0:00:03 > 0:00:05'We've packed our passports.'
0:00:05 > 0:00:07'And bought our phrasebooks.'
0:00:07 > 0:00:09HE SPEAKS FOREIGN LANGUAGE
0:00:09 > 0:00:14'Because we're off on our biggest, craziest adventure yet.'
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Delicious. Delicious.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19Meow! Meow! Bee!
0:00:19 > 0:00:23HE MAKES TARZAN CRY
0:00:23 > 0:00:26'We're travelling further than we've ever done before.'
0:00:27 > 0:00:31'To uncover the authentic routes of Britain's favourite takeaway foods.'
0:00:31 > 0:00:35I've always wanted to know how to make proper sweet and sour sauce.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37'Going off the beaten track
0:00:37 > 0:00:41'and being welcomed into some of Asia's hidden worlds.'
0:00:41 > 0:00:43How marvellous is this?
0:00:45 > 0:00:48'From the high rises and hot woks of Hong Kong.'
0:00:48 > 0:00:50The heat on this is really, really intense,
0:00:50 > 0:00:51- but listen... - HOB FIRE ROARS
0:00:51 > 0:00:54It's like a jet engine.
0:00:54 > 0:00:55I love it.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58'To the sweltering tropics of Thailand...
0:01:00 > 0:01:03'..where they say it's impossible to eat badly.'
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Thai food has arrived in Britain, but by crikey,
0:01:05 > 0:01:07it's only the tip of the iceberg.
0:01:07 > 0:01:12'And we fulfil a lifelong ambition to explore Japan.'
0:01:12 > 0:01:15- That is perfect.- Wow. Look at that.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17I've just had a sushi-gasm.
0:01:17 > 0:01:23'We finish up in South Korea, where the spicy cuisine is sensational.'
0:01:23 > 0:01:26This would go down a bomb down the local.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31'So leather up and take to the road.'
0:01:31 > 0:01:34'For one extremely hairy...
0:01:34 > 0:01:36BOTH: 'Asian adventure!'
0:01:56 > 0:02:00- We're in Hong Kong. - This is Asia's world city.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03It's famous for finance and fantastic food.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06And it has one of the highest concentrations
0:02:06 > 0:02:09of restaurants per capita of anywhere in the world.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16Chinese is now the most popular takeaway in the UK.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19So what better place to come to track down the origins
0:02:19 > 0:02:23of our favourite dishes than Hong Kong, our gateway to China?
0:02:25 > 0:02:29Hong Kong is a dazzling, busy, crowded, hot,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32steamy and stunning place where East meets West.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36And it's here where our love affair with Chinese cuisine began
0:02:36 > 0:02:38almost 150 years ago.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43Hong Kong became a British colony in 1842.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47Merchants ships crewed by Chinese sailors headed for Britain
0:02:47 > 0:02:49bringing their cuisine to our shores.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54Look at all the ships in the harbour! That's amazing.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56What a city!
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Today, Hong Kong is under Chinese rule,
0:03:00 > 0:03:02home to seven million people,
0:03:02 > 0:03:05and it's the most vertical city on the planet.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10It's like Canary Wharf with chopsticks.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18And the food here is Cantonese -
0:03:18 > 0:03:22a mouthwatering mix of stir-fries, seafood and roast meats.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25It's what we have on our Chinese takeaway menus back home.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Dave and I love a Chinese takeaway like anybody else.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32What's your favourite takeaway?
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Oh, beef and black bean sauce with crispy noodles, without a doubt.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37- What's yours? - Well, good old predictable
0:03:37 > 0:03:40- sweet and sour pork for me, matey. - Oh!
