0:00:02 > 0:00:04What you got going on here? Ham, egg and chips?
0:00:04 > 0:00:06Great British food.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08'As a chef, food is my life.'
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Lovely. Uh-hum. Ah-ha-ha-ha!
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Don't try that at home!
0:00:13 > 0:00:17'But as far as my mate Len goes, we're on a different planet.'
0:00:17 > 0:00:20My rules are this - never eat anything you can't spell
0:00:20 > 0:00:23and never eat anything you wouldn't want to step in.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26THEY LAUGH
0:00:26 > 0:00:29- This is the chicken's feet. - Chicken's feet?- That's right.- No.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31'I've travelled the world,
0:00:31 > 0:00:35'but never had the courage to experience new cuisines
0:00:35 > 0:00:37'and always stuck with what I know.'
0:00:37 > 0:00:40- Look, what's your favourites here? - Chips.- Chips?
0:00:40 > 0:00:42'But after using a pancake once to wipe me face...'
0:00:42 > 0:00:43What is he like!
0:00:45 > 0:00:47'..me family said enough was enough
0:00:47 > 0:00:51'and that my taste buds needed to be brought into the 21st century.'
0:00:51 > 0:00:52Hot!
0:00:52 > 0:00:56There's a lot more to this culinary world of ours than pickled walnuts.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59'It's time for me to show Len a whole new culinary world...'
0:00:59 > 0:01:03- I'm going to do it. - '..that will make his palate purr.'
0:01:03 > 0:01:07- You're not talking food adventure? - Food adventure indeed!
0:01:07 > 0:01:09- Ho-ho!- Ho-ho!
0:01:09 > 0:01:12What is that I see - is it a tandoori chicken?
0:01:16 > 0:01:18- I liked it. - And that's all I need to know.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29For the last decade, I've been a judge on Strictly Come Dancing.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33London born-and-bred 71 years ago,
0:01:33 > 0:01:36my taste buds have been influenced by my nan's cooking.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41I've never eaten spaghetti, had a curry and even pizza -
0:01:41 > 0:01:43well, looks a bit exotic.
0:01:43 > 0:01:48I was also born and brought up in London but as a chef, my palate has
0:01:48 > 0:01:50experienced and travelled to every part of the globe.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56Over the last 20 years, there has been a food explosion across Britain
0:01:56 > 0:02:01and now, no matter what you desire, every cuisine is catered for.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05For me, I have ten favourites that are never far away
0:02:05 > 0:02:08from the table at home. And my perfect dinner?
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Well, prawn cocktail to start,
0:02:11 > 0:02:15full English breakfast - oh, and a jam roly-poly!
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Oh! It's food heaven!
0:02:17 > 0:02:21My mission during our time together is to educate his taste buds
0:02:21 > 0:02:25and see if I can replace anything on the ten-from-Len board
0:02:25 > 0:02:30and show him that there's more to life than a prawn cocktail from 1976.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40Today, we've rolled into one of my old stomping grounds -
0:02:40 > 0:02:43the East End of London. I've got me elastic-waistband trousers on
0:02:43 > 0:02:47and for once, I might try and throw a few surprises Ainsley's way.
0:02:47 > 0:02:53Cheers, mate! And on today's menu, I throw Len a Vietnamese surprise.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55Now where did they come from?
0:02:55 > 0:02:57It's the Phantom of the Deep!
0:02:57 > 0:02:58THEY LAUGH
0:03:00 > 0:03:03'We tuck into a few childhood memories.'
0:03:03 > 0:03:04This is delicious.
0:03:06 > 0:03:11'And I'm going to coax him and the local East Enders into trying a brand-new dish
0:03:11 > 0:03:15'inspired by today's foodie adventures.'
0:03:15 > 0:03:18- What do you think? Tell the truth! - Absolutely lovely.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20And that's a man who knows a thing or two!
0:03:23 > 0:03:26As part of a great international city, the East End of London
0:03:26 > 0:03:31is celebrated for the wide range of social backgrounds it represents.
0:03:31 > 0:03:36Historically, it's always contained some of the poorest areas of London, playing host to a transient
0:03:36 > 0:03:41community - primarily new immigrants, but over the years this melting pot
0:03:41 > 0:03:46of people have created an urban jungle as rich in culture as it is diverse.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Do you know what, Len? There's a bit of a buzz in the air.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02- There's a bit of energy about this place. London, your home town.- Yeah.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06- How does it feel?- It's wonderful and do you know, I lived the first eight years of my life
0:04:06 > 0:04:09not more than half a mile from here and we used to come up here all the time.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13And you probably knew everybody as a nipper. All that type of stuff going on.
0:04:13 > 0:04:14All the doors were open, you know.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17You could go in anyone's house down my road.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19It was like a village, in a way.
0:04:19 > 0:04:20Yeah, I understand that.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24- And gradually, you know, everyone moved out, as did my family.- Yeah.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27And then, you know, other people moved in, so...
0:04:27 > 0:04:30- Do you miss it, then? - Yeah, I do miss it, really.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Yeah, it was great.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35There is something really comforting about going back
0:04:35 > 0:04:39somewhere, even if it's changed a bit. There must be something familiar here for you.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Oh, well, it's all familiar, you know. Nothing's changed
0:04:42 > 0:04:45but everything's changed, you know what I mean?
0:04:45 > 0:04:47But it's great. I love it.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50As I said, there's a real buzz around here. There's energy,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52people coming and going, trains noise.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54- It makes you feel alive.- Yeah, yeah.
0:04:54 > 0:04:59- What was it like shopping around here in those days?- Well, I mean everyone knew everybody.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03We had greengrocers' shops, so we'd go take a few apples and pears and this and that into one shop
0:05:03 > 0:05:08- and he'd give us a few sausages and a pork chop.- Beautiful.- And that's how everything worked.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10And I suppose you could say, "I'll pay you next week",
0:05:10 > 0:05:13or "I'll pay you at the end of the month", something like that.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15- A lot of trust.- Not in my grandfather's shop, there wasn't!
0:05:15 > 0:05:18There wasn't? Really? Was he a bit tight?
0:05:18 > 0:05:22- Yeah!- Does it run in the family! - No, of course not!
