Sam and Jean are back! And they've been travelling! And eating! In this episode of Ate Ate Ate, we talk about top tips + tricks of how to approach eating on holiday, and our recent experiences overseas. It's quite silly silly silly, fair warning!Some highlights from the episode: Sam talks about one of the worst restaurant experiences he's ever had, we discuss the potency of the slur ch*nk, and there is a whole-ass segment on the spectrum of wet and dry foods. What is wet food? What is dry food? And where would your favourite foods land on the spectrum? Also Sam advocates bringing Slim Tea to help your digestion (because you won't drink enough or eat enough fibre on holiday, apparently).P.S. Jean went to Europe (Paris, Italy, Dubrovnik, London, Copenhagen) and Sam went to Australia (Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney). Follow Ate Ate Ate on Instagram.Follow Sam on Instagram.Follow Jean on Instagram.
We're stoked to welcome Jesse's Teahouse, one of the biggest tea educators + appreciators in the English-speaking world, onto the pod to talk gongfu tea culture, his journey into learning about tea, what he loves about tea, the differences between types of tea, and how you can get started into drinking tea as well.You should drink tea while listening to this podcast (we recommend white).Follow Jesse's Teahouse on InstagramFollow Ate Ate Ate on Instagram
Hello! We're baaaaaack! Sam and Jean take to the microphone once again for Season 2 of Ate Ate Ate, alongside returning guest Emily Contois (professor, author, food expert extraordinaire).In this episode, we talk about what the hell is going on in the food world in 2025, including the rise of Ozempic (including brozempic), protein in everything, how politics is affecting food culture, and more. There's general chit-chat about what we're looking forward to in this new year, the realisation that we don't really eat out at restaurants as much (though we still LOVE to, obviously) and we talk about what we want to do more of.Hope you enjoy!
In this episode, we make a version of juk (Korean rice porridge) for Steven Park, who is a multidisciplinary artist behind the label 6x4. He has a lot to say about the ethical and environmental ramifications of the fashion industry, his relationship to being a maker, and how he forages for his textile practice - and his food. For a special one-off season, Sam Low and Jean Teng talk to four Artists Who Eat, making a dish in response to their work, discussing how food intersects with their practice, and having a general kõrero about their relationship to food. This episode is made thanks to funding from Foundation North. P.S. We also made a zine!! If you want to read Artists Who Eat in zine form, you can download the free PDF from our website ate-ate-ate.co.nz. (See the food art response we made for Steven in the zine!) Follow 6x4 online. Find out more about Steven's work. Follow Ate Ate Ate on Instagram.
In this episode, we make banana roti for brunelle dias, a painter from India who is drawn to colour, light, and illuminating the sacred in the every day. For a special one-off season, Sam Low and Jean Teng talk to four Artists Who Eat, making a dish in response to their work, discussing how food intersects with their practice, and having a general kõrero about their relationship to food. This episode is made thanks to funding from Foundation North. P.S. We also made a zine!! If you want to read Artists Who Eat in zine form, you can download the free PDF from our website ate-ate-ate.co.nz. (If you want to see the food art response we made for brunelle, you'll find it in the zine!) Follow brunelle dias. Follow Ate Ate Ate on Instagram.
In this episode, we make rou jia mo for Tony Guo, a painter that grew up in Northeast China and moved to Aotearoa when he was 12 (by himself!). For a special one-off season, Sam Low and Jean Teng talk to four Artists Who Eat, making a dish in response to their work, discussing how food intersects with their practice, and having a general kõrero about their relationship to food. This episode is made thanks to funding from Foundation North. P.S. We also made a zine!! If you want to read Artists Who Eat in zine form, you can download the free PDF from our website ate-ate-ate.co.nz. (If you want to see the food art response we made for Tony, you'll find it in the zine!) Follow Tony Guo. See more of Tony's art here. Follow Ate Ate Ate on Instagram.
For a special one-off season, Sam Low and Jean Teng talk to four Artists Who Eat, making a dish in response to their work, discussing how food intersects with their practice, and having a general kõrero about their relationship to food. In this episode, we make prawn sambal curry for Saraid de Silva, a Sri Lankan-Pākeha author of the novel Amma, who says she "came out of the womb asking what's for dinner". This episode is made thanks to funding from Foundation North. P.S. We also made a zine!! If you want to read Artists Who Eat in zine form, you can download the free PDF from our website ate-ate-ate.co.nz. Follow Saraid de Silva. Buy Saraid's book, Amma. Follow Ate Ate Ate on Instagram.
In which Jean and Sam talk about restaurant lists, Top 50, Metro Restaurant of the Year, and the Auckland restaurant scene in general. Congratulations to Forest, a small plant-based restaurant on Dominion Rd, for taking out Metro's Restaurant of the Year!! Whoo! In this episode, we go into some interesting inclusions and wins on the list (including: three Cantonese restaurants, yaya! And Sam's fave Mr Lobster winning runner up for Best Casual!), as well as talk about the importance (or lack thereof) of ROTY in general. Jean also talks about the process of judging, after spending a few years leading the list, and how it almost killed her each time. -- Follow Ate Ate Ate on Instagram
In this episode, we talk to Julie Zhu, the director and creator of beautifully observed documentary series Takeout Kids. In season two, she invites us into the world of tamariki and rangatahi who grow up in their parents' shops, whether that's restaurants, dairies or even a nail salon, following them and their whānau as they go to school, work night markets, and have both funny and serious conversations with family. Julie talks about the filming process, her approach to narrative storytelling, and the intimacy of everyday moments. In addition, Sam and Jean kōrero about takeaways and their favourite Friday-night feeds -- especially as Sam used to be a takeout kid himself! -- Follow Ate Ate Ate on Instagram Follow Sam Low on Instagram Follow Jean Teng on Instagram -- Thanks to Julie Zhu for her time and wisdom on this episode! Watch Takeout Kids now Follow Julie Zhu on Instagram
It's the check-in episode! Sam Low and Jean Teng have had quite busy lives recently - including visiting Tasmania together, prepping for a pop-up, buying apartments, executing brand deals (lol), and trying to pay rent + bills. -- This episode is just between us gals, chatting about how things have changed since we started the podcast, where we see the podcast going, where we HOPE to see the podcast going, what's been going on in our lives, and our ever-shifting relationship to food and food culture. We're getting to the end of season 1 now and may be taking a little break - but we have plans for the future (incl. some funding, TBA!). Thanks so much for listening. -- Follow Ate Ate Ate on Instgram Follow Sam Low on Instagram Follow Jean Teng on Instagram -- Go to our first Ate Ate Ate pop-up, on Saturday 13 July at Open Late, 553 Karangahape Rd, Auckland. We'll be selling char siu, chilli oil and ice cream by Side Scoop.
Sam Low and Jean Teng discover the basic principles of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), thanks to Chinese Medicine food therapist and registered dietician, Zoey Xinyi Gong (also author of The Five Elements Cookbook). We talk about how people can start to incorporate it into their lives, the accessible ingredients, how it can be helpful, the push and pull between Western and Chinese medicine (e.g. they can co-exist!), the appropriation of TCM in wellness culture, wellness culture in general, and more. Thanks to our guest, Zoey Xinyi Gong! -- Follow Ate Ate Ate on Instagram Follow Sam Low on Instagram Follow Jean Teng on Instagram -- Follow Zoey on Instagram Buy Zoey's cookbook and guide to TCM, The Five Elements Cookbook
In this episode, we talk to Erin Clarkson (Cloudy Kitchen), a New Zealand-based baker whose fervent fanbase is made up of dedicated blog readers and Instagram followers, due to her easy-to-follow, delicious recipes. Erin tells us about how she got started in baking, how Cloudy Kitchen happened, her recipe for success, her approach to recipe development, what her most popular types of recipes are, how she manages it as a full-time job, and also how she deals with the haters. Thanks to Erin for jumping on this episode with us! X -- Follow Ate Ate Ate on Instagram Follow Sam Low on Instagram Follow Jean Teng on Instagram -- Follow Cloudy Kitchen on Instagram Bake Cloudy Kitchen's recipes on her website
Sam Low and Jean Teng talk to James Beard award-winning author John Birdsall (The Man Who Ate Too Much: The Life of James Beard) about the question: what is queer food? We talk about cooking as resistance, the broadness of the term "queer", queer spaces and community building, the history of queer food and stories, how queerness affects your cooking or perspective on food, whether or not chefs and hospitality figures should be asked to talk about their queerness, and, also, about how the "masc bro chef" is ON THE RISE ONCE AGAIN (thanks The Bear). Thanks so much to our guest, John Birdsall! - Articles mentioned: America, Your Food Is So Gay (Lucky Peach) Straight Up Passing (Jarry Mag) - Follow Ate Ate Ate on Instagram Follow Sam Low on Instagram Follow Jean Teng on Instagram - Follow John Birdsall on Instagram Buy John Birdsall's book, The Man Who Ate Too Much Sign up for John Birdsall's Substack, Shifting the Food Narrative
Both Sam and Jean don't eat breakfast - they eat coffee. In this episode, Sam (former NZ Barista Champion, Latte Art Champion, coffee trainer and all-around expert) talks to Sarah Allen (the editor of USA-based Barista Magazine) and his co-podcast host Jean (consumer of coffee) about the ins and outs of coffee and its culture. We talk about the raw material, how you can tell if coffee is good or not (objectively speaking), the rise of cafe culture, where coffee culture is going next (cool specialty drinks galore!), and the cultural capital of coffee. Plus, we get an overseas person to say how good the coffee in New Zealand is (which we always love hearing, thanks Sarah), and learn a bit more about Barista Magazine, which is read by hundreds of thousands of people in over 83 countries around the world. - Follow Ate Ate Ate on Instagram Follow Sam Low on Instagram Follow Jean Teng on Instagram - Thanks to our special guest, Sarah Allen! Read the digital edition of Barista Magazine Follow Barista Magazine on Instagram
Sam and Jean talk to comedian David Correos (Taskmaster NZ) about their childhood faves and memories from youth, including all-you-can-eat buffets, Lone Star, Dennys, and food courts. We then pick David's mind about his relationship to food and what he actually eats. Afterwards, we went to Dennys! - Follow Ate Ate Ate on Instagram Follow Sam Low on Instagram Follow Jean Teng on Instagram - Thank you to our guest, David Correos. David is performing in a New Zealand International Comedy Festival show called I Can't Stop Vibrating in Auckland and Wellington. Get your tickets here! And follow David on Instagram.
Sam Low and Jean Teng don't know much about foraging. In this episode, they talk to Liv Sisson (author of Fungi of Aotearoa) about the fungi of Aotearoa, the beauty of foraging, and why framing foraging against the cost of living crisis is lazy, actually (i.e. it will not be able to replace your grocery shop, fyi!). We also go urban foraging with a friend of the show, Ezra, who runs a foraging Instagram account showcasing his best finds @berrysnacker. Disclaimer: This episode is not a field guide to foraging, but a beginner's engagement with the act... and, perhaps, a gentle encouragement for you to try it on your own. -- Follow Ate Ate Ate on Instagram Follow Sam Low on Instagram Follow Jean Teng on Instagram -- Thanks to Liv Sisson and Ezra Whittaker. Follow Liv Sisson! Buy her book, Fungi of Aotearoa Follow Ezra's foraging diary!
Jean and Sam go to Malaysia! In this episode, our two food-obsessed hosts talk about the cultural cuisine of Kuala Lumpur and Penang, their favourite meals and dining experiences, what they loved and the joys of eating and travelling, from fine dining to hawker stalls. (This is an unsponsored episode btw, but we'd be totally down for travel sponsorship, dear airlines, media publications, or overseas tourism boards! Lol.) *Jean mistakenly attributed nasi kandar to Malay cuisine instead of Indian, apologies! Specific places mentioned, in order: Dewakan (Level 48, Naza Tower, KLCC) Eat and Cook (Pusat Perdagangan Bandar, Bukit Jalil) Unwined Plus (Jalan Tewali, Bangsar) Siam Rd Charcoal Char Kway Teow (Jalan Siam, George Town, Penang) Gurney Drive Hawker Centre (Penang) Teluk Pulai Bak Kut Teh (Klang, Selangor) Norm Micro Roastery (George Town, Penang) Peranakan Mansion (Melaka) gēn (George Town, Penang) Nam Heong Chicken Rice (Jalan Sultan, KL) You can find more information about the places we ate at on Sam's Instagram story highlights. Follow Ate Ate Ate on Instagram Follow Sam Low on Instagram Follow Jean Teng on Instagram
Sam and Jean talk about the influence of social media on the way we eat, consume, and think about food. Featuring guest Emily Contois (the author of Food Instagram: Identity, Influence and Negotiation; and Diners, Dudes and Diets: How Gender and Power Collide). They discuss TikTok and Instagram influencers, what makes a good influencer, how hard is it really, the conflict of authenticity and advertising, how food culture on social media trickles down into restaurants and magazines, parasocial relationships, and the democratisation and diversity of the digital world. A lot! Follow Ate Ate Ate on Instagram Follow Sam Low on Instagram Follow Jean Teng on Instagram Special thanks to our guest Emily Contois. Follow her on Instagram and buy her book!
We sign off for the year in our finale episode, where we talk about everything from the best things we ate, our highlights of 2024, and where the fuck is this podcast going in 2025? IN for 2025: - more interesting breakfasts - more tasty non-alcoholic drink options - a congee pop-up - making money from this podcast (you'll find out in this ep, it's really on our mind) - giving sam a television show (lol) - more ate ate ate! Follow Ate Ate Ate on Instagram Download our zine!
Sam and Jean talk to Nat Wolf, the winner of Masterchef Australia 2024. Nat was a fan favourite from day dot, having made a kangaroo larb on the first episode that a) perfectly showcased her identity as a Thai Australian and b) got her an immunity pin. We chat to Nat about her journey on the show, what she's been up to since then (shockingly, it involves food and restaurants), her thoughts around food culture and the representation of Thai food in Western culture, and much more. Also, classic small-world Down Under connections: Sam and Nat knew each other pre-show in their past lives as baristas. In addition, Nat worked in Wanaka for a few years (and, as mentioned in the episode, has much love for Aotearoa). Elsewhere, Jean and Sam talk about their own personal relationships to reality TV shows (big Top Chef fans!). -- Follow Ate Ate Ate on Instagram -- Thanks Nat for your time on this episode. We appreciate it! Follow Nat on Instagram