0:03:41 > 0:03:45We can't wait to find out how Chinese food here compares
0:03:45 > 0:03:47to what we know and love back home.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51Plus, we want to understand what our beloved Chinese cuisine
0:03:51 > 0:03:53means to the nation that invented it.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57We want to find out what Chinese people
0:03:57 > 0:03:59have for their takeaways,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02what they eat in their homes, and what they have for Sunday lunch.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05What I'm looking forward to is to having a big adventure
0:04:05 > 0:04:08in Hong Kong, to really immerse myself in Chinese cuisine.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12There's got to be more to it than a number 42 with an egg fried rice.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16But first, we've got to get our bearings.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Hong Kong is made up of a chunk of mainland China,
0:04:20 > 0:04:24plus more than 200 islands in the South China Sea.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29The beating heart of it is Hong Kong Island, so that's where
0:04:29 > 0:04:33we're heading for our first taste of true Chinese cooking.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35Nestled beneath the skyscrapers
0:04:35 > 0:04:38that are home to some of the world's biggest banks,
0:04:38 > 0:04:40are traditional food stalls that are knocking out
0:04:40 > 0:04:43some of the most authentic Cantonese food in the city.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49These open-air stalls, called dai pai dongs,
0:04:49 > 0:04:51have been here for 60 years or more.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Today, they provide the perfect lunchtime fix
0:04:55 > 0:04:57for busy office workers.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01'We're meeting a two Michelin starred chef, Alvin Leung.'
0:05:01 > 0:05:04So, you know, we're going to go to a dai pai dong.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07- This is my favourite one. - Brilliant.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11He's going to give us the lowdown on fast food, Cantonese style.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16You know, the chefs here are amazing. They do thousands of these dishes.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Can you imagine doing this 14 hours a day in this immense heat?
0:05:19 > 0:05:23- He's doing the clams for us. - And that's black bean, yeah?
0:05:23 > 0:05:24That's black bean.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27The dish is cooked in under a minute.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Practically done in a minute.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32- You see him stir-frying, or he's moving the things around.- Tossing it.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34Get everything coated.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36- Look at that.- Wow.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39'He's done these clams with my favourite - black bean sauce.
0:05:39 > 0:05:40'Get in!'
0:05:40 > 0:05:43I love that! It's like a jet engine, isn't it?
0:05:43 > 0:05:45- HOB FIRE ROARS - It's so powerful.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Intense heat. It's over 200 degrees.
0:05:47 > 0:05:48Oh, sifu, thank you.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51You know, you've got a complexity of flavours there.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53It's a wonderful dish.
0:05:53 > 0:05:54- Aw, hey.- Is it beautiful?
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Aw, man, that is...
0:05:56 > 0:05:59The flavours are perfectly balanced.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05- Fabulous.- Thank you.- Wow.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08Alvin has challenged us to cook for him
0:06:08 > 0:06:11and the sifu here on the dai pai dong.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15We're going to do a stir-fry with seafood and Chinese greens.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18I hope you've got WOK it takes, Kingy!
0:06:19 > 0:06:21# Hong Kong Phooey!
0:06:21 > 0:06:23# Quicker than the human eye! #
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Hong Kong on a dai pai dong!
0:06:25 > 0:06:26I can't believe it, dude.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Now, we're going to cook a prawn and scallop stir-fry.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32We've kept this simple. Respect the fresh ingredients.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Everything must be properly prepared. The same goes at home.
0:06:35 > 0:06:36When I do a Chinese meal,
0:06:36 > 0:06:38I'll have little pots of everything ready to go.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41We're going to cook the dinner in about three minutes.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44This is a culinary sprint, not a marathon.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46Are we ready?
0:06:46 > 0:06:47Huh!
0:06:47 > 0:06:49Let's go.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51The heat is so important.
0:06:51 > 0:06:52Garlic, sliced.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Pump up the volume, pump up the volume!
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Ginger.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Brilliant with seafood.
0:07:00 > 0:07:01And that's flavouring the oil.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04We're using groundnut oil cos there's not much taste
0:07:04 > 0:07:06and it's a really high temperature.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08- Are you ready?- Get it in.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11Six big prawns, de-veined. Watch these little fellows bounce.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18Medallions of scallops which I have seasoned lightly.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21We put them on and we want them to catch on one side.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24- Right, they're catching.- Rice wine.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26One spoonful of.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31- All right, Kingy?- Yeah, mate.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34Spring onions going in.