0:05:22 > 0:05:24There's so much food choice around here,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27we could eat anything, but I've decided to start with a cuisine
0:05:27 > 0:05:31I know has never passed Len's lips, Vietnamese.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Our Oriental adventures start in the borough of Hackney,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40home to London's buzzing Vietnamese restaurant scene.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46Of the estimated 55,000 Vietnamese people currently
0:05:46 > 0:05:49based in Britain, around 30% of 'em live right here.
0:05:51 > 0:05:57Most sought refuge in 1979 in the aftermath of the Vietnamese war
0:05:57 > 0:06:01but a large proportion gravitated towards London,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04forming a bustling community.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Now around a third of London's Vietnamese population
0:06:07 > 0:06:11work in the hotel and restaurant industry.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13And with over 20 Vietnamese restaurants
0:06:13 > 0:06:14right here on Kingsland Road,
0:06:14 > 0:06:19what better place to bring Len for his first bite of the day?
0:06:19 > 0:06:22This part of London has changed a lot since Len was a nipper,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25so he may find things a little unfamiliar.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27To ease him in, I think I might give him
0:06:27 > 0:06:29a bit of a clue to our first foodie location.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Did you ever see that film Good Morning, Vietnam?
0:06:32 > 0:06:35- I did, Robin Williams. - Wasn't it brilliant?- Brilliant.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37Did you ever look at it and think to yourself,
0:06:37 > 0:06:39"God, I'd like to visit a place like that"?
0:06:39 > 0:06:42Well, I would like to visit those exotic places but they're
0:06:42 > 0:06:47always so far away and, to be honest, I've never fancied the food.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49My whole life has been based around trying to
0:06:49 > 0:06:52look at food in a different way, bringing all these wonderful
0:06:52 > 0:06:56flavours globally together, bringing all these flavours together
0:06:56 > 0:07:00and then, when they're blended and when you've got these recipes
0:07:00 > 0:07:04that have been matured over many, many generations, Len, it just
0:07:04 > 0:07:08kind of excites me and that's what I want to share with you.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Are there chips involved?
0:07:10 > 0:07:13I suppose I could find a portion of chips. Come on.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19This award-winning restaurant has been serving traditional
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Vietnamese cuisine to the locals since 2002.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26Song Que caff prides itself on creating authentic dishes,
0:07:26 > 0:07:28specialising in pho,
0:07:28 > 0:07:33a slow-cooked noodle broth infused with fragrant herbs and spices.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36I think it's about time Len experienced this century-old
0:07:36 > 0:07:39uniquely classic Vietnamese dish,
0:07:39 > 0:07:45- so I've brought him to meet the lovely family who run this place.- Hi.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48- Nice to meet you, this is Len. - Hello.- Hi, Charlene.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50Hello, Charlene, Ainsley.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Sisters Charlene and Joanne are here to greet us.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55- I'm going to have a bit of a chat. - See you later.- See you later.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57This is a true family business,
0:07:57 > 0:08:01because the person responsible for the seriously delicious aromas
0:08:01 > 0:08:06emanating from that kitchen is none other than Charlene's mum Anh.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09Oh, the smell in here, the smell is fantastic. Hey, how are you?
0:08:09 > 0:08:11- I'm fine, thanks.- Yeah, goody-good.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14I can't believe all these ingredients. What are you making?
0:08:14 > 0:08:17- Mum's making the traditional pho. - Yeah.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20- You can see here, this stock with all the beef bones.- Yeah.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23The most important thing is the amount of bones you put in it,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26so the more bones, the more sweetness of the flavours comes out.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28Yeah. Gives it an intensity, I should imagine.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Yeah, and, I mean, every different region's...
0:08:30 > 0:08:33They use different spices, different amounts of spices that makes
0:08:33 > 0:08:37- the depths of the pho different. - The smell's absolutely lovely.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41It's amazing that we're only half a mile from the City of London,
0:08:41 > 0:08:43we've just come a little bit east,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46there's so many Vietnamese restaurants in this area.
0:08:46 > 0:08:47Why is that?
0:08:47 > 0:08:51Well, it started off with just a few restaurants and then more people
0:08:51 > 0:08:55came and invested and it just grew to be known as the Vietnamese road.
0:08:55 > 0:09:00The food that you prepare and serve here, is it traditional
0:09:00 > 0:09:04Vietnamese or do you just change it slightly for the English palate?
0:09:04 > 0:09:07- I think my parents stuck to the authentic.- Yeah?- Yeah.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11So if I went to Ho Chi Minh, I'd get the same food, more or less.
0:09:11 > 0:09:12More or less the same.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16Pho is a complex dish that has layers of depth and spices.
0:09:16 > 0:09:17So today we're going to use seven spices.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21- Yeah, you've got the star anise. - Yeah, some cardamom, cinnamon bark.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23Cinnamon bark, yeah.
0:09:23 > 0:09:28Coriander seeds, roasted pepper, with the roasted ginger and onions.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30- So you put these on the grill, yeah?- Yeah.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32To get a lovely sort of flavour.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34It kind of sweats the onions and the ginger
0:09:34 > 0:09:37and gives out the flavours of the ginger and shallots.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39Did you grow up with this type of food?
0:09:39 > 0:09:41Yes, I grew up with it since I was really young,
0:09:41 > 0:09:44like every week Dad would make a pho on Friday
0:09:44 > 0:09:47and we were probably eating it for three days, Friday to Sunday.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Oh, wow! So it actually lasts. Once you boil it up, it just...
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Yeah, it lasts and the longer you leave it, I mean, there's just more
0:09:53 > 0:09:56depth in the pho, it just tastes even better the longer you leave it.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59- Beautiful.- I've got some photos to show you.- Oh, right.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01This is your mum and dad.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05- This is in this restaurant back when it opened in 2002.- Fantastic.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08This is my mum between my grandparents
0:10:08 > 0:10:11and my aunties as well as my cousins at the front.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14- Right, and this is taken in Vietnam?- Yup.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17And were you born in Vietnam or was you born here?
0:10:17 > 0:10:21- All three of us, my siblings and I, we were born here.- Right.
0:10:21 > 0:10:22So what's she doing now, then?
0:10:22 > 0:10:25So after it comes off the grill, you just place it into this net here.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29Yeah. Do you know, once you warm things like ginger
0:10:29 > 0:10:31and everything else, it's so...
0:10:31 > 0:10:33so wonderful. Lovely, now what happens, then?
0:10:33 > 0:10:37So Mum's just going to add the spices, star anise, cardamom...
