The Nosh Vancouver

How many chefs are too many? An upcoming event in support of Lapu Lapu Day victims tries to answer that question in the most delicious way. Anya chats with Chefs TJ Conwi and Andrea Aldridge about the event, comfort food, caring for community, fave childhood dishes, and more. And later, it's all about the Indian-French fusion at Peya Restaurant.

Three legendary Vancouver chefs are coming together to raise awareness and funds for mental health in the hospitality industry, and Anya chats with them about the changes they've seen over the decades, what needs to change moving forward, the challenges the industry is facing, and more.

From the comfort dishes of her Chinese-Canadian upbringing to her modern gluten-free lifestyle, this chef and food writer has been busy reimagining Asian dishes, sauces and condiments from a celiac-friendly perspective and is now set to release her first cookbook, all inspired by her best friend's (aka. husband's) celiac diagnosis. Anya chats with chef/writer Jannell Lo about her book, cooking and dining out with a gluten-free friend, the joys of chicken feet, and more.

Anya chats with Nikki Bayley, founder of Boards of Keremeos and now Boards of Vancouver about cheese, charcuterie, pickles, Spain, doing what makes you happy, grazing boards, plant-based cheeses, and more. And later, chef Mark Singson joins to talk about his fundraiser for Lapu Lapu Day victims, cooking on Top Chef Season 6, and finding balance.

Maria Ponce, executive chef for La Taqueria restaurant group, joins the show to chat about growing up in Mexico, cooking in the fine dining milieu, Mexican cuisine in Canada, the problematic nature of "authenticity," and more.Later, Anya chats with forager, farmer and chef Tomer Rockman about local supply, sustainability, urban foraging, and cooking in the field.

Those sweet, delicate crustaceans are back for another short season. Alex Tung from Chefs' Table Society is on to talk about the upcoming spot prawn festival, where to buy your prawns, how to cook them, and more. And later, Cake It Easy owner Diana Silva joins to chat about pandemic baking with her daughter and how that led to running successful business, ube sweets sans rival, bubble tea, and more.

It is a heavy week for the Filipino-Canadian community and for all who were impacted by the tragic events of Saturday, April 26, 2025 at the Lapu Lapu Festival. The community is still reeling but is already embodying the concept of "kapwa", the idea of "I am you, and I am not me without you," via counselling, financial support and most especially, food. Anya speaks with food writer, culinary judge, and cookbook author, Joie Alvaro Kent, Lee's Doughnuts owner Celine Bacani, and Ben Castro of Second Winds Counselling.

Anya chats with chef/owner Ashwani Dabas of Peya Restaurant about Indian-French fusions, moving beyond butter chicken and gulab jamun, mother sauces, and more. And later, pastry chef Ksenia Dempster talks spring desserts, cherry blossom onigiri, perfect pie crusts, and she and Anya wax rhapsodic over soft-serve ice cream, ek mek (IYKYK), and peaches.

Anya chats with chef Angus An of Maenam about his newest opening, the robustness of northeastern Thai cuisine, regional specialties, and more, and later, Tara Davies chats about her experiences behind the bar and running the show at Chupito, being a woman in the industry, living and working in Mexico, raicilla and mezcal, and Chupito 2.0.

Anya chats with industry veteran Tyson Reimer about his upcoming fish-and-chips (and more) shop in Hastings Sunrise, the ethics of eating octopus and Humboldt squid, the novels of S.E. Hinton, simple food done well, and more. And later, Patricia Massy of Massy Books talks about tariffs, Indigenous authors, and pivoting in the face of another potential economic crisis for the publishing industry.

The much-loved and long-running Sala Thai closed after almost 40 years of serving generations of loyal customers, but the story isn't over. The next generation is reimagining Thai at Jay Nok while paying homage to their family's legacy. Anya chats with co-founders Bobby Kongsilp and Bumpen “Nok” Khangrang, the husband-and-wife team behind the new False Creek restaurant. And later, Anya chats with Jennifer Kim of Nooroongji Books on Granville Island about the potential impacts to the Canadian publishing industry from the current trade war with the U.S.