0:07:34 > 0:07:35'As well as spring onions,
0:07:35 > 0:07:39'garlic and ginger are key for an authentic Cantonese flavour.'
0:07:39 > 0:07:40Mangetout.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Pak choi. Choi sum.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49They're going to wilt like us in this searing heat.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Red chilli. Wah!
0:07:52 > 0:07:54I'm feeling manly.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57We need some liquid in there. They're sort of wilting.
0:07:57 > 0:07:58Right, some light soy sauce.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03The heat on this wok is really, really intense.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05It's great, cos you can regulate it.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09- Listen, it's like a jet engine. - HOB FIRE ROARS
0:08:09 > 0:08:11I love it.
0:08:12 > 0:08:13Right-o, matey.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18In Cantonese food, seasoning is minimal.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21It's all about preserving the fresh fragrant tastes.
0:08:21 > 0:08:26You don't want to kill the scallops, prawns and the wonderful greens.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29And a teeny drizzle of sesame oil.
0:08:29 > 0:08:30Now...
0:08:30 > 0:08:32Very simple, very quick.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34That's it, Kingy, we need to get this out fresh.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37They're going to get to taste our stir-fry.
0:08:37 > 0:08:38Come on, sifu.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40After you, mucker!
0:08:42 > 0:08:46'Fingers crossed Alvin approves of our British take on Chinese food.'
0:08:46 > 0:08:48Well, I'm really tempted to taste this,
0:08:48 > 0:08:53and see if you guys have really learned the secret of wok chi.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58- Alvin, what is wok chi? - Wok chi is the power from the wok.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02Basically, it's from the heat, the intense heat, the hot oil,
0:09:02 > 0:09:06and then you put in the herbs, the ginger, the green onions,
0:09:06 > 0:09:09the garlic, and before you put in the vegetables and seafood,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12and it flavours the whole dish.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14Alvin, could you ask sifu what he thinks
0:09:14 > 0:09:16about the look of it, initially?
0:09:16 > 0:09:19HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:09:19 > 0:09:20HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:09:20 > 0:09:24- He says, "Not bad, not bad." Now, to Chinese, not bad is good.- Oh.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27We're are not very complementary people, OK?
0:09:27 > 0:09:28So, when he says not bad...
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Guys, let's taste, come on.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Nice. Really nice.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Um...
0:09:36 > 0:09:37Very well seasoned.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40I don't need to add any salt, I don't need to add any chilli sauce.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44The only criticism I would have is that the sauce is a bit watery.
0:09:44 > 0:09:45We never...
0:09:45 > 0:09:48It's good to thicken the sauce, cos the sauce is very important.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50It has a lot of flavour.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53You want to thicken it so you can coat all the vegetables.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55If we had put some cornflour through the soy,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58we would have thickened it as well, had a nice glaze.
0:09:58 > 0:09:59It would have looked better as well.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Yeah, it would, it would.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03I really like, guys. Excellent.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08He said, "It's OK."
0:10:08 > 0:10:10You know, I think we've learned more about wok cooking
0:10:10 > 0:10:12from you and sifu in three minutes
0:10:12 > 0:10:16than we have done in like ten years of pottering.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19- I want to try that recipe again. - Yeah.- Work on the wok chi.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25Now we've got to grips with Cantonese fast food,
0:10:25 > 0:10:29I reckon we need to find out what people eat at home
0:10:29 > 0:10:31and how food fits into family life.