0:10:37 > 0:10:39I love the idea of those peppercorns being roasted,
0:10:39 > 0:10:42that must give it such an intense flavour, that.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45It's almost like an infuser. You get the old-style sort of tea.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48- Like teabags.- When you just pop the tea inside. Yeah.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50And look at that. What's that called in Vietnamese?
0:10:50 > 0:10:54- In Vietnamese, it's called chai kow. - Chai- kow? Chai kow, yeah.- Chai kow.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57Look at that. Can I just have a look at that?
0:10:57 > 0:11:01That is brilliant, look at all those beautiful herbs and spices in there.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03It's almost like you could shake them up.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05And you can, like, sort of smell it already.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07So that goes into the soup for 20 minutes
0:11:07 > 0:11:09and then it's ready to serve.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11Fantastic, I'm looking forward to seeing that.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15- I've never tried Vietnamese food at all.- OK, you should.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19Yeah. Is it similar to Chinese food?
0:11:19 > 0:11:23China and Vietnam is quite close, so there are aspects that are similar.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26So we sell some Chinese dishes here but, Vietnamese food,
0:11:26 > 0:11:31I feel that it's quite lighter. Some dishes is quite lighter.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33Well, it will be coming out any second now, I'm going
0:11:33 > 0:11:37to try a bit of Vietnamese food. Oh, come on!
0:11:37 > 0:11:39- Ready to serve up now? - Yes, we're ready to serve.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41Great, I'm looking forward to this.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44We've got the noodles, we've got all of these wonderful different types of
0:11:44 > 0:11:47meat, which means you get different textures going on in the bowl.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50- And different flavours too. - And what have got here?
0:11:50 > 0:11:52- We've got some tripe and tendon.- OK.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56- We've got flank and rare steak.- Wow.
0:11:56 > 0:12:01- This is the tripe?- Yeah.- I don't think Len's ever had tripe before.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03He might find it like elastic bands.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07I think he's going to think it's a bunch of elastic band, he really is.
0:12:09 > 0:12:14- We've got this stock here going on. - Oh, it smells absolutely lovely.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17- Right, this is for Len. - All right, then.- It's all ready.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Wow, this looks good.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23- All of this goes with it?- Yes, all of it.- Thank you very much, Mum.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25- Thank you, Mum. - This was really, really brilliant.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29The smell is fantastic, just wonder what Len's going to think.
0:12:30 > 0:12:31Oh!
0:12:32 > 0:12:36Now, this has been lovingly prepared for you, Len, look at that.
0:12:36 > 0:12:37- Beef pho.- Beef pho, yeah.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40And you know you can have it with tofu, you can have it with
0:12:40 > 0:12:43chicken, you can have it with seafood, isn't that right, girls?
0:12:43 > 0:12:44- Yeah.- And this is beef? - And this is beef.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46So it's got different types of beef in there.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49You've got the shank in there, you've got the tendon in there,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52you've got some nice rare bits of beef in there
0:12:52 > 0:12:54- and you got a bit of tripe.- Tripe?! - THEY LAUGH
0:12:54 > 0:12:57- I'm swerving that.- This is basil, this is like a kind of...
0:12:57 > 0:12:59- I know basil.- Different type of basil, though, Len.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01This is the sweet basil.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04- Some bean sprouts. - A few bean sprouts, a few chillies.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07- Go easy on them.- No, I will do.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11You can't have soup with chopsticks. That's lud... Now you are talking...
0:13:11 > 0:13:13Unless they're straws.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15Are they hollow? Suck away.
0:13:15 > 0:13:16AINSLEY CHUCKLES
0:13:16 > 0:13:18What are you like?
0:13:18 > 0:13:22I think all of Len's joking around is what's known as delaying tactics.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Go for it, try that lovely little...broth.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28- No, just straight into your gob, I think.- Some noodles in here too.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Where? Oh, yeah, I don't want any of that tripe.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34Now, where did they come from? It's the phantom of the deep.
0:13:35 > 0:13:36Where did they come out of?
0:13:36 > 0:13:42- Lovely.- Just going to try the broth. - The broth is the best part ,I think.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47- Now, the broth is nice. - Isn't it lovely?
0:13:47 > 0:13:51It's got like a slightly peppery taste to it.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54The peppercorns, they roast them off, so you get that lovely flavour
0:13:54 > 0:13:57- coming through.- Now, this beef looks nice, actually, lean.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05- It's nice.- Take it or leave it or you quite like that flavour?
0:14:05 > 0:14:07I like it.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09'So far, so good.'
0:14:09 > 0:14:11- What about a little bit of tripe, then?- No.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13- Honestly, Len, I wouldn't lie to you. - I swear to you...
0:14:13 > 0:14:16I wouldn't let you eat something if you'd think it was awful.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19- Give me a small bit.- Oh, God...
0:14:20 > 0:14:21No, that's huge!
0:14:21 > 0:14:24All right, all right, don't frighten me, it's a bit of tripe.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26Have another fish in there.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29What about this small piece of tripe, then?
0:14:29 > 0:14:30Ah!
0:14:30 > 0:14:32That's it, go on, then. Little bit of soup.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35Yeah, OK, give us a chance, I'm looking at it first.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38'Never in my life did I think I'd give tripe a go.'
0:14:38 > 0:14:40I'm going to go for it.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44'But you get nothing in life if you don't give it a try.'
0:14:44 > 0:14:45Gristly, isn't it?
0:14:45 > 0:14:48It's chewy, yeah, but it's like...nothing else,
0:14:48 > 0:14:49just a bit of tripe.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53- Not up your street?- Not at all. - Well done.- I did try it, didn't I?
0:14:53 > 0:14:55Well done for trying it.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Len, I'm always proud of the fact that you try it. I really am.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01What a treat.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Your mum was a revelation in the kitchen,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06just the way she cooked and the love comes out in the food.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10- A bit of tendon, do you fancy a bit of tendon?- I will not eat the tendon.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12I've done the tripe, all right?
0:15:12 > 0:15:16- Thank you, girls. What do you say? - Yo.- Yo.- Yo.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19- Yo, baby.- Yo, baby.- Yo.- Yo, yo.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25Well, I gave it a go and I think I was quite adventurous.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28But, Ainsley, I think pho is more up your street.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Vietnamese food isn't just about pho,
0:15:31 > 0:15:35there are many other delicacies that are just as important
0:15:35 > 0:15:38when it comes to understanding this wonderful cuisine.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42You could try a crispy, savoury Vietnamese pancake.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45This can be filled with an abundance of gorgeous ingredients,
0:15:45 > 0:15:50including prawns and chicken served with a side of fresh herbs.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52So, so tasty.
