0:00:03 > 0:00:05'We've packed our passports.'
0:00:05 > 0:00:07'And bought our phrasebooks.'
0:00:07 > 0:00:10HE SPEAKS FOREIGN LANGUAGE
0:00:10 > 0:00:15'Because we're off on our biggest, craziest adventure yet.'
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Delicious. Delicious.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19Meow! Meow! Bee!
0:00:20 > 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 > 0:00:32'To uncover the authentic routes of Britain's favourite takeaway foods.'
0:00:32 > 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 > 0:00:47'From the high rises and hot woks of Hong Kong.'
0:00:47 > 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 > 0:01:06Thai food has arrived in Britain, but by crikey,
0:01:06 > 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 > 0:01:18I've just had a sushi-gasm.
0:01:18 > 0:01:24'We finish up in South Korea, where the spicy cuisine is sensational.'
0:01:24 > 0:01:26This would go down a bomb down the local.
0:01:28 > 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!'
0:01:57 > 0:02:00- We're in Hong Kong. - This is Asia's world city.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04It's famous for finance and fantastic food.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06And it has one of the highest concentrations
0:02:06 > 0:02:09of restaurants per capita of anywhere in the world.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17Chinese is now the most popular takeaway in the UK.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20So what better place to come to track down the origins
0:02:20 > 0:02:24of our favourite dishes than Hong Kong, our gateway to China?
0:02:26 > 0:02:29Hong Kong is a dazzling, busy, crowded, hot,
0:02:29 > 0:02:33steamy and stunning place where East meets West.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36And it's here where our love affair with Chinese cuisine began
0:02:36 > 0:02:39almost 150 years ago.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44Hong Kong became a British colony in 1842.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Merchants ships crewed by Chinese sailors headed for Britain
0:02:47 > 0:02:49bringing their cuisine to our shores.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Look at all the ships in the harbour! That's amazing.
0:02:55 > 0:02:56What a city!
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Today, Hong Kong is under Chinese rule,
0:03:01 > 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.
0:03:16 > 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.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30Dave and I love a Chinese takeaway like anybody else.
0:03:30 > 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!
0:03:42 > 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 > 0:04:34we're heading for our first taste of true Chinese cooking.
0:04:34 > 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.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Today, they provide the perfect lunchtime fix
0:04:55 > 0:04:57for busy office workers.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02'We're meeting a two Michelin starred chef, Alvin Leung.'
0:05:02 > 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.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11He's going to give us the lowdown on fast food, Cantonese style.
0:05:13 > 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 > 0:05:33- You see him stir-frying, or he's moving the things around.- Tossing it.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35Get everything coated.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37The wok's fantastically versatile, isn't it?
0:05:37 > 0:05:40You can make soup it in, you can sear in it, you can braise in it.
0:05:40 > 0:05:41You deep-fry in it.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44- Deep-fry, yeah. - You can even steam in it.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46- Look at that.- Wow.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49'He's done these clams with my favourite - black bean sauce.
0:05:49 > 0:05:50'Get in!'
0:05:50 > 0:05:52I love that! It's like a jet engine, isn't it?
0:05:52 > 0:05:54- HOB FIRE ROARS - It's so powerful.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Intense heat. It's over 200 degrees.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58Scrub it and get on with the next dish.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00This is the good thing.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02You have the dishwasher and the stove all in one place.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Isn't that great?
0:06:04 > 0:06:05Oh, sifu, thank you.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08You know, you've got a complexity of flavours there.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10It's a wonderful dish.
0:06:10 > 0:06:11- Aw, hey.- Is it beautiful?
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Aw, man, that is...
0:06:13 > 0:06:16The flavours are perfectly balanced.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21- Fabulous.- Thank you.- Wow.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Alvin has challenged us to cook for him
0:06:25 > 0:06:27and the sifu here on the dai pai dong,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30but first, we'll need some ingredients.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34This is what we call the wet market.