0:10:35 > 0:10:36Well, you're in luck,
0:10:36 > 0:10:40because we're going to gate-crash a local family's weekday dinner.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44So, it's bye-bye to the big banks of Hong Kong Island
0:10:44 > 0:10:47and hello to the New Territories on the Chinese mainland,
0:10:47 > 0:10:49where three and a half million people live.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Speaking of the banks, Kingy,
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Hong Kong has more billionaires per capita
0:10:57 > 0:11:00than anywhere else in the world.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04Yes, and you need to be loaded to buy your own gaff here.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08House prices in Hong Kong have doubled over the past four years,
0:11:08 > 0:11:13so nearly half the population lives in council owned skyscrapers
0:11:13 > 0:11:17with subsidised rents, like the one we're going to eat our tea in.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24This is a government housing estate on the Hong Kong/Chinese border,
0:11:24 > 0:11:28and it consists of hundreds of high-rise apartments.
0:11:28 > 0:11:34Now, each high-rise consists of 456 flats spread over 38 floors
0:11:34 > 0:11:37with approximately 12 flats per floor.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40With four to five people living in each apartment,
0:11:40 > 0:11:44that makes a total of 2,200 people in each high-rise.
0:11:46 > 0:11:47Now, as you know,
0:11:47 > 0:11:50Dave and I are not adverse to "a mam knows best".
0:11:50 > 0:11:53Now, well, this is "Chinese grannies know best".
0:11:53 > 0:11:55I wonder what we'll find.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Our destination is floor 35, home to the Feungs -
0:12:03 > 0:12:06a typical Hong Kong working family.
0:12:06 > 0:12:07Jackie and Lulu's.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12Hello, Jackie? I'm Dave.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14- Pleased to meet you.- Jackie, hello.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17- I'm Si, very nice to meet you. - Yeah. Nice to meet you.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21- Thank you for...- This is Si. - Hello.- Hello.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24'University student Jackie lives here with his Grandma Lulu,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27'two brothers, and Dad and Mum.'
0:12:27 > 0:12:29And my mother.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32'All six of them live in this two-bedroom flat.'
0:12:32 > 0:12:36Here's my bedroom, and I share the bedroom with my younger brother
0:12:36 > 0:12:38and also my grandma.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42- So there's three of you sleep in here?- Yeah.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46- My younger brother is sleeping here. - OK.- And me, I will sleep in here.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50- Yes.- And my Grandma Lulu is sleeping here.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55- Ah, she's got a little bed under there?- Yes.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57- Ah!- A little pull-out.
0:12:57 > 0:12:58Yes.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03So here's my little kitchen.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07And you see our servant today.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09Ah, with a LITTLE CHEF!
0:13:09 > 0:13:10BIKERS CHEER
0:13:10 > 0:13:12'Like the majority of families here,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15'Jackie's parents both work full-time.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19'Mum is an accountant's clerk an hour away in Kowloon.'
0:13:19 > 0:13:22'And Dad is one of the half a million Hong Kong residents
0:13:22 > 0:13:25'who work over the border in China.'
0:13:25 > 0:13:28So there's two woks and a wok ring and a rice steamer.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31'So Granny's in charge of feeding the family.'
0:13:31 > 0:13:35Lulu cooks for six, in a kitchen the size of a broom cupboard,
0:13:35 > 0:13:37and tonight, we're squeezing in.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41'First, a bitter melon, pork and black bean stir-fry.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44'Bitter melon is a bit like courgette, er, but bitter.'
0:13:44 > 0:13:47- So this is...?- Palm sugar! - Palm sugar, yes.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49I think this is why it tastes good.
0:13:49 > 0:13:50That's a lot of palm sugar!
0:13:50 > 0:13:52- LULU SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE - I'm doing...
0:13:52 > 0:13:54SHE CONTINUES Some water.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56Some water?
0:13:56 > 0:13:59I don't think I've cooked over a very small Chinese grandma before.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01- It's brilliant.- Yeah.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06She must feel like it's like having the Gruffalo in the kitchen.
0:14:06 > 0:14:07She's fantastic.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10Oh, look, now.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12- Jackie, now I know why you live at home.- Yeah.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18- And there's a chicken dish coming now.- Is there?!- Yeah.- Where from?!