0:15:55 > 0:15:56Or what about this classic?
0:15:56 > 0:16:00Marinated skewers of grilled pork and sliced spring onions
0:16:00 > 0:16:03and rice vermicelli served with an Asian chopped salad,
0:16:03 > 0:16:08nuts and crispy fried onions for, oh, extra deliciousness.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14Or, if red meat is your thing, how about grilled beef wrapped in leaves
0:16:14 > 0:16:19served with a wonderful fresh herbs sprinkled with nuts for crunchiness?
0:16:19 > 0:16:20Simply mouthwatering.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25And, finally, for a more exotic bite,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28you could try spicy soft-shell crab
0:16:28 > 0:16:32fried whole then mixed with chilli, spring onions and garlic.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34Oh! Sheer loveliness.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45So the first taste of the day took Len completely
0:16:45 > 0:16:49out of his comfort zone but, after all, that is what I'm here for.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52So our next port of call on today's food tour is rather more
0:16:52 > 0:16:53familiar to him.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Just a hop, skip and jump away is the famous Spitalfields Market,
0:17:03 > 0:17:04a place Len knows well.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08You're not wrong, Ains, my old manor.
0:17:10 > 0:17:11It's hard to imagine now
0:17:11 > 0:17:15but Spitalfields used to be a rural area until the Great Fire of London
0:17:15 > 0:17:20swept through the city in 1666 and changed everything.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24By this time, market traders had started
0:17:24 > 0:17:28operating beyond the city gates on this very site.
0:17:28 > 0:17:33And in 1682, King Charles II granted a silk thrower called John Balch
0:17:33 > 0:17:39a royal charter giving him the right to hold a market right here.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42In the late 1800s, a new building was erected
0:17:42 > 0:17:46and the market began to take shape as the place we recognise today.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54Len, do you get happy memories when you come back to here?
0:17:54 > 0:17:58Ainsley, when I was 15 and I first left school, I had four months with
0:17:58 > 0:18:02nothing to do and I came and worked as a porter here in Spitalfields.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04- How much did you get paid there? - Oh, about two quid a week.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07- Was it really?- Humping hundred-weight sacks of potatoes.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10- And all week, it's unbelievable. - Unbelievable, isn't it, now?
0:18:10 > 0:18:11Couldn't buy a cup of coffee.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13And was it a great atmosphere down here?
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Wonderful, wonderful, you know, so much fun.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19- I think you're taught about a few values of life, though.- That's right.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22And, of course, before that, I was always coming here with either
0:18:22 > 0:18:26- me grandad or me uncles, yeah. - What about the history of this place?
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Spitalfields, have you got any memory of that?
0:18:29 > 0:18:33Yeah, it was originally an area where there was a ho-SPITAL and
0:18:33 > 0:18:38gradually that got changed to Spital, it was Hospital Field.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41- And then it became Spitalfields. - Wow.
0:18:41 > 0:18:47And my ancestors were silk weavers and they set up
0:18:47 > 0:18:50here in Spitalfields, this is where they worked.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53So we go back...blood in me goes back
0:18:53 > 0:18:57- 300 years to this area.- Wow.- Eh?
0:18:57 > 0:19:00- Come on, let's check out the food in here.- Come on.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06This market has changed so much since I was a nipper
0:19:06 > 0:19:07and worked here.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11The fruit and veg stalls have been replaced with fashion
0:19:11 > 0:19:14- and the thing that gets Ainsley jumping is the street food.- Len.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18- What?- You've got to smell this, look at that.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Turkish. Turkish Wrap House.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22And the beautiful meat and, again, you know,
0:19:22 > 0:19:23- all the spices.- I can smell it.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28- Yeah.- Just put a tiny little piece on there, Miss.- Oh!
0:19:29 > 0:19:30Oh!
0:19:30 > 0:19:32- Look at this, Len, eh?- Eh?
0:19:35 > 0:19:38- Oh, lovely.- It's lovely.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42- That's lovely, thank you so much. - You're welcome.- Hot and spicy.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Vietnamese-style stuff going on here.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46You didn't have that in your old day, though, did you?
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Of course not, no.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51- Basically we had fish and chips and pie and mash.- That was it.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53- That was it, I think.- Look at this.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55What type of people come here now, is it very varied?
0:19:55 > 0:19:57Yeah, yeah, diverse, different people,
0:19:57 > 0:19:59different cultures and stuff.
0:19:59 > 0:20:00Delicious, yeah.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03- I'll not put all put that in a bit of tissue paper.- No, no, no.
0:20:03 > 0:20:04- Cheers, mate.- Cheers, mate.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10There's one type of food served here
0:20:10 > 0:20:13that's a real taste of Len's childhood.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15That's Jewish cuisine.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Now you're talking, Ainsley!
0:20:17 > 0:20:20I was brought up in a Jewish neighbourhood,
0:20:20 > 0:20:25so, salt beef and bagels were as familiar as egg and chips.
0:20:25 > 0:20:30Around 150,000 Jewish immigrants settled in Britain from the
0:20:30 > 0:20:31late 19th century,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34with the majority flocking to London's East End,
0:20:34 > 0:20:38setting up shops, theatres and over 40 synagogues.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41And from the 1880s to the 1970s,
0:20:41 > 0:20:45Spitalfields was one of the largest Jewish areas in Europe.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50The vibrant community that grew and flourished here
0:20:50 > 0:20:54left their mark, not only on the culture and architecture,
0:20:54 > 0:20:55but also on the food.
0:20:57 > 0:21:02Nana Fanny's has been serving up salt beef bagels since 1944.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06Oh, yes, folks, the year I was welcomed into the world.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10Nana Fanny would slow cook rich, briny brisket and make
0:21:10 > 0:21:14sandwiches for the stall holders in the nearby Brick Lane Market.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17Oh, Len, what a smell. What a smell. Hello, mate.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Hi, how are you doing?
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Today, Fanny's grandson, Ivan, runs the business.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25The recipe for his grandmother's salt beef
0:21:25 > 0:21:27is a closely guarded family secret
0:21:27 > 0:21:31and I tell you, I can't wait to get stuck in!
