Scratch

Sam Jen
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  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Scratch is a Canadian podcast about the people behind the plate - the chefs and restaurateurs who built their businesses, lives, and communities through food. From immigrants finding home in a new country to locals turning cafés into community hubs, these are stories of hustle, resilience, and heart. Food isn’t just about what’s on the table - it’s about connection, belonging, and building something meaningful from scratch.

  1. APR 29

    From shared techniques: David Schwartz

    David Schwartz’s cooking was never about one cuisine - it was about understanding how cuisines are built. Raised eating both Cantonese food and Eastern-European deli classics, David grew up noticing something unexpected: these food worlds shared the same backbone. Both emerged from necessity. Both relied on smoking, curing, salting, fermenting, pickling, and coaxing deep flavour out of what was cheap, abundant, or leftover. The difference wasn’t the technique, it was the expression. That realization shaped everything David went on to build. From childhood trips through Chinatown with his dad - hunting for rose apples or encountering sticky rice–stuffed chicken wings that left him completely shook at eight years old - David became obsessed with the idea of food that looks simple but reveals immense complexity once you look under the hood. That obsession lives across his restaurants today. MIMI was created as a peer to the independently owned Chinese restaurants he deeply admires - a place grounded in regional specificity, tradition, and respect. Sunny’s Chinese emerged alongside it, not as a pop-up turned permanent idea, but as a distinct concept born from the need to compartmentalize creativity. And Linny’s became a full-circle return to his own heritage, where deli culture and steakhouse tradition finally met, priced and presented with the care they deserve. As one of the leaders in the Toronto food scene, David talks about technique as a cultural connector, why representation starts with sourcing and restraint, how hospitality is just as much about the employee experience as the guest, and why designing a restaurant always begins with someone sitting at a table. This is a conversation about curiosity, trust, and choosing the harder road, even when it would be easier not to. (And yes, when David cooks at home? He feeds everyone else… and orders a cheeseburger.) Follow the podcast on Instagram and TikTokFollow Sam Jen on Instagram

    43 min

  2. APR 22

    From dining in the dark: O'Noir

    Dining at O’Noir starts with losing something - your sense of sight. But for Dr. Jaren R. Feng, what you gain is far more important. Jaren first experienced dining in the dark as a guest. What struck him wasn’t just the novelty of the concept, but the people behind it - particularly the servers, all of whom are blind or visually impaired. Their ability to navigate the space, memorize guests, and deliver service with precision and confidence challenged everything he thought he understood about ability, perception, and hospitality. Years later, he stepped in to help grow O’Noir into something larger - refining the concept into a system and expanding it into one of the largest dining-in-the-dark experiences in the world. At O’Noir, the experience is built entirely around the servers. They carry multiple plates at once, remember the layout of the room and the names of their guests, and guide diners through a space where fear, curiosity, and vulnerability often show up all at once. For many guests, the experience begins with hesitation, but quickly becomes something transformative. Dr. Feng reflects on what it means to trust your other senses, why discomfort is often the first step toward growth, and how the restaurant has created a space where guests and servers meet on equal footing. He shares how the concept challenges assumptions, builds empathy, and reminds people that what we take for granted is, in fact, a gift. This is a story about perspective, courage, and learning to see differently - even when you can’t see at all. Follow the podcast on Instagram and TikTokFollow Sam Jen on Instagram