0:14:18 > 0:14:21'This 70-year-old doesn't stop for a second.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25'Every night she cooks five or six different stir-fries, plus rice.'
0:14:25 > 0:14:26DAVE LAUGHS
0:14:26 > 0:14:29LULU LAUGHS
0:14:31 > 0:14:33- So what dish is this one? - Sweet-and-sour pork, Kingy.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36- It's sweet-and-sour pork... - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:14:36 > 0:14:37- With sweet-and-sour sauce. - Ah, yeah!
0:14:37 > 0:14:42'Ah, love it! Lulu knows just how to make these Englishmen
0:14:42 > 0:14:43'feel right at home.'
0:14:43 > 0:14:45Like magic.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49- She's got stuff hidden everywhere! - It's brilliant.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53- Right, this is the sweet-and-sour sauce.- This is it.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55Juliennes of carrot, right?
0:14:55 > 0:14:58I've always wanted to know how to make proper sweet-and-sour sauce.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01- Everybody loves it. - Yes, pineapple now.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Ohhh, look!
0:15:05 > 0:15:09- And the peppers.- Yeah, peppers.- Ooh, you can smell... Lovely.- I like it.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Hurray!
0:15:11 > 0:15:13Wow, very big.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15BIKERS AND JACKIE: Ohhh!
0:15:15 > 0:15:17- Tomato ketchup.- Yeah, ketchup!
0:15:17 > 0:15:19Oh! Crumbs.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22That's three quarters of a bottle of tomato ketchup.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24I think it's a whole bottle of ketchup, Kingy.
0:15:24 > 0:15:29'Crumbs. Dude, that's 700 calories in the tomato sauce alone.'
0:15:29 > 0:15:33'Do you know, sweet-and-sour pork's been on Chinese menus in Britain
0:15:33 > 0:15:34'since 1908?
0:15:34 > 0:15:36'I'm telling you, this one's definitely sweet.'
0:15:36 > 0:15:39- Ah, look at those.- Fantastic, Kingy.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41Beautiful.
0:15:41 > 0:15:42'This family feast
0:15:42 > 0:15:45'has only taken Granny Lulu 45 minutes to rustle up.'
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Now I feel as though I've arrived in Hong Kong.
0:15:49 > 0:15:54Yes, it doesn't get more traditional than a family meal.
0:15:54 > 0:15:55So let's start.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00That's fantastic, that sauce.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02- So nice and crispy.- Mm.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04You are a good cook, aren't you, Lulu?
0:16:04 > 0:16:07JACKIE TRANSLATES
0:16:07 > 0:16:09SHE REPLIES IN OWN LANGUAGE
0:16:09 > 0:16:11You must love her, man.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13THEY LAUGH
0:16:13 > 0:16:16The food is just so good.
0:16:16 > 0:16:22- And produced in next to no time, in the smallest, smallest space.- Yep.
0:16:22 > 0:16:27But bundles and spoonfuls of love and care,
0:16:27 > 0:16:29and that was beautiful to see.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32- Thank you very, very much. - Yeah, you're welcome.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35JACKIE SPEAKS IN OWN LANGUAGE ..you're welcome.
0:16:35 > 0:16:36SHE TRIES TO REPEAT
0:16:36 > 0:16:38SIMON CHEERS, THEY LAUGH AND CLAP
0:16:38 > 0:16:40Try again.
0:16:40 > 0:16:41(SLOWLY) You are welcome.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43You are welcome.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46THEY ALL CHEER
0:16:46 > 0:16:50- Man, your granny is the coolest granny.- She is the coolest granny.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05Jousahn - that's Cantonese for "good morning", that is.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11And what a morning, dude! Back in the thick of it.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14Monday rush hour on Hong Kong Island.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16It's mayhem in this mega city.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Hundreds of thousands of people
0:17:19 > 0:17:21are hurrying into the Central District
0:17:21 > 0:17:23for work in the skyscrapers.