0:21:31 > 0:21:33Len, I bet you this brings back some memories.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36- Let me tell you. Salt beef...- Yeah.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38Have you been here long, Ivan?
0:21:38 > 0:21:42Well, my grandmother taught me and that's going back to '44.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44Year I was born.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47The year you were born. Young man.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49I need to make him a bagel. Can I come round there, Ivan?
0:21:49 > 0:21:51I'm going to go round and have a bit of a...
0:21:51 > 0:21:53Hello, sorry to crush your space here, mate!
0:21:53 > 0:21:56- Oh, this is brilliant. Do you mind, Ivan?- No, not at all.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58Yes, sir, what can I do for you?
0:21:58 > 0:22:01- Let me find out. Is it brisket? - It's brisket.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03How long is it salted for?
0:22:03 > 0:22:06We keep that in the brine for about three weeks.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08It is about four hours cooking.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Oh, look at this. It's just lovely, absolutely.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13I don't even know if he wants the bagel.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16I think he's going to be straight into that.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18- I will have a little bit of salt beef.- Yeah.
0:22:18 > 0:22:19What do you think of that, Len?
0:22:22 > 0:22:24This is delicious.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Do you know what it is? As we walk up and down here,
0:22:27 > 0:22:28there's so many outlets now.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30Yes, it's the new thing in the markets.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32A wonderful draw for everybody.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35Len, would you like gherkin and mustard?
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Gherkin and mustard, 100%.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44What a piece of meat this is! Look at this.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46- Absolutely lovely.- That's nice. - Oh, lovely, lovely.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50- You just want to eat it.- Len, enjoy.
0:22:50 > 0:22:55Ivan, Len used to get £2 a week. How much would you pay me an hour?
0:22:55 > 0:22:58- I'd pay you the same. £2 a week! - Here you are!
0:22:59 > 0:23:04- Ivan, thanks a lot, Ivan. - Thanks, guys!
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Cheers, mate!
0:23:06 > 0:23:08That was lovely. Proper food!
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Len, I've got to say, I was watching you. There's a little
0:23:16 > 0:23:19bit of mustard on the corner of your mouth and you were biting
0:23:19 > 0:23:23into that salt beef and you were licking your lips at the same time.
0:23:23 > 0:23:28And the pickle. A bit of slap and tickle in there. Oh!
0:23:28 > 0:23:29That was very special, wasn't it?
0:23:29 > 0:23:31It's my type of food.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Let me ask you. Did you like the salt beef?
0:23:36 > 0:23:39I'll tell you what, Len, between me and you...
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Loved it!
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Just up the road is a fourth generation local producer,
0:23:46 > 0:23:50using modern methods for the most traditional Jewish delicacies
0:23:50 > 0:23:54and one that used to be a real Christmas treat - smoked salmon.
0:23:56 > 0:24:02Smoked salmon was a Jewish staple and very much still is today.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05The salmon goes into the kiln on one side and 24 hours later,
0:24:05 > 0:24:07it comes out on the other side.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11H. Foreman and Son was established in 1905 by Harry Forman,
0:24:11 > 0:24:16an immigrant from Odessa in the Crimea, who started smoking salmon.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18It's now in the hands of great-grandson Lance.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21The business has always been based in the east end of London.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23A lot of people think that smoked salmon is this ancient
0:24:23 > 0:24:27Scottish tradition, but it was the fish that came from Scotland.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31They came down to London and it was in the east end of London
0:24:31 > 0:24:34where the salmon was smoked.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37This is what we use to smoke the fish.
0:24:37 > 0:24:38It's a log of oak.
0:24:38 > 0:24:43It is absolutely pure. You know exactly what it is.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46Smoked salmon was introduced into fine dining and to chefs
0:24:46 > 0:24:49and restaurants and delicatessen and it took off as this
0:24:49 > 0:24:50great gourmet food.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52That would've been around the 1920s,
0:24:52 > 0:24:56early part of the 20th century.
0:24:56 > 0:25:01In the spring of the 2015, H. Foreman became London's
0:25:01 > 0:25:06first food and drink company to be awarded PGI protection
0:25:06 > 0:25:08for its London-cured smoked Scottish salmon.
0:25:08 > 0:25:14Oh, smoked salmon, brown bread, oh, lovely jubbly!
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Now, I know Ainsley is supposed to be in charge of this culinary
0:25:22 > 0:25:27adventure, but this is my neck of the woods and I know these streets.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31And one of my favourite childhood eateries is just around the corner.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33- Look at that.- What?
0:25:33 > 0:25:36I used to go in here as a kid with my grandad
0:25:36 > 0:25:3860... more than 65 years ago!
0:25:38 > 0:25:41- It's a pie and mash, Len. - Come on, we'll have to go in!
0:25:41 > 0:25:42Fantastic.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46- Hello, mate, how are you doing! - Hello, mate. Nice to see you.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48- Nice to see you too! - Nice to see you!
0:25:48 > 0:25:51He's just dragged me in here. Is this the original pie and mash shop?
0:25:51 > 0:25:53- The original.- You must be in your element.- Yeah.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55What do you fancy?
0:25:55 > 0:25:58- Pie and mash. Some eels?- All right, then.- Pie and mash and some eels.
0:25:58 > 0:25:59This is yours, mate!
0:25:59 > 0:26:02OK. If you'd like to grab a seat, I'll bring it over to you.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06Bob, looking forward to this, Bob.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10Pie and mash and eel shops have been an east London staple
0:26:10 > 0:26:14since the 19th century and Bob's nan started this one in 1915.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21Now, the secret to a traditional mince beef pie is a crispy top
0:26:21 > 0:26:25with a pudding-y bottom, made by using two types of pastry,
0:26:25 > 0:26:28short for the top and suet for the bottom.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31And, of course, you've got to have mashed potato,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34usually spread around one side of the plate
0:26:34 > 0:26:39and topped with a vibrant green parsley sauce, called liquor.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43The mash was originally sold as an accompaniment for the eels,
0:26:43 > 0:26:47but people started to have it as a side with the pies,
0:26:47 > 0:26:49and so pie and mash was born.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52- Here it comes!- Hey, hey!
0:26:52 > 0:26:54I can't believe this is my first East End pie and mash.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57- Is this the original liquor, Len? - That's the liquor.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59Wow! Look at this.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02This is unbelievable. So, we take a little bit of the liquor...