0:06:34 > 0:06:35Fantastic.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38- Here we are.- Wow.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42It's bouncing fresh, isn't it?
0:06:42 > 0:06:44We just need pak choi and choi sum, don't we?
0:06:44 > 0:06:47- Yeah.- That's a good basis.- Perfect.
0:06:47 > 0:06:48Jobs a good 'un.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53SHE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:06:57 > 0:06:59I've got myself caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01You have, haven't you?
0:07:01 > 0:07:02- OK?- OK, yes.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Very good, thank you.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09- 22, she says.- 22. Beautiful.
0:07:11 > 0:07:12Oh, wow!
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Hong Kong's surrounded by water, it's an island,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18so here, we just love seafood. Everything is live.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Cantonese food isn't very spicy.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Instead, it relies on really fresh produce.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Everything is swimming. It's not just fresh. It's live.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31You've got live crabs, live shrimps.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34These are not the fresh ones, so don't take these ones.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36- These are what is on sale.- Ah, right!
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Get those ones, OK?
0:07:38 > 0:07:40They're the ones we want.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Oh, defo, look at those.
0:07:43 > 0:07:44About a dozen, eh?
0:07:44 > 0:07:45There we go.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49- Some scallops?- Scallops, yeah.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Thank you. That's smashing that, isn't it?
0:07:54 > 0:07:57We're going to do a stir-fry with seafood and Chinese greens.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59I hope you've got wok it takes, Kingy!
0:08:00 > 0:08:02# Hong Kong Phooey!
0:08:02 > 0:08:05# Quicker than the human eye! #
0:08:05 > 0:08:06Hong Kong on a dai pai dong!
0:08:06 > 0:08:08I can't believe it, dude.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10- Kingy, I'm a bit nervous.- So am I.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13We're cooking for the sifu who owns this establishment,
0:08:13 > 0:08:17and also a two-star Michelin chef who is an expert in Cantonese food.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20And we are but two humble Northern cooks.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23But never mind, we're going to give it a go, because we're like that.
0:08:23 > 0:08:24Tenacious, if nothing else.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Now, we're going to cook a prawn and scallop stir-fry.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30We've kept this simple. Respect the fresh ingredients.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33Everything must be properly prepared. The same goes at home.
0:08:33 > 0:08:34When I do a Chinese meal,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36I'll have little pots of everything ready to go.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38We're going to cook the dinner in about three minutes.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41This is a culinary sprint, not a marathon.
0:08:42 > 0:08:43Are we ready?
0:08:43 > 0:08:45Huh!
0:08:45 > 0:08:46Let's go.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48The heat is so important.
0:08:48 > 0:08:49Garlic, sliced.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53Pump up the volume, pump up the volume!
0:08:53 > 0:08:55Ginger.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57Brilliant with seafood.
0:08:57 > 0:08:58And that's flavouring the oil.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01We're using groundnut oil cos there's not much taste
0:09:01 > 0:09:03and it's a really high temperature.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05- Are you ready?- Get it in.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Six big prawns, de-veined. Watch these little fellows bounce.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Medallions of scallops which I have seasoned lightly.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18We put them on and we want them to catch on one side.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21- Say when, Kingy. - I'll tell you, mate.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24- Right, they're catching.- Rice wine.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26One spoonful of.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31- All right, Kingy?- Yeah, mate.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Spring onions going in.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36'As well as spring onions,
0:09:36 > 0:09:39'garlic and ginger are key for an authentic Cantonese flavour.'
0:09:39 > 0:09:41Mangetout.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45Pak choi. Choi sum.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49They're going to wilt like us in this searing heat.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Red chilli. Wah!
0:09:53 > 0:09:54I'm feeling manly.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57We need some liquid in there. They're sort of wilting.
0:09:57 > 0:09:58Right, some light soy sauce.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04The heat on this wok is really, really intense.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06It's great, cos you can regulate it.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09- Listen, it's like a jet engine. - HOB FIRE ROARS
0:10:09 > 0:10:11I love it.
