Happy Canada Day (from 2023!)

When we say Chinese food, what do you think about? Just like how Italian food isn't just pizza, and Japanese food isn't just sushi, the range of Chinese food is vast. And Miroki got the chance to explore a sliver of it on her latest trip to China.With family in Shanghai, Miroki goes on a rediscovery of her culture on her father's side. She compares dishes cooked by her Amah (grandmother) with those made by a Michelin recommended restaurant, gets messy with soup dumpling takeaway, and stuffs herself silly at family banquets. Then, Miroki ventures to city of Ningbo, where her grandmother grew up. She eats her fill of village fare midst local holiday celebrations, and enjoys all the best seafood this port city has to offer. It is hairy crab season after all. As she regals André with her food adventures, she also offers savvy travel tips for navigating China, gems to look for and spots to avoid, and why relying on Google Maps or Michelin may not be your best guides if you're looking for the best places to nosh or lay your head.You can follow Miroki on Instagram @9ouncespleaseYou can follow André on Instagram @andrewinereview Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I think more people die worrying about how safe our food is, then actually how safe the food is." - Dennis BulaniSaskatchewan 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 Pandora's box, where words like GMO, pesticides, monofarming, local, and organic fly out and about. But how much do we as consumers actually understand what all these terms mean? And do we realize how a humble commodity like canola oil could, in fact, humble us?André and Miroki had their minds blown with the complexities of growing and manufacturing canola oil, which is one of Denni's staple crops. In his newest book, Trust Your Plate, Dennis frankly shares all that he knows about large scale farming, giving people first hand access to the answers they have been seeking. This was a conversation that could have gone for hours!You can follow Miroki on Instagram @9ouncespleaseYou can follow André on Instagram @andrewinereview Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 penguins.And although André has been known to enjoy his fine plates, this trip focused on great bites that were not only wallet friendly, but also lived up to the hype. Bonus points when wife Anja is a pastry chef and knows where to get some killer baked goods. Finally, Miroki and André come to blows when discussing Montreal vs New York bagels. Which bagel reigns supreme?The recap list:Schwartz's DeliPâtisserie Au Kouing AmannRhubarbePub BreWskeyBistrot La FabriqueSt-Viateur BagelJean Talon MarketLa BanquiseYou can follow Miroki on Instagram @9ouncespleaseYou can follow André on Instagram @andrewinereview Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 meaning in recent years as the DOCa gave permission to list specific villages. This has provided wine enthusiasts the opportunity to really explore Rioja's granularities. André was hoping to get a Rioja 101 and head out of the episode with newfound knowledge to grab some choice bottles - but it turns out the surface was barely scratched.This episode drills down everything that makes up the world of Rioja wines. Get extra nerdy as they explore Rioja's versatility as red wine (A Tempranillo blend vs 100% Graciano? So different!), understand how to read the labels when buying a Crianza or Reserva, and taste the full range of wines the region produces, including the beautiful and elusive whites that they wish were more readily available on the international market. The lineup of wines tasted were definitelly in the upper tier of quality from anywhere - but it has left both André and Miroki thirsty for more.Learn more about rioja wine - https://riojawine.com/en-us/You can follow Miroki on Instagram @9ouncespleaseYou can follow André on Instagram @andrewinereview Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 practices.They may be aficionados of the drink, but Katy O'Donnell, VP, Brand Development at Tequila Tromba, along with Grayce Yuen, VP, Finance, blow Miroki and André's minds through a tasting of Tromba's tequilas, from the terroir driven blancos and elegantly barrel aged reposados and añejos, to the all-Mexican Cafeto coffee liqueur. And just what is that green drink being paired with the blanco?Founded by a Canadian, with Master Distiller Lilia Quintero at the helm, they dig into Tromba's story to make pure, additive free tequila, paying respect to the people, heritage, land and quality distilling.You can follow Miroki on Instagram @9ouncespleaseYou can follow André on Instagram @andrewinereview Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 through the Ex. From a foot-long butter chicken taquito to lobster on a stick has CNE food finally moved past “gross for the sake of gross” and back toward being genuinely creative — and delicious?Then, from carnival food to decidedly finer dining. André and Guillaume recently celebrated their birthdays at Barberian’s, the Toronto steakhouse institution that has been serving the city since 1959. With 80x’s Ruff Pinot Noir currently being poured by the glass, they headed in expecting great steak and ended up blown away by the service, the cavernous wine cellar and one of Toronto’s most formidable wine lists. A request for Côte de Nuits Burgundy also led André back to an old favourite: Domaine Pavelot’s Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Guettes — a wine that somehow keeps finding its way back into his glass.Has Guillaume managed to convince André that the CNE is worth another visit?You can follow Miroki on Instagram @9ouncespleaseYou can follow André on Instagram @andrewinereview Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 way back on Canadian shelves soon. Is this the move we want though? A recent Nanos survey says otherwise. Miroki and André discuss the rise of local wine over the last year, and whether it has made enough of an impact to stay.Speaking of the local wine world, Tawse Winery has just won WineAlign's Winery of the Year Award. What do recognitions such as this mean for a wine business? Are awards simply marketing collateral, or titles worth pursuing as a reflection of their excellence? You can follow Miroki on Instagram @9ouncespleaseYou can follow André on Instagram @andrewinereview Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, texture sensitivities and the reality that sometimes not everyone wants to eat at the same restaurant.They also dig into how childhood food experiences shape our tastes, why “picky eater” can mean very different things to different people, and how a little flexibility can help families create great travel memories without turning every meal into a battle.One family member loved escargot so much he ordered it for dessert - and a unanimous family verdict on which country had the best food.You can follow Miroki on Instagram @9ouncespleaseYou can follow André on Instagram @andrewinereview Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Friend that truly blew him away. They take a look at what it takes to get on these lists - and how it feels when you find that restaurant that delivers a near flawless experience. Places visited/mentioned - Canada's 100 Best BarsThe Narrows Public House Dear FriendFortune OystersThe Canteen on PortlandMystic Nova ScotiaArt Gallery of Nova Scotia - not food... or drink... but worth the visitYou can follow Miroki on Instagram @9ouncespleaseYou can follow André on Instagram @andrewinereview Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, multiculturalism, reconciliation, and the way food carries history, culture, and politics whether we like it or not.They’re joined by Chef Tawnya Brant, a Mohawk Nation chef helping revive the traditional foods of the Haudenosaunee, for a thoughtful and delicious conversation about Indigenous cuisine.They takes the episode coast to coast with a look at Canadian wine beyond Ontario, heading to the east coast with Nova Scotia’s Tidal Bay and sparkling wines, to Quebec - the next emerging Canadian wine region, and out west to find out what is happening in British Columbia.You can follow Miroki on Instagram @9ouncespleaseYou can follow André on Instagram @andrewinereview Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.