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Some people have it all over the top and everything.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06Some have it swimming.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Oh, lovely. So how many years have you been here now?
0:27:08 > 0:27:10- 100 years.- 100 years!
0:27:10 > 0:27:15My gran, she had five children and each of them opened pie shops
0:27:15 > 0:27:17and carried on.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19Do you remember this one, Len?
0:27:19 > 0:27:22I do. My grandad used to have a greengrocers a bit further up
0:27:22 > 0:27:26and when I was a little kid, I used to go with him to the market
0:27:26 > 0:27:30and then on his way back, we used to come by, about eight o'clock-ish,
0:27:30 > 0:27:34we'd either come in here, or the cafe up the road, a cafe.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38- The other one must have been there 100 years or more.- Yep, more.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40So, has the menu changed much over the years?
0:27:40 > 0:27:42- Not at all.- Exactly the same?
0:27:42 > 0:27:46They're made exactly the way my nan made them,
0:27:46 > 0:27:48exactly the same recipe.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51I bet you've got it written down in her handwriting, haven't you?
0:27:51 > 0:27:53I have a book at home with my mum's cakes and stuff,
0:27:53 > 0:27:55all written in her handwriting.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58- She's been gone 20 odd years, but you never forget, though, do you?- No.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00How lovely. And what about these eels, then?
0:28:00 > 0:28:03- I've just been eating eel. - Yeah?- Lovely!
0:28:03 > 0:28:07The eels, everyone thinks they're British, but, in fact, it was
0:28:07 > 0:28:09the Dutch that were responsible for that, wasn't it?
0:28:09 > 0:28:11Something to do with the Great Fire of London.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15Yeah, 1666, yeah. And, of course, London was obliterated
0:28:15 > 0:28:19and there was not a lot of food about and the Dutch started bringing
0:28:19 > 0:28:23them over and eventually, there was a royal charter
0:28:23 > 0:28:25that the only eels came from the Dutch.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29The first pie was an eel pie. Wasn't me! No.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32- It was an eel and mash.- Eel pie. - Isn't that fascinating?
0:28:32 > 0:28:34I didn't know that!
0:28:34 > 0:28:38And that's why you've got the parsley sauce that goes with fish.
0:28:38 > 0:28:39I didn't know that.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44Now, in your heyday, how many pies would you get through in a week?
0:28:44 > 0:28:48- Thousands!- Really?- Yeah.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51- Thousands!- In our heyday, yeah.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54- '50s and '40s and so on.- Yeah. - During the war.
0:28:54 > 0:28:59- During the war, all the pie shops got a meat allocation.- Right.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03So they could make pies to keep people fed.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05And, of course, around here is the street where gangsters
0:29:05 > 0:29:08Ronnie and Reggie Kray grew up.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11- They used to come in here as kids. - What? The Krays?- Yep!
0:29:11 > 0:29:14- Dad used to give them a clip round the earhole.- Really?
0:29:14 > 0:29:17Yeah. What they used to do when they were schoolkids,
0:29:17 > 0:29:21- what all schoolkids do... - Undo the vinegar
0:29:21 > 0:29:23and just do that and wallop.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25That was it. They'd get a clip round the ear,
0:29:25 > 0:29:27they'd go home, tell their mum
0:29:27 > 0:29:30and she'd give them a clip for doing it.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33- Yeah.- I mean, when the funerals passed by,
0:29:33 > 0:29:37we had a phone call asking us if it would be convenient for them to stop
0:29:37 > 0:29:39outside the shop for three minutes.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43Wow, isn't that lovely? You've got all that history behind you.
0:29:43 > 0:29:47You see, you boys, when you start talking about that,
0:29:47 > 0:29:49there's something about having roots, isn't there?
0:29:49 > 0:29:52My parents as immigrants came over, albeit in the '50s,
0:29:52 > 0:29:56- but you guys, it's embedded. This is embedded in your soul.- History.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59Yeah, the history, so when you start talking about food,
0:29:59 > 0:30:01I can so appreciate why he likes the traditional food,
0:30:01 > 0:30:05because it's part of the history, it's in your body, ingrained.
0:30:05 > 0:30:10I'll tell you what. It's been terrific to come back, reminisce.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13Bring back me old taste buds. Cheers, mate.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16Thanks very much, Len. Thanks very much.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18You're not going to send the Krays after me, are you?
0:30:18 > 0:30:22That would be a job, wouldn't it?
0:30:22 > 0:30:26- An absolute pleasure.- All the best. - See you, mate. Ta-da. Thank you.
0:30:26 > 0:30:30- How was that?- Fantastic, Len.- Bit of fun?- That was brilliant. Loved that.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39This area is not just known for its diverse and delicious grub,
0:30:39 > 0:30:44it's also got quite a reputation for a certain drink. Gin.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47Since being introduced to London 400 years ago,
0:30:47 > 0:30:52gin has enjoyed a thriving and somewhat notorious trade.
0:30:52 > 0:30:57During London's gin craze of 1700s, the city was full of distilleries
0:30:57 > 0:31:00and breweries and many were concentrated here.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03So it's surprising that for the past 100 years,
0:31:03 > 0:31:06east London has had no spirit production.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11But now, the East London Liquor Company
0:31:11 > 0:31:14has come along to revive the local drinks industry.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16We're the first distillery in east London,
0:31:16 > 0:31:20to make whisky and gin in over 100 years.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23The whole gin craze appears to be growing.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26There are 100s of gin producers out there that put all sorts of weird
0:31:26 > 0:31:28and wonderful things in their gin.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31It's the quality of our raw ingredients that sets us apart.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34Pretty much every gin in the world will have juniper, coriander,
0:31:34 > 0:31:37angelica and a citrus fruit of some sort.