    34 min

  3. APR 15

    From a bigger idea of home: Cafe Belem

    Portuguese culture in Toronto can feel frozen in time, but that’s not the story William Oliveira wants to tell. Raised in a deeply Portuguese household, William’s early memories were shaped by family trips back to Portugal and a community in Toronto that preserved those traditions almost exactly as they were decades ago. The bakeries, the flavours, the rituals - they all felt consistent, familiar, and rooted in what his parents knew when they first arrived. But growing up in Toronto meant something else too. Surrounded by a multicultural city, William was exposed to a world of food beyond his own - flavours, techniques, and perspectives that slowly expanded his understanding of what “home” could be. What began as a singular identity became something broader, more fluid - a space where cultures overlap rather than collide. That perspective now defines his work at Café Belém. While many Portuguese restaurants in Toronto reflect a version of the past, William is interested in something different: expressing what Portugal looks like today. Not through strict authenticity, but through what he calls reminiscence - using familiar flavours and ingredients to evoke a feeling, rather than replicate a fixed tradition. His path into baking was just as unplanned. During the pandemic, what started as a hobby turned into a deep obsession with fermentation, sourdough, and the quiet, meditative process of working with dough. That instinct to explore, experiment, and understand food from the inside out quickly became central to the café’s identity. In this conversation, William reflects on working alongside his father as both family and business partner, how Portuguese culture continues to evolve, and why food doesn’t need to be defined by authenticity to feel true. This is a story about identity, expansion, and building something that feels like home - even as the definition keeps changing. Follow the podcast on Instagram and TikTokFollow Sam Jen on Instagram

    41 min

  4. APR 8

    From the million dollar question: Barque BBQ

    For a long time, David Neinstein didn’t think he’d end up in a restaurant. After building a career in marketing and completing his MBA, he found himself asking a simple question: if you won the lottery, what would you do? The answer came quickly - he’d open a restaurant. So at 30, he did exactly that. It wasn’t the expected move. Surrounded by a network of professionals in more traditional careers, David was the outlier stepping into a world he had no formal training in. But instead of following a passion for a specific cuisine, he approached it analytically. He looked at gaps in the Toronto market, and barbecue stood out. What followed was an immersive education. David moved to Oklahoma, worked in BBQ kitchens starting at 6 a.m., competed on weekends, and spent months eating his way through over 100 restaurants across the U.S. Along the way, he began to question the category itself - why did barbecue have to be so heavy? Why couldn’t it be refined? Barque BBQ became his answer. A place that pairs traditional smoking techniques with fresh, seasonal vegetables, full-service hospitality, and a dining experience that feels intentional rather than indulgent. Even the name reflects that thinking, a nod to both the “bark” of barbecue and the craft behind it. In this episode, David shares how competition BBQ shaped his attention to detail, why he made the controversial move to eliminate tipping, and how he’s tried to create a restaurant where both guests and staff feel respected. He also reflects on his time advocating for small businesses in Roncesvalles, and why showing up for others in the industry matters more than ever. Follow the podcast on Instagram and TikTokFollow Sam Jen on Instagram

    26 min

  5. APR 1

    From baking for fun: Andrea’s Cookies

    Andrea Christensen didn’t set out to build a cookie business - it found her. When the pandemic hit, Andrea suddenly had time. What started as baking for fun (something she’d always loved) quickly became an obsession with one goal: creating the perfect soft-baked cookie. As a self-taught baker with a science-minded approach, she leaned into experimentation, testing, and refining until every detail felt right. She began sharing her cookies on Instagram with friends and family. Then strangers started asking for them. Within months, she launched a website  and what had once been a hobby quietly turned into something much bigger. The process wasn’t simple. It took two years to develop her recipes at home, and moving into a commercial kitchen meant starting over again. There’s no secret ingredient - just high-quality components, technique, and an almost obsessive level of intention. Andrea won’t put anything out into the world unless she truly loves it. That same mindset shaped her business. A rotating menu came from necessity - simplifying operations, reducing waste, and creating excitement week to week. What began as a solo operation has grown into a team of nearly 60 people, multiple locations, and a community that shows up not just for cookies, but for the experience around them. Andrea shares what it means to build something from instinct, how flavour development became one of her favourite parts of the process, and why learning to let go as a leader might be the hardest step yet. This is a story about patience, precision, and finding your path - even if it wasn’t the one you planned. Follow the podcast on Instagram and TikTok Follow Sam Jen on Instagram

