s...

Growing up in Malaysia's Petaling Jaya, Chef Darren Toh was raised in a mixed-heritage family. His mother with an Indian background and his father a Chinese one.   Since he was young, he has always loved food and experimenting with them. So, after graduating from secondary school, he enrolled in culinary school.   After working in various restaurants in Malaysia and Singapore, Chef Toh became a cu...

As a native who was born-and-bred in Singapore, Chef LG Han did not originally plan to become a chef despite coming from a family that boasts 3 generations of restaurateurs.   He studied finance at the London School of Economics and worked as a banker in Singapore. However, the culinary bug eventually caught him. So, he quit the banker's job and threw himself into the kitchen.   After gaining expe...

Born in Johor, Malaysia, Chef Johnson Wong saw an ad by chance about Le Cordon Bleu from a magazine and decided that it was something he wanted to do.    So, he traveled to Australia to study at the prestigious institute. After graduating, he worked at various fine-dining kitchens in France and Denmark as well as those located in Macau and Singapore.   Upon his return to Malaysia, he decided to op...

Born in Perth, Australia, Chef Dave Pynt has worked with a host of legendary chefs like Tetsuya Wakuda (Tetsuya’s in Sydney; Waku Ghin in London), Rene Redzepi (Noma in Copenhagen), Fergus Henderson (St John and St John Bread and Wine in London) and Nũno Mendes (Viajanteand The Loft Project, London).    It was at Bittor Arginzoniz's Asador Etxebarri in Axpe Achondo, Spain, however, that he truly t...

Born and grew up in Mumbai, India, Chef Varun Totlani has always loved food and all things related to it. He spent a lot of time watching cooking shows and internet videos for fun.   His dreams took on a more professional tone as he began to stage at a 5-star hotel in the city then moved to Hyderabad to study at the Culinary Academy of India, and later graduated from the Culinary Institute of Amer...

Chef Michael Stadtländer of Eigensinn Farm in Singhampton, Canada, grew up on a family farm in Lubeck, Germany. As a young person, Chef Michael Stadtländer was immersed in food. From helping with collecting ingredients to prepping in the kitchen, his early life revolved around it.   After meeting Chef Jamie Kennedy - a Toronto native - in Switzerland during the 1980s, they went to Canada to run th...

Born and raised in Peru, Chef Jaime Pesaque started his culinary journey as a teenager, then studied at Le Cordon Bleu, Italian Culinary Institute (ICIF) as well as the Culinary Institute of America in New York.   Afterwards, worked at a number of legendary restaurants such as El Celler de Can Roca in Spain among others in Europe before going back to his home country.   Upon returning, he led Al G...

Though Chef Georgianna Hiliadaki first studied European Studies and Italian in the UK, she found her true passion and went to train as a chef at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York.   After her training, she co-founded Funky Gourmet in Athens and becoming the first Greek woman to earn two Michelin stars. She also helped open OPSO in London, and now works on restaurant projects in Greec...

Born and brought up in London England, Chef Wong grew up in a restaurant family. His grandfather, who moved to London as a Chinese refugee, owned a restaurant in Chinatown. While his father was the first Chinese publican in the United Kingdom. In 1985, his parents opened Kym's a Cantonese restaurant in Pimlico.    He started to help in the kitchen by washing dishes since he was seven years old. Th...

Chef and Co-owner Rasmus Kofoed of Geranium restaurant was born in Birkerød, Denmark. He grew up in the old ferry town of Vordingborg, located 100km south of Copenhagen. Thanks to a mother who often took him foraging in the forest or along the coastline, he became enamored with food and cooking at an early age.   Having trained in Denmark and Belgium, he ultimately returned to Copenhagen and opene...

This podcast episode features James Beard award-winning author, entrepreneur, adventurer and tea-lover Henritta Lovell .    Growing up in London, England, she was used to the common British industrial tea products. A business trip to Hong Kong in 1999 changed her view forever - the incredible depth and taste of the liquor awakened something in her. She wanted to shared the amazing experience with...