0:31:37 > 0:31:42And beyond that, where you start to put in more signature flavours.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44Signature flavours for the boys include pink grapefruit,
0:31:44 > 0:31:49cardamom and cubeb, a member of the peppercorn family.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52These are the juniper berries that we use to make our gin with.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55It's very oily and has a very distinctive juniper aroma.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58Juniper berries are the only thing, by law, that you have to add
0:31:58 > 0:32:00in order for it to be called gin.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04After that, you can let your imagination go wild.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10The process is started when you add the ingredients
0:32:10 > 0:32:12to the grain, spirit and water
0:32:15 > 0:32:18Then we turn the mixer on.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21As it heats up, the alcohol becomes a vapour and it takes with it
0:32:21 > 0:32:24the flavour compounds from the chemicals.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29Then we turn the steam on. This takes hot steam from these pipes
0:32:29 > 0:32:33and starts to heat the mixture in this steam jacket down here.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38After an hour and a half, the gin is ready for the bottle,
0:32:38 > 0:32:41and, more importantly, for the drinking.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44The kind of dream was to make something by locals for locals.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46There's a kind of honesty to that.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49You can come and watch us distil and we're really keen on debunking
0:32:49 > 0:32:52the, sort of, myths that distilling is a dark art and there's secrets.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56There are no secrets. There's a nice metaphor of that, of actually
0:32:56 > 0:33:00sitting at bar, looking through the glass window and seeing us do it.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10Just up the road is another artisan brewer,
0:33:10 > 0:33:12who's breaking new ground with beer.
0:33:12 > 0:33:17I think why the craft brewing industry has really taken hold
0:33:17 > 0:33:20in the UK is because you've got a new demographic of drinker
0:33:20 > 0:33:24and a new demographic of server that is passionately obsessed as we are
0:33:24 > 0:33:29as brewers, about drinking and tasting and educating people.
0:33:29 > 0:33:33Logan Plant set up the Beavertown Brewery in the basement
0:33:33 > 0:33:35of the Duke's Brew & Que three years ago
0:33:35 > 0:33:39with the aim of bringing a new wave of beer taste to the locals.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42It was something I really wanted to try and recreate,
0:33:42 > 0:33:46that vibe of big, stimulating beers, trying many different types
0:33:46 > 0:33:49of recipe using different yeasts, hops and many different styles
0:33:49 > 0:33:52and pairing them to foods.
0:33:52 > 0:33:54We specifically started with the Rye IPA that went great
0:33:54 > 0:33:56with the pork.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59You get the spicy earthy tones of the rye and the smoked porter,
0:33:59 > 0:34:03called Smog Rocket, which goes great with the beef ribs.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05You get a molasses char burnt smokiness.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09For Logan and his mate Nick Dwyer, the designer names of the beers
0:34:09 > 0:34:12may be out of this world, but there's a method to the madness.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15Most of it comes from talking to Logan about what he wants,
0:34:15 > 0:34:18what he's been reading about, what I've been reading about.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21We read a lot of graphic novels and comic books and things like that
0:34:21 > 0:34:23and he does a lot of reading around spiritual things.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27He's obsessed with the Knights Templar and illuminati-type
0:34:27 > 0:34:30things, which is where the big triangle B comes from.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34Cans provide the perfect visual platform for artwork
0:34:34 > 0:34:36and Nick's kind of nailed that.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39Gamma Ray is called Gamma Ray because the first time we brewed it,
0:34:39 > 0:34:43it was in the light and it was bright orange, as a lot of beer is.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45We were taken aback about how it was.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48The new wave of brewers is definitely about pushing
0:34:48 > 0:34:51ourselves and the industry forward through the sharing of knowledge
0:34:51 > 0:34:54and upping what we do within the beer.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02We've been on the go all day, so it's time to take a quick break
0:35:02 > 0:35:04before Len's next treat.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06- This is the life, isn't it, Len? - Yeah.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09- Really is the life.- All the best. - Cheers, mate. Thank you.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12- No, thank you. - I don't know about that.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16I have to leave you, because I've got my influences now,
0:35:16 > 0:35:20from all the various places around the East End of London.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23I'm going to go and do a bit of cooking.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26And I'll be coming over to do a bit of eating!
0:35:26 > 0:35:28- Look at you. Just relax. - See you in a minute.
0:35:28 > 0:35:29I'll see you in a minute, Len.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35The dish I'm going to cook for him is a nod to those vibrant Vietnamese
0:35:35 > 0:35:39flavours and ingredients he's seen earlier today.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43I'm cooking Vietnamese minced pork in lettuce leaf cups.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50That's great. When you want to feel refreshed, there's nothing better
0:35:50 > 0:35:52than a bit of Vietnamese flowering tea.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55It inspires me. It gets me going, really, because I'm going to be doing
0:35:55 > 0:35:58Vietnamese pork mince, inside crispy lettuce cups for Len.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01A classic dish, actually, but I think the combination of that beautiful
0:36:01 > 0:36:04warm mint, inside the chilled, crunchy lettuce cups,
0:36:04 > 0:36:08will just be perfect for Len, just for him to get a real taste
0:36:08 > 0:36:10of Vietnam.
0:36:10 > 0:36:15OK, starting off, get a bit of oil into our pan.
0:36:15 > 0:36:20I've got my shallots and garlic, so I'm just going to chop those up.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22You can crush this up if you want.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25There's something about chopping your garlic.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29If you've got those knife skills and fancy having a go, chop it up.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32Straight into our hot pan.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38Now, I have to say, I love using fresh chillies.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41If there's an opportunity, another great tip, of course, is
0:36:41 > 0:36:42keeping it in your freezer.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46You just chop them up and then throw them in to your cooking.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49If you haven't got that, use some chilli flakes.
0:36:53 > 0:36:57OK, I am using a nice lean pork mince.
0:36:57 > 0:36:59The lean ones are about 10% fat.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01Some of them are much higher in fat.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04If you're going to use that, then you're going to have to pour
0:37:04 > 0:37:05that fat off, OK?
0:37:05 > 0:37:07Let's get some of those spices in now.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10Of course, I am talking about five spice.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13Wonderfully, sweet aromatic flavours and smells coming through there.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16That's your fennel, cinnamon, your star anise.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19Those combinations of flavours together just works so well
0:37:19 > 0:37:21when they're cooked down in the pan.
0:37:21 > 0:37:22Really lovely.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28Beginning to get wonderfully aromatic.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31All those five spice flavours are just coming out of the pan.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34Now, we can just add our wet ingredients.
0:37:34 > 0:37:39First of all, we have got the nam pla, which is our fish sauce.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42Now, don't forget, this is quite a pungent flavour.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44A pungent aroma is going to come from your pan.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46Don't get put off by that, guys, OK?
0:37:46 > 0:37:48Soy sauce...
0:37:50 > 0:37:52And, finally, your honey.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56Good drizzle of honey. This will just bring it all together.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59Sweeten all of that up quite beautifully.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02That's fabulous. And my water chestnuts.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05I'm just going to chop the remainder of those up.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08You want to chop them up quite small. Don't forget, these guys,
0:38:08 > 0:38:12these are going into your lettuce cups, so you don't want them too big.
