How Improv Prepared Andrew Phung To Host Big Burger Battle

Andrew Phung has been a dominating force in the Canadian comedy scene for over a decade. From an actor, improviser and comedian, it feels like he’s done it all. And now, the Calgarian is taking on a new role as the host of the Flavour Network show Big Burger Battle. We sat down with Andrew to chat about ways he prepared for this hosting gig, how growing up in Calgary shaped him as a person and, of course, what his ultimate dream burger is.

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What Did You Do to Prepare for the Big Burger Battle Hosting Gig?

“It’s the most joyous time I’ve had preparing for hosting, and [it involved] eating hamburgers but also consuming hamburger content. George Moats is one of the judges on the show, and he has an entire YouTube series called The Burger Scholar, where he just talks about burgers from different regions. So I would watch those, and then I would try to make some of them.

It’s also understanding the history of hamburgers, knowing the peripherals and the burger adjacent things because that’s a big part of the show. It’s hamburgers, but it’s also things that are burger adjacent. So, what are the fries? What are the sides? Onion rings, milkshakes, poutine, nachos, tater [tots], mac and cheese. It’s talking about the things that go around a great burger. It’s just given me an appreciation of hamburgers.”

Have You Been Experimenting With Cooking at Home Because of Big Burger Battle?

“I cook a lot, but it’s made me cook even more. I do this thing now where once or twice a week, I’ll go to the grocery store with meals in mind and be like, I’m gonna get these things to make these items. I’ve been trying to go out of my comfort zone.

It’s been really cool because I cook a lot for my kids, but now, when I’m trying things out, I invite them to come watch me do these things because it could go horribly wrong. But that’s the joy of cooking, right?

I think that’s what’s great about hamburgers and the show. Burgers are so accessible. You can have a $5 burger or $50 burger, right? And a burger is something a lot of us grew up eating. Our parents would make it. It’s a common food at barbecues and gatherings. So I think you can watch the show and be like, ‘oh, I can do that!'”

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Andrew Phung

You Have a Background in Improv, How Does That Come Into Play When You’re Hosting?

“So much of the banter is improv comedy. Improv for me is making it up on the spot, but also taking things that I have to say and then making it my own, right? So that was a joy.

There is one contestant with whom I quickly bonded over hip-hop references. So if I could sneak in hip-hop references, I knew that would get him. At the beginning of [one] episode the line was ‘okay chefs’ and I just was like, ‘okay chefs’ [in the style of Lil John] and immediately I got him [laughing]. He thought he was done.

Improv also comes in [when] you’re reacting to what the judges say and to what the chefs do. I hope it comes through how spontaneous this show was at times. With our interactions, our questioning, our tasting, everything that happens that isn’t getting you from point A to point B. There’s a lot of improvisation and comedy. It was very fun on set.

My assistant Alexa is also my improv partner, so she’s always on the side, whispering bits to me. And Elvira Kurt, [who is a] Canadian comedy legend, was one of the executive producers of the show and she’s also whispering things into my ears. The scripts, as we went on, got more and more fun and ridiculous, and I think that’s a big vibe and energy of the show. Burgers don’t take themselves too seriously. Burgers should be fun and these burgers are all fun.”

If You Could Have the Ultimate Best Burger Ever, What Would It Be?

“I get asked this question a lot. You know when you go to a burger place and they have all those toppings and you put all of them on? More is more. But I’ve learned that less is more, and so for me, back to basics.

I want a bun that is appropriate for the burger. I think a potato bun works really well. Give me two nice, thin, smashed patties that are cooked well. Give me a nice American cheese, some onions and a bit of mushroom. And give me something with kick. Whether it’s a hot sauce or the burger has something infused into it, or maybe the American cheese has something infused into, give me kick.

I [used to be] a ketchup and mustard on the burger kind of guy, not anymore. I don’t think you need it, because there’s a whole world of flavour beyond ketchup and mustard. Although I still think a little ketchup on the side for your fries.”

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That’s what Calgary is. Calgary’s like low-stress, really hard-working, blue-collar people. And because of that, I got to just enjoy comedy for what it was, and then it became my career.

You Grew up in Calgary. Whenever You Go Home to Calgary, What Are Some Restaurants That You Need to Visit While You’re There?

“There is a style of pizza on the West Coast of Canada. It’s apparently called the Saskatchewan Pizza. It’s a Greek-style deep-dish pizza that isn’t available in Toronto. I’ve tried [to find it]. It’s only out West. It’s not a Chicago deep-dish, it’s an in-between, Greek style, with buttery crust.

So Rio Pizza, that’s like my first go-to. I always go to Rio Pizza. I’ve had it ever since I was a kid. I call them coming from the airport, I say it’s Andrew Phung, and they get their pizza ready. Give me one pepperoni, give me one seafood pizza. Seafood pizza, they’re the only ones that make it. It’s incredible with the white sauce, shrimp, mushrooms, some [crab], it’s next level. I love it.

Inglewood Pizza is another place I like to go to. Again, that Greek-style pizza. George was the man who owned the restaurant until he passed it off to his daughter and son-in-law.

Shawarma Knight does an amazing shawarma platter. And I love getting a burger from Boogie’s Burgers. It is one of my favourite burger places in Calgary. They have arcade machines, I always go with my kids.

Oh! And then my mom’s cooking. Of course. I eat a lot of things when I go back to Calgary.”

How Did Growing up in Calgary Shape You as an Actor, Comedian, Host and as a Person?

“Often people are like ‘Wait, you’re an Asian comedian from Calgary? How are you an Asian actor from that city?’ And I’m like ‘I know.’ Because when you think of that city, you don’t think of Asian actors and comedians.

I joined the Loose Moose Theatre when I was 16, and there was no pressure. There was no pressure to succeed. You do comedy and you do improv and acting because you love it. So I find a lot of the artists in Calgary do it because they love it and aren’t doing it because they’re going to make it big. There’s really no ‘big’ in Calgary. Most artists I know in Calgary have a full-time job that is not related to their art.

For me, that lack of pressure made it so easy to fail and so easy to try new things. Spending all those years at Loose Moose really helped me and having a Calgary audience pushed me to be really relatable and taught me to hustle because if I was going to make this my job, I needed to work at it because the systems weren’t in place.

That’s what Calgary is. Calgary’s like low-stress, really hard-working, blue-collar people. And because of that, I got to just enjoy comedy for what it was, and then it became my career.”

George Motz, Connie DeSousa and Andrew Phung on the set of Big Burger Battle.

What Is Your Favourite Food, Drink or Snack You Need to Have When You’re on Set?

“I love a bottle of Perrier with a squeeze of lemon juice in it. I was carrying it around all day today, I love it.”

Here’s my favorite thing I’ve been working on. Time with my family.

What Does Meal Time Look Like for Your Family?

“So with mealtime with my kids, it’s often I cook a meal for my wife and I and then we cook a meal for them. They’re picky eaters and we’re trying to get them aligned with our meals. Actually, burgers have been really helpful because burgers are one of those things they will eat. They do eat a smash burger. I’ve loved making that with them.

With their meals, I try to find ways to spice them up and kind of push their boundaries. We love making pizzas, we love making burgers. My younger son has started enjoying Asian food, so we love bringing him into that. If my wife and I are making an Indian dish or a South Asian dish, we’re just like finding modifications for them that they can enjoy and eat. But any parent will understand it’s a constant battle when you’re cooking for kids.”

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What Else Do You Have Planned for 2025 and What Are You Working On Now?

“It’s hard to quantify what I do, and I’m so blessed that years ago, when I quit my job, I said, ‘I just want it to be creative every day,’ and I genuinely feel that.

Right now, I’m writing a project that I’m really excited about. And then a lot of live comedy, live hosting, but then also just acting that comes through. It’s a joy to be able to look at projects and look for new things, so I’m always really excited.

Here’s my favourite thing I’ve been working on. Time with my family. This is the first year in nine years that I didn’t have a network comedy on the air. Big Burger Battle shoots differently and has allowed me to have more family time. Spending time with them, playing board games and date nights with my wife.

My kids are at the age where they’re becoming young men and I really want to be present for that. This was the first Halloween I’ve been able to go with them for a few years, so to be able to have that time with them has been really nice. So I think my favourite thing has been my family. ”

This interview has been edited and condensed.