This Back to the Archives podcast episode features the legendary Chef Paul Liebrandt, who is now based in New York but was born in London, England.   Ever since he was a teenager, Chef Liebrandt was immersed in the art of cooking in various kitchens. From the Marco Pierre White, Raymond Blanc to Jean-Georges Vongerichten, he has worked alongside these great chefs early on his career in United King...

A native of the province of Ontario, Canada, Chef Jeremy Austin started his culinary journey at the Culinary Arts Italian program at Toronto's George Brown College. He continued his career in various establishments within the province, further afield in Canada, as well as in Italy and China.   After globetrotting to hone his craft, he returned to Canada and opened The Pine with his wife Cassie in...

Chef Allison Leroux, an Ontario native who runs Crowded Table Pizza, is born to be in the business.   She grew up working in Amadio’s - her family’s pizzeria - to learn first-hand about the industry, and spent time outdoors with gardens and animals. She went on to study Animal Biology and Agriculture at the University of Guelph, while working on farms, urban agriculture and community gardens.   Du...

Two Ontario native chefs collaborate to create one of the best restaurants in Canada.   Hailing from Brantford, Ontario, Chef Eric Robertson seriously contemplated a career in cyclist as a teenager. Eventually, his love for the kitchen won over as he focused on culinary work. His career led him all through out Europe, including stints in Belgium, Sweden and France.   Meanwhile, Chef Daniel Hadida...

Growing up in a small village near Bergamo, Chef Riccardo Camanini had the good fortune of eating very well with his family.   He worked under legendary Italian chef Gualtiero Marchesi, which granted him a great view of what Italian cuisine could be.   After that, he moved and worked at renowned places throughout England, France and Spain with chefs like Raymond Blanc, Jean-Louis Nomicos, Andoni L...

Raised in Nova Scotia, Chef Joel Gray developed a lifelong passion for hospitality. He always finds joy in welcoming and providing a warm experience for others.   After a few years working in "traditional" restaurants, he and his now-wife Hannah Harradine started their first pop-up series called Sumac & Salt in 2019. They also acquired the property where the restaurant is currently located in...

As a member of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation at Cape Croker Reserve, Chef Zach Keeshig was born in Wiarton and raised in Owen Sound, Ontario.   He started in the restaurant world at 17, then continued studying at the Georgian College for Culinary Arts. After that, he went on to work in various restaurants across Ontario with many of the top Chefs in Canada including Eigensinn Farm,...

Born and raised in La Marche region of Italy, Chef Roberti began his career in pastry making, and later worked in kitchens of prestigious establishments in Italy and abroad.   For six-years in Australia, he worked as the Executive Chef and consultant for several important Melbourne restaurants including Caffe e Cucina. Ultimately, he opened his own Italian restaurant. In 2017, he was named for the...

Born in Slovenia, very close to the Italian border, Ana Roš never considered cooking as a career. After trying her hand at being an alpine skier at a young age and a diplomat after university (she graduated with a degree in international and diplomatic science and worked for a period in the field), she met Valter Kramar, her ex-partner - and her whole life changed.   The two took over Hiša Franko...

Born in Jutland, Denmark, Rasmus Munk did not have any culinary history in his family. Purely by chance, he decided to attend culinary art courses at the Danish association Silkeborg. He started to fall in love with cooking, entered various student competitions for young chefs and went on to work at various kitchens in London, England and in Copenhagen, Denmark.   In 2015, he opened the first vers...

Born in Dijon, deep in the French wine region of Burgundy, Adeline Grattard started training at the School of French Cuisine at Ferrandi and worked under a number of master chefs like Flora Mikula, Yannick Alleno and Pascal Barbot. She moved from Paris to Hong Kong with her husband Chi Wah Chan for two years, where she worked alongside at creative restaurants like BO Innovation with Alvin Leung as...