0:38:12 > 0:38:17And a small can of this will be absolutely perfect.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20Here it is. In we go in with those.
0:38:23 > 0:38:27It's almost like little diced pieces of potato going in there,
0:38:27 > 0:38:29but it's not. I'll tell you what it does add to it,
0:38:29 > 0:38:32it adds the most fantastic crunch and that's what I want.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36You bite into it, you get the outside crunch of the lettuce.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40You've got the beautiful succulent Vietnamese style pork mince
0:38:40 > 0:38:43in there too and then you've got the additional bite
0:38:43 > 0:38:45of the water chestnuts.
0:38:47 > 0:38:52And that smells heavenly. The real taste of Vietnam.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55I'm just going to let that cook down
0:38:55 > 0:38:58until the pork mince is cooked through.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01Should be another three or four minutes, no more than that.
0:39:01 > 0:39:06Just enough time to refresh myself, as it is hot in this kitchen! Oh!
0:39:08 > 0:39:11Now, when your mince is cooked down, you can see that.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15Dried out a little bit now and you want to take on that lovely,
0:39:15 > 0:39:18rich, brown colour. That's what you're looking for.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21You can see the flecks of chilli and the water chestnuts in there.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25When that's cooled slightly, we're going to incorporate our bean shoots
0:39:25 > 0:39:28into it and that's it, guys.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32It really is so, so simple. Keep it nice and crunchy and we can just
0:39:32 > 0:39:37start to pile those into our little lettuce cups.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42Bean sprouts don't need to be cooked and you can have them in a salad.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45You can certainly serve them like this, which, I think, is
0:39:45 > 0:39:46absolutely perfect.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48OK, let's garnish them up now.
0:39:48 > 0:39:52Got a little bit of fresh coriander going in there too.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55OK, so, lots of bits all over.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57That's it. All those lovely flavours.
0:39:57 > 0:40:02All right, we've got a few chilli rings just popping around
0:40:02 > 0:40:04there like that. That's lovely.
0:40:04 > 0:40:09And last, but not least, I've got some of these little carrots
0:40:09 > 0:40:13made into flowers, which I think are just really ever so pretty,
0:40:13 > 0:40:19just captures the colour, if you like, of the country.
0:40:19 > 0:40:20And there you have it.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25Now I think these are absolutely delicious.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29But let's see if my Vietnamese cups can raise a smile from Len.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33- Look at that, Len. - Let me have a look at that.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35- Just take that?- Yeah, grab that, take the chilli out,
0:40:35 > 0:40:37cos I know you're not a chilli fan.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39There's a little bit of chilli chopped up in it.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43Also, I've chopped up some water chestnut in there.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52That's very, very tasty. It's better than it looks.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55- A bit like you.- Oh, thanks a lot, Len!- Moreish!
0:40:55 > 0:40:58That's what I like.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02I'm looking forward to feeding the people of the east end of London.
0:41:02 > 0:41:07Come on, you lot, line-up, line-up, Len is about to feed you!
0:41:07 > 0:41:10- Want to have a go, sir? - Come and have a go. Come on.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13- What do you think? Tell the truth. - Absolutely lovely.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16Not over-spicy, is it? A little bit of spice in there.
0:41:16 > 0:41:20Coriander is good. Little bit of spice, but it's very fine flavours.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23And that's a man who knows a thing or two.
0:41:23 > 0:41:28Now look, "Mmm," he's gone. Straight away, before he did anything.
0:41:28 > 0:41:29Mmm. Mmm.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33Get hungry watching all of this going on!
0:41:33 > 0:41:37- It's wonderful.- Really? Where are you from?- From Germany.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39- Oh! - HE SPEAKS GERMAN
0:41:39 > 0:41:40Yes.
0:41:40 > 0:41:45I loved it. Really good! I just went to Vietnam, as well,
0:41:45 > 0:41:47- and it's just as good. - The lady loves it.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49I love it as well, Len.
0:41:51 > 0:41:53How does it feel coming back to your old ground?
0:41:53 > 0:41:56It's great. I should come here more often.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59Yeah? Well, it's nice just to get passionate again about something.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03It is and I've got to say, what a diverse amount of food.
0:42:03 > 0:42:04It is amazing.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06Did you like the Vietnamese thing or...?
0:42:06 > 0:42:09- Yeah.- I didn't understand you loved the broth, you loved the...
0:42:09 > 0:42:12- The hospitality was lovely.- Always.
0:42:12 > 0:42:14Always lovely. So welcoming.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18And we walked into that market and the smell of salt beef
0:42:18 > 0:42:21filled your nostrils and the expression on your face,
0:42:21 > 0:42:24totally changed. You were like a little kid again! Like this!
0:42:24 > 0:42:28Wow, that is a true taste of me youth, old salt beef.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31Just like nowadays after they have been in the pubs and that,
0:42:31 > 0:42:33they go and have a kebab or whatever.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37We used to go down Brick Lane and have a salt beef sandwich
0:42:37 > 0:42:39- and salt beef in a...- Bagel.- Bagel.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43You could have rye bread or bagel and the mustard sauce going on top
0:42:43 > 0:42:46and a pickle and everything. It all just, kind of...
0:42:46 > 0:42:48- what did you call it? The pickle? - Slap and tickle!
0:42:48 > 0:42:50- The slap and tickle. - Bit of slap and tickle.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53Put a bit of slap and tickle in there, mate. Lovely.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56So, after our day of authentic Vietnamese cooking...
0:42:56 > 0:43:00- No!- Don't frighten me. It's a bit of tripe!
0:43:01 > 0:43:03I got a taste of me childhood!
0:43:04 > 0:43:07- You're not going to send the Krays after us!- No!
0:43:07 > 0:43:10Will any of today's dishes make it into Len's top ten?
0:43:11 > 0:43:13Not quite, Ainsley!
0:43:13 > 0:43:17I have certainly nibbled on some fascinating food, but for today,
0:43:17 > 0:43:20at least, my top ten stays the same.
0:43:20 > 0:43:24What a fabulous day we've had in the East End of London.
0:43:24 > 0:43:28Ainsley is going to have to go a long way to beat that!
0:43:28 > 0:43:30Well, I'll take that on.