0:17:23 > 0:17:28But we're here to find out what Hong Kongers eat in the morning.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31I like the look of this for breakfast, Si.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33- Oh, it's fabulous, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37- It smells of Asia!- Fish. I can smell fish.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Can you believe it? A quarter of locals here
0:17:39 > 0:17:42have their morning meal out at least five times a week.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44And Dave and I have heard
0:17:44 > 0:17:48the locals are rather partial to a good old-fashioned fry-up.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50- There's Suzie.- Hey!- There she is!
0:17:50 > 0:17:53- Hey, Suzie. - I've been waiting for over two hours!
0:17:53 > 0:17:56- You cannot be. You haven't got a watch on.- So, if you want to eat?
0:17:56 > 0:17:59- I'm starving.- Yeah.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01All you two need is a fishing rod!
0:18:01 > 0:18:04You have to help me down. Oh, I love you!
0:18:04 > 0:18:06SHE CHUCKLES
0:18:08 > 0:18:10Hong Kong celebrity Suzie Wong
0:18:10 > 0:18:13is going to show us how she likes to start the day.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18This place is called a cha chaan teng.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20A load of them opened up in colonial times
0:18:20 > 0:18:22and they're still popular today.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25It's as close to a greasy spoon as you'll get here,
0:18:25 > 0:18:28serving mixed-up comfort foods to locals who want
0:18:28 > 0:18:31a taste of Western grub on the cheap.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33There's a Spam noodle.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35- Spam noodles?- Yes! Spam noodles.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37# Spam, beautiful Spam!
0:18:37 > 0:18:39- # Beautiful Spam... # - This is brilliant.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43- Wow.- Egg sandwich. - Oh, egg butties!- Corned beef?!
0:18:43 > 0:18:47- Corned beef!- It's white bread, sliced, with the crusts off.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50Fundamentally, that's a corned beef savoury sandwich.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53- This is a Pot Noodle with Spam and a fried egg.- Yeah.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55It's very westernised.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57Are you going to have a try?
0:18:58 > 0:19:01I'll give some to you.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04- Have a bite.- Aw, look at this, Kingy.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07It's a Hong Kong breakfast club sandwich.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Corned beef, egg, four slices white processed.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13Double-decker, dude. Class.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15SI AND SUZIE LAUGH
0:19:15 > 0:19:17- It's not bad.- Isn't it?- No.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21- It's interesting. It's not full of expats in here.- No.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23I thought it'd be full of crusty old colonels
0:19:23 > 0:19:26that had been left behind, having their bully beef and egg butties.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30It's fascinating, isn't it, that you have these kind of echoes
0:19:30 > 0:19:33- of the cuisine of the past... from 100 years ago.- Hmm.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37You can see how important to a lot of nations Hong Kong was,
0:19:37 > 0:19:40and from that, you get these multi layers of food
0:19:40 > 0:19:43from different places around the world, different influences
0:19:43 > 0:19:46brought in, and kind of mish-mashed together
0:19:46 > 0:19:48in this mad city cuisine. It's nuts!
0:19:48 > 0:19:51- Come on, let's have a go.- Yeah.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54It is, um...
0:19:54 > 0:19:55How do you like it?
0:19:55 > 0:19:59It's strange, because the luncheon meat is quite kind of economy
0:19:59 > 0:20:04luncheon meat, and the noodles do seem to be quite kind of instant.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Yeah, it is instant noodles.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11Trust the British to leave a legacy of corned beef and egg sandwiches,
0:20:11 > 0:20:13spam and egg noodles...
0:20:13 > 0:20:15God bless 'em!
0:20:15 > 0:20:17It's interesting that in the same way
0:20:17 > 0:20:20we Brits have westernised Chinese cooking,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23the people here have adapted our food for their tastes.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Well, that's not what you call an Asian treat, is it?