Anya chats with Cyril de Ramos, the founder of Hanap Filipino Fusion Bakes about Filipino cuisine and desserts beyond ube, reinventing the classics, upcoming pop-ups, and more. Later, restaurant owners James Iranzad of Bufala, Lucky Taco, and Bells & Whistles, along with Vincent Nguyễn of Anh & Chi, talk about how they're dealing with reservation ghosting by doing good.

Anya chats with Brent Mansfield, elementary school teacher, co-founder of LunchLab, and school food advocate about running for a cause, the importance of school lunches, their educational and societal impacts, the recent news from the provincial and federal governments, and resetting the structural idea of school lunch entirely.

agan farmer and vice-president of BC Fruit Growers Association joins to talk about this year's coming harvest, the latest updates, help from the government, and the importance of buying local.

Anya chats with Canadian Culinary Champion Chef Alex Kim of Five Sails Restaurant in Vancouver about growing up in South Korea, cooking on his grandmother's farm, elevated dining, comfort food for chefs, and more. Later, Booker Winery joins to chat about the wines of Paso Robles and what to expect at wine fest.

Anya chats with Vancouver International Wine Festival executive director Harry Hertscheg about everything from the history of the festival, wine-cations, supporting Bard on the Beach, aha moments, the interconnectivity of wine regions north and south of the border, the BC wine industry's current challenges, and supporting BC wines. Later, winemaker Kurtis Ogasawara from Robert Mondavi Winery in California joins to chat about the winery's history at the wine fest, current growing challenges, the origins of fumée blanc, Chardonnay in the post-ABC world, and "salty" wines (not really, but kind of, yeah...).

From Jessica Simpson-inspired dishes to 10-auntie recipes, the perils of sticky rice, red pockets, slinging haggis and sucking eyeballs, it's a lively discussion with four chefs who are also presenting their own favourite dishes for Lunar New Year at a new chef demo series at Metropolis at Metrotown.

From pairing wine with Asian cuisines to gluten- and dairy-free Lunar New Year feasts, plus local producers supporting Chinatown, it's a packed show as Anya chats with Cheryl Chang of Nourished Kitchen, Christine Coletta of Haywire Winery, and Carrie Leung from Vancouver Chinatown Foundation.

Anya chats with Alana Dickson from the BC Hospitality Foundation about helping those in need, the current state of the industry and its workers, and how you can help. Later, Chris Noske from Heritage Acres Distilling in Abbotsford joins the show to chat about BC's goldrush past, preserving Barkerville, and a hurdy-gurdy gin for the holidays.

From photography and design to waffles and making waves, it's a packed hour with Medina Cafe owner Robbie Kane as he chats with Anya about family, friends, creating great experiences, Liege waffles, and more.

From bike mechanics and working a salad bar to writing about food systems and culture, this award-winning author and journalist has covered a lot of ground and explores the idea of food for both pleasure and sustenance in her latest book. Anya chats with andrea bennett, senior editor at The Tyee, about Hearty: On Cooking, Eating, and Growing Food for Pleasure and Subsistence.

From small-town beginnings in Prince George to three-Michelin-star restaurants in London and Disney cruise ships, the immigrant experience, discovering sushi, and cuisine without borders, Anya chats with Executive Chef Garett Blundell and Head Sushi Chef Jae Cho of The Victor steak and seafood house at Parq Vancouver about putting the fun back into fine dining.

From his childhood in the Philippines working in the family restaurant to launching and running glittering hotel and corporate kitchens to working to fight food waste and food insecurity, this chef has served up almost half a million meals over the last five years to those that need them most. Anya chats with chef TJ Conwi, owner of ONO Vancouver about "Robin Hooding" food (without the stealing), the dangers of aesthetically pleasing produce, poorly seasoned chicken, and so much more.

Anya chats with Sarah and Murray Bancroft of Birch Block Vineyard about the journey from cooking and high fashion to wine and agriculture, raising grapes, working with UBC Farm, and more.

Anya chats with award-winning author and journalist Timothy Taylor about his latest book, The Rise and Fall of Magic Wolf, as well as mentors and strange journeys, hybrid cuisines, the connection between this novel and his first, Stanley Park, becoming a restaurant critic, uncovering family history, the social world of food, and more.