    34 min

  6. MAR 25

    From carrying on a legacy: Golden Turtle

    Not only is Golden Turtle one of Toronto’s oldest Vietnamese restaurants, it’s a story that stretches across continents, generations, and the quiet work of keeping something meaningful alive. For Linda Nguyen, the restaurant was part of her childhood long before it became her responsibility. Her earliest memories are behind the counter: folding napkins, serving customers, and watching her parents run a place that taught her the meaning of hard work, teamwork, and care. Family, she learned early, wasn’t just the people you lived with. It was also the people you worked beside every day. Her parents came to Canada carrying their own histories of survival and resilience. Born in a Malaysian refugee camp during the Vietnam War, Linda grew up understanding that losing track of family could mean losing track of yourself. Food became the thread that held everything together. Years later, despite studying retail management and cognitive science and never imagining herself in the restaurant industry, Linda realized the restaurant meant more than her original career path. Five years ago, she and her brother Michael stepped in to carry the legacy forward - preserving the same pho recipe that passed from her grandmother to her mother, and now to her. In this episode, Linda reflects on leadership, family, and what it means to carry a legacy responsibly - nurturing her team, welcoming new neighbours on Ossington, and showing her daughter that leadership rooted in care is something to be proud of. Follow the podcast on Instagram and TikTokFollow Sam Jen on Instagram

    45 min

  7. MAR 18

    From celebrating individuality: Lake Inez

    Lake Inez was never meant to be static. When Zac Schwartz met Dennis Kimeda and Patrick Ciappara, he wasn’t planning on becoming a restaurateur. He was paying his way through university. He wasn’t a lifer in the industry. But when Dennis - who had already built The Wren - asked him to partner on a new venture, Zac made a choice that would change everything: he gave every penny he had to something that didn’t exist yet. From the very first night Lake Inez opened, Zac felt something different. When he bent down to pick up a napkin off the floor, he realized he wasn’t stepping into someone else’s concept - he owned it. Every decision. Every risk. Every success. Every failure. Named after a small lake Zac’s grandparents once bought in Michigan - a sacred place rooted in love - Lake Inez became a space built not around culinary pedigree, but around creative permission. None of the three owners were chefs, but they believed there had to be someone out there waiting for carte blanche. Enter Robbie Hojilla, a second-generation Filipino chef trained in high-end European kitchens, who was given full freedom to cook food closest to him. That philosophy stuck. Today, Lake Inez is less about continuity and more about evolution. Menus shift. Dishes come and go. Fermentation programs emerge. Darlings get killed. The constant isn’t the food, it’s the culture. A place where individuality is celebrated, neighbourhood energy is amplified, and creative freedom is the thread that binds it all together. This is a story about risk, ownership, reciprocal gratitude, and believing that if your sensibilities change, your output should too. Follow the podcast on Instagram and TikTokFollow Sam Jen on Instagram

    58 min

  8. MAR 11

    From a friendly bond: Good Behaviour

    When COVID threw a wrench into Michael Lam and Eric Chow’s plans at Ascari, they were left with a choice. They could go their separate ways, or they could figure out how to keep working together. What they shared was a mindset, a standard for hospitality, and a deep trust built from long days inside a 140-seat restaurant where nothing worked unless everyone moved in sync. Choosing each other became the starting point. Good Behaviour was the result — not because either of them dreamed of opening an ice cream shop, but because ice cream felt like a way to still connect with people. It was familiar. Comforting. A reward in a moment when good behaviour meant staying home, seeing friends at a distance, and getting through something hard. And despite neither of them having a sweet tooth, ice cream became the vessel for hospitality. But winter was coming and ice cream alone wouldn’t keep their team. At the eleventh hour, sandwiches entered the picture. Three days after the idea surfaced, subs launched and sold out every day for a month. What began as survival quickly became a pillar of the business and a way to keep people employed, motivated, and excited to show up. Michael and Eric talk about building trust with guests, learning systems in real time, and how discipline — especially learning when to say no — became as important as creativity. They share how menus are designed collaboratively, why every new item has to compete with the best seller, and how consistency doesn’t mean boring. Follow the podcast on Instagram and TikTokFollow Sam Jen on Instagram

    56 min
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About

Scratch is a Canadian podcast about the people behind the plate - the chefs and restaurateurs who built their businesses, lives, and communities through food. From immigrants finding home in a new country to locals turning cafés into community hubs, these are stories of hustle, resilience, and heart. Food isn’t just about what’s on the table - it’s about connection, belonging, and building something meaningful from scratch.

Information

  • Creator
    Sam Jen
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Sam Jen
  • Show Website
    Scratch