0:20:26 > 0:20:30- No.- I mean, it's interesting, it's a legacy that we Brits left behind,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33but I did feel it's come back to haunt me.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36It's still coming back to haunt me, I tell you! That's wrong.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38I wanted Asian adventure, not an egg sandwich.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41- We need to go and find something local.- Something bright.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44I've got just the thing - noodles!
0:20:46 > 0:20:50Of course, Hong Kong's the place that brought us Brits
0:20:50 > 0:20:52this key Cantonese ingredient.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56And we've wangled a rare invite
0:20:56 > 0:21:00into the back room of the Lau Sum Key noodle house in Kowloon
0:21:00 > 0:21:03to learn the secrets of making the ultimate heritage noodle.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08This place opened in 1931 and the family business
0:21:08 > 0:21:10has been handed down from father to son,
0:21:10 > 0:21:15ending up today in the hands of noodle artiste Jason.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17JASON SPEAKS IN OWN LANGUAGE
0:21:17 > 0:21:19How many?
0:21:19 > 0:21:21About 30, 35.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23- 35?- 30?
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Duck eggs are going to make it really rich, aren't they?
0:21:26 > 0:21:29The colour of those yolks is going to go through the noodles. Fabulous.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32It's good to see you get cracking, Kingy.
0:21:32 > 0:21:33Did you have to?!
0:21:33 > 0:21:35SI CHUCKLES
0:21:36 > 0:21:39All that's in these noodles is eggs, flour and water.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Not mixed, but pressed into a dough.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45How old were you when you started making noodles?
0:21:45 > 0:21:48- 11 years old.- 11?- Yeah. - Do you like making noodles?
0:21:48 > 0:21:51I like doing this now,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54but when I was young boy, I don't like this.
0:21:54 > 0:21:55THEY LAUGH
0:21:56 > 0:21:59So far, so normal.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Having worked the dough to activate the gluten,
0:22:02 > 0:22:04it's time for Jason's party trick.
0:22:06 > 0:22:07OK.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12THEY LAUGH
0:22:12 > 0:22:17Well, I can honestly say I've never seen a rodeo technique of noodle making before.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20Yee-ha! Saddle up, cowboy!
0:22:20 > 0:22:23The pressure of kneading with the bamboo and Jason's body weight
0:22:23 > 0:22:29makes for a denser noodle with a springy texture...apparently.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33Once the dough's been ridden to within 3mm of its life,
0:22:33 > 0:22:37it's on to grandad's original cutting machine for noodle formation.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39- Wow!- Wow!
0:22:39 > 0:22:42It's a really, really strong dough, isn't it, Kingy?
0:22:42 > 0:22:45- Yes, mate.- And that means you can cut it really fine.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52And long may the bamboo-pole method of noodle making continue.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55I'll second that, Kingy.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03The Pearl River!
0:23:03 > 0:23:07You know, there's so much more to Hong Kong than the city.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15We're heading out to the fishing village of Taikoo.
0:23:15 > 0:23:20For hundreds of years, the Tanka people have made a living here salting and drying fish.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Their open-plan stilted houses over the tidal flats
0:23:26 > 0:23:31are a world away from the high-rises of the city.
0:23:31 > 0:23:32Hey, Si, you know how Hong Kong
0:23:32 > 0:23:37would have been all sleepy fishing villages like this till the Brits arrived?
0:23:37 > 0:23:41Back then, it only had a population of just 1,500.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43I know, mate, it's mad to think
0:23:43 > 0:23:46that there would have been English policemen in khaki shorts
0:23:46 > 0:23:48in that colonial police station over there.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51And that's where we're going to do some cooking.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56We're going to do possibly the best egg fried rice you've ever tasted.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00- Don't say, "Oh, no, I don't like egg fried rice!"- Listen, this is a minter.- It is.- It's brilliant!
0:24:00 > 0:24:05We're going to do our own crispy belly pork to start the egg fried rice off.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Where could be better to roast some piggy than here in China,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11where they produce over half the world's pork?