From a small village in Belgium to the northern wilds of Dawson Creek and Quesnel, and then to Vancouver and fine-dining, this seasoned front of house veteran has seen—and done—it all, and now she's serving it back with the launch and expansion of TIPS (To Insure Proper Service) Academy, which offers training to newcomers to Canada, as well as those entering or looking to upgrade in the profession. Anya chats with Sandrine about leaving home as a teen, becoming a bouncer, overcoming an introverted personality, respecting boundaries, reigniting your passion, and the true meaning of "the customer is always right."

From the culture of nhậu and eating frog legs to save the environment, to cocktails that tell a story and drinking "collagen juice," it's a packed show chatting with co-owner Amelie Nguyen and beverage director Ben Kingstone of Good Thief.

Solving puzzles, surprising takes on chicories, the many definitions of Pacific Northwest cuisine, tastes of home, being an ambassador for B.C. wine, salsa macha (not the tea), spice levels, cooking hyper local on a grand scale, and so much more. Anya chats with Executive Chef Hector Laguna and Wine Director Matt Jacobson of Botanist Restaurant at the Fairmont Pacific Rim about it all.

From cooking in Alsace to winning Iron Chef to taking over the reigns at Le Crocodile, Rob Feenie's career has spanned many styles and situations. Anya chats with the renowned chef about growing up in Burnaby, travelling as a teenager, cooking and drinking in Russia (really), mentors, traditions and legacies, cracked glass (the kind you eat), and future plans both in and out of the restaurant.

From talking to the fish (really) to defining a new Kyushu style of omakase infused with West Coast ingredients and sensibilities, Chef Hiroshi Hoshiko and owner Yuki Aida have turned a quiet corner of Lonsdale into a small retreat that transports you to Japan. Anya chats with the pair about Sushi Mahana, the omakase experience, brulee on eggs and more.

The Philippines are a group of 6,000+ islands and more than 200 languages and cultures. The idea of Filipino cuisine as being a monolith of steam-table cafeteria-style fare is one that has persisted too long and is now slowly being replaced with the understading that what we know about Filipino cuisine represents only a tiny fraction of the whole story. A group of intrepid Filipino-Canadians are launching a collaborative dining series that explores the essence and evolution of Filipino cuisine, its diversity of regions and flavours, and what it means to be Filipino in Canada. Anya chats with the group behind Indáy to learn more.

It's all about community building, great coffee, continuing a Strathcona legacy, and becoming a gentrifier for a cause as Anya chats with Union Market owner Aman Loodu.

His pâtés and terrines became a byword when he was working at the city's best French restaurant and now he is striking out on his own with a venture that it sure to 'spread' in popularity. Anya chats with Chef Colin Johnson of Le Petit Chapeau about pâté, kitchen culture, cooking for pleasure, working in restaurants on both sides of the Atlantic, and more.

This chef and restaurateur has done everything and pretty much seen everything in his time in the industry, ranging from fine dining to cooking on the downlow. Anya chats with DownLow Chicken founder and chef Doug Stephen about fried chicken, confit bacon, creating safe spaces for kids—and snacks, the sepia-toned restaurants of our youth, going from cork dork to slushie nerd, playing Tetris with walk-in fridges, and more.

His professional background has gone from deep sea bomb detection to butcher to chef and a whole lot in between. Now, he cooks and collaborates in Whistler at the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre. Anya chats with chef Steven Fecho about hooshum berries, cooking with local and seasonal ingredients, the perils and positives of smoking fish (even in summer), switching from fine dining to casual cookery and back, and more.

Her breads and baked goods have been a byword in restaurant kitchens for years, as has her Commercial Drive storefront. Claire Livia Lassam, owner of Livia Bakery, Pasta and Wine Bar, joins Anya to talk about bread, baking, kitchen culture, food as community, the ups and downs of potato bread, feeding kids, the dreaded "P" word, embracing the slow life, eating together, the importance of carbs, and so much more.

In a remote town on the northern west coast of Vancouver Island lies a small but mighty restaurant that has become of one of the best in Canada. Pluvio in Ucluelet is run by a husband-and-wife team who have turned this tiny town into a dining destination. Anya chats with them about their love of rain, cooking, hospitality, fried chicken, fine dining, doughnuts, adventures with bears, and more.

Anya travels to Tofino to chat with Executive Chef Clayton Fontaine of The Wickaninnish Inn's The Pointe Restaurant about cooking on the Wild Wet Coast vs. East Coast, how local and sustainable plays out on the northern tip of Vancouver Island, the extraordinary pace of changing menus, growing anything in a temperature rain forest, local suppliers, the Relais & Châteaux experience, and more.

Two much-lauded restaurateurs, Meeru Dhalwala of Vij's and Rangoli, and Shira Blustein of The Acorn, have come together to open Lila on Main Street. They chat with Anya about the restaurant, the menus, working together, friendship, food sustainability, the culture and politics behind plant-based, vegetarian and flexitarian eating, avoiding labels, the concept of welcome, and more.

Bud break has arrived in the Okanagan, but this year's harvest isn't likely to produce the bumper crops of years past. Anya chats with BC wine and fruit growers about the current outlook, how this will impact wine and fruit production down the road, and how local consumers can support these local industries, including some fantastic experiences you can explore this summer.

Going out for a drink is starting to take on a new meaning. Gone are the days when choosing the non-alcoholic option meant going for pop or juice or perhaps sparkling water. The growing number of people seeking out low-alcohol or zero-proof options shows this is more than just a passing trend and restaurants and retailers are taking note. Anya chats with two purveyors of zero-proof beverages and discusses the intricacies behind making these non-alcoholic tipples.

Mikaela Cannon is an ardent nature enthusiast, forager and educator who recently published her book, Foraging as a Way of Life. She chats with host Anya Levykh about becoming comfortable in the wild, foraging in Sweden and Canada year-round, what to cook with your spoils, and more.

The challenges that the hospitality industry is currently facing are unprecedented, with more than half of all restaurants not only not making a profit, but not even breaking even. Anya chats with a panel of industry insiders about where we can go from here.

Anya chats with Bearfoot Bistro's executive chef Dominic Fortin about his journey through the industry, cooking and pastry at Bearfoot, Sooke and other spots, the history of the sugar shack, and what's on the menu this week.

'Tis the season to celebrate citrus and Jane Squier grows a remarkable array of citrus in her Salt Spring Island greenhouse at The Garden. Anya chats with Jane about hardy citrus in cool-weather climates, anaerobic digestion, closed-loop environments, Buddha's Hand and kaffir limes, passion projects, switching from lettuce and basil to citrus and avocados, heating (or not) in the cooler months, where to find her citrus (mainly at restaurants), and more.

Anya chats with Dallah el Chami, chef and owner of Superbaba, about his upcoming new project, Mishmish Bakery in the Fraserhood, Jerusalem bagels, shewarma, nostalgia, third-culture cuisine, the making and use of halva, the history of French fries in MENA countries, and more.

Anya chats with winemaker Raffaele Boscaini, Chief Technical Director for Masi Agricola, about his family's winery, seven generations of winemaking, the rise of Valpolicelle and Amaro, the terroir of northern Italy and the Dolomites, the wines, fermentation, cork vs. stelvin vs. new polymers, and much more.

Anya chats with Ksenia Demspter, founder of Nice Cake Co. and aspiring baker, about being nice, making cakes, the best cookies in the city, baking at home, dogs, and more.

Recorded live at the Vancouver International Wine Festival, Anya chats with two California winemakers, Kyle Jury of Harvey and Harriet Winery and Drew Schneider of The Prisoner. From terroir and tannins to cultivating a cult wine, it's a lively set of discussions on the tasting room floor, as well as a tasting of the best of both wineries.

Recorded live from the Vancouver International Wine Festival! Anya chats with Beppe d'Andrea of Ruffino and Kurtis Ogasawara of Robert Mondavi about Italian and Californian wines, polpette, the post-ABC wine world, and more.

Anya chats with Chef Ricardo Valverde about modern Peruvian cuisine, the influences of Nikkei cuisine, and others, growing up in the kitchen, cooking for kids, opening Suyo Modern Peruvian Cuisine in Mount Pleasant, and more.