0:10:13 > 0:10:14Right-o, matey.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18In Cantonese food, seasoning is minimal.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22It's all about preserving the fresh fragrant tastes.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25You don't want to kill the scallops, prawns and the wonderful greens.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29And a teeny drizzle of sesame oil.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Toasted sesame oil is for serving after, for dressing.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Don't dry cooking with it. It'll be rank.
0:10:35 > 0:10:36Now...
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Very simple, very quick.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40That's it Kingy, we need to get this out fresh.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42They're going to get to taste our stir-fry.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Come on, sifu.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46After you, mucker!
0:10:47 > 0:10:52'Fingers crossed Alvin approves of our British take on Chinese food.'
0:10:52 > 0:10:54Well, I'm really tempted to taste this,
0:10:54 > 0:10:59and see if you guys have really learned the secret of wok chi.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03- Alvin, what is wok chi? - Wok chi is the power from the wok.
0:11:03 > 0:11:08Basically, it's from the heat, the intense heat, the hot oil,
0:11:08 > 0:11:12and then you put in the herbs, the ginger, the green onions,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15the garlic, and before you put in the vegetables and seafood,
0:11:15 > 0:11:17and it flavours the whole dish.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19We put the spring onions in with the veggies.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Would you have put the spring onions in first into the oil?
0:11:22 > 0:11:26I would have, because it think it basically flavours the oil.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Who knows? You may have discovered something new.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30Alvin, could you ask sifu what he thinks
0:11:30 > 0:11:32about the look of it, initially?
0:11:32 > 0:11:36HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:11:36 > 0:11:37HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:11:37 > 0:11:41- He says, "Not bad, not bad." Now, to Chinese, not bad is good.- Oh.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43We're are not very complementive people, OK?
0:11:43 > 0:11:45So, when he says not bad...
0:11:45 > 0:11:46Guys, let's taste, come on.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Nice. Really nice.
0:11:51 > 0:11:52Um...
0:11:52 > 0:11:54Very well seasoned.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57I don't need to add any salt, I don't need to add any chilli sauce.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01The only criticism I would have is that the sauce is a bit watery.
0:12:01 > 0:12:02We never...
0:12:02 > 0:12:05It's good to thicken the sauce, cos the sauce is very important.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07It has a lot of flavour.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10You want to thicken it so you can coat all the vegetables.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12If we had put some cornflour through the soy,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15we would have thickened it as well, had a nice glaze.
0:12:15 > 0:12:16It would have looked better as well.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18Yeah, it would, it would.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20I really like, guys. Excellent.
0:12:23 > 0:12:24He said, "It's OK."
0:12:24 > 0:12:27You know, I think we've learned more about wok cooking
0:12:27 > 0:12:29from you and sifu in three minutes
0:12:29 > 0:12:32than we have done in like ten years of pottering.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36- I want to try that recipe again. - Yeah.- Work on the wok chi.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39'You know, Dave, it's interesting.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41'We don't tend to think of Chinese food as a healthy option
0:12:41 > 0:12:44'in the UK, but here, it's convenience food
0:12:44 > 0:12:46'that's good for you too.'
0:12:49 > 0:12:52Now we've got to grips with Cantonese fast food,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55I reckon we need to find out what people eat at home
0:12:55 > 0:12:57and how food fits into family life.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Well, you're in luck,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05because we're going to gate-crash a local family's weekday dinner.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10So, it's bye-bye to the big banks of Hong Kong Island
0:13:10 > 0:13:13and hello to the New Territories on the Chinese mainland,
0:13:13 > 0:13:15where three and a half million people live.
0:13:20 > 0:13:21Speaking of the banks, Kingy,
0:13:21 > 0:13:23Hong Kong has more billionaires per capita
0:13:23 > 0:13:26than anywhere else in the world.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30Yes, and you need to be loaded to buy your own gaff here.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34House prices in Hong Kong have doubled over the past four years,
0:13:34 > 0:13:39so nearly half the population lives in council owned skyscrapers
0:13:39 > 0:13:43with subsidised rents, like the one we're going to eat our tea in.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50This is a government housing estate on the Hong Kong/Chinese border,
0:13:50 > 0:13:54and it consists of hundreds of high-rise apartments.
0:13:54 > 0:14:00Now, each high-rise consists of 456 flats spread over 38 floors
0:14:00 > 0:14:03with approximately 12 flats per floor.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06With four to five people living in each apartment,
0:14:06 > 0:14:10that makes a total of 2,200 people in each high-rise.
0:14:12 > 0:14:13Now, as you know,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Dave and I are not adverse to "a mam knows best".
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Now, well, this is "Chinese grannies know best".
0:14:19 > 0:14:21I wonder what we'll find.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29Our destination is floor 35, home to the Feungs -
0:14:29 > 0:14:32a typical Hong Kong working family.
0:14:32 > 0:14:33Jackie and Lulu's.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38Hello, Jackie? I'm Dave.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40- Pleased to meet you.- Jackie, hello.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43- I'm Si, very nice to meet you. - Yeah. Nice to meet you.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47- Thank you for...- This is Si. - Hello.- Hello.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50'University student Jackie lives here with his Grandma Lulu,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53'two brothers, and Dad and Mum.'
0:14:53 > 0:14:54And my mother.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58'All six of them live in this two-bedroom flat.'
0:14:58 > 0:15:02Here's my bedroom, and I share the bedroom with my younger brother
0:15:02 > 0:15:04and also my grandma.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08- So there's three of you sleep in here?- Yeah.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12- My younger brother is sleeping here. - OK.- And me, I will sleep in here.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16- Yes.- And my Grandma Lulu is sleeping here.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21- Ah, she's got a little bit under there?- Yes.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23- Ah!- A little pull-out.
0:15:23 > 0:15:24Yes.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29So here's my little kitchen.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33And you see our servant today.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Ah, with a LITTLE CHEF!
0:15:35 > 0:15:36BIKERS CHEER
0:15:36 > 0:15:38'Like the majority of families here,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41'Jackie's parents both work full-time.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45'Mum is an accountant's clerk an hour away in Kowloon.'
0:15:45 > 0:15:48'And Dad is one of the half a million Hong Kong residents
0:15:48 > 0:15:51'who work over the border in China.'
0:15:51 > 0:15:54So there's two woks and a wok ring and a rice steamer.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57'So Granny's in charge of feeding the family.'
0:15:57 > 0:16:01Lulu cooks for six, in a kitchen the size of a broom cupboard,
0:16:01 > 0:16:03and tonight, we're squeezing in.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07'First, a bitter melon, pork and black bean stir-fry.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10'Bitter melon is a bit like courgette, er, but bitter.'
0:16:10 > 0:16:13- So this is...?- Palm sugar! - Palm sugar, yes.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15I think this is why it tastes good.
0:16:15 > 0:16:16That's a lot of palm sugar!
0:16:16 > 0:16:18- LULU SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE - I'm doing...
0:16:18 > 0:16:20SHE CONTINUES Some water.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22Some water?
0:16:22 > 0:16:25I don't think I've cooked over a very small Chinese grandma before.
0:16:25 > 0:16:26- It's brilliant.- Yeah.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32She must feel like it's like having the Gruffalo in the kitchen.
0:16:32 > 0:16:33She's fantastic.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Oh, look, now.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38- Jackie, now I know why you live at home.- Yeah.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44- And there's a chicken dish coming now.- Is there?!- Yeah.- Where from?!
0:16:44 > 0:16:47'This 70-year-old doesn't stop for a second.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51'Every night she cooks five or six different stir-fries, plus rice.'
0