0:24:11 > 0:24:16This piece is super fatty, so it should crisp up like a good 'un.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18But it needs a marinade.
0:24:18 > 0:24:25The dry ingredients are star anise, five-spice powder and salt.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27Just give that a little shoomozel.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29I love Sichuan peppercorns.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32It's like the culinary equivalent of local anaesthetic.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36- It is, isn't it?- And my department's the wet ingredients.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38Grate two cloves of garlic,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41some palm sugar and a thumb-sized piece of ginger.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45Why do people say that? I mean, whose thumb's that?!
0:24:46 > 0:24:50And we're going to marinate the pork in a plastic bag.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56- So that's our drys.- Invisible tennis ball. Go on, then. Go on.
0:24:56 > 0:24:57Thrown the invisible ball.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03Oh, nice catch, dude.
0:25:03 > 0:25:04Then add the wet stuff.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Plus a spoon each of hoisin sauce and sesame oil.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Just give it a good squidgy up.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15You pop that in.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19And then we're going to massage the pork.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23You know, you want a kind of... put Barry White on in your head.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27- You know, that kind of... Hey, baby! - BARRY WHITE PLAYS IN BACKGROUND
0:25:27 > 0:25:29- Go on. - THEY HUM
0:25:29 > 0:25:33# My everything. #
0:25:33 > 0:25:35Whoo, baby! Laying on the love!
0:25:37 > 0:25:38So look at that, no washing up.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Then put it in a moderate oven, about 160 degrees Celsius,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44for an hour-and-a-half, an hour-and-three-quarters,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47until it's cooked through and maybe a little bit crispy.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51Obviously, take it out of the bag first.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54A mistake a lot of people make when they're doing egg fried rice
0:25:54 > 0:25:58is just to pop the eggs into the rice and it ends up being kind of soggy.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02You don't want that. Cook the eggs first in a kind of rolled up omelette.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05Shred it and put it in the eggs at the end, it's beautiful.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Right, put that in there. Just throw it into the pan.
0:26:08 > 0:26:13First off, about two tablespoons of ground nut oil.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Now, we've soaked some dried prawns to flavour the dish.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Bung 'em in!
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Now to this, we want the garlic.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24One big clove finely sliced.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27- Pop that in.- I tell you what, mate, I'm going to come round this side
0:26:27 > 0:26:31- and see if I can be a bit of a shield, cos the wind's up.- Yeah.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33Because you want to get heat under a wok, you know.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37Now, take the pork... it's fantastic!
0:26:37 > 0:26:39Ah!
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Crushed Sichuan peppercorns.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Chinese five-spice.
0:26:45 > 0:26:46And now the rice.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50Never use fresh rice, you want stone-cold leftover rice,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52cos you don't want it to go soggy.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56So what I often do is if I'm having rice the day before, say with a chilli,
0:26:56 > 0:26:57I'll do double rice.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06And now for the fresh prawns, which need less cooking time.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10- Wok-static, in't it?- Hey, man, it's absolutely beautiful!
0:27:10 > 0:27:13And now the spring onions.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16And now the omelette.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21Look at the colours in that, though, it looks fabulous.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24- Well, some people call it rainbow rice, don't they?- Yeah.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29And lastly...a dressing of soy sauce.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38That...looks and smells epic.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42And where better to eat our seafood supper
0:27:42 > 0:27:46than here on the shore of the South China Sea?
0:27:47 > 0:27:50- Well, what a perfect end to a perfect day.- Mmm!
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Our time in Hong Kong has come to an end.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58You know, it's kind of reassuring that the Chinese dishes
0:27:58 > 0:28:02we love back home are so important to Hong Kongers too.
0:28:02 > 0:28:07Yes, I've also realised, Dave, it's easy to take Chinese food for granted.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10It's so simple, just fresh ingredients cooked quickly.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13And you know what, mate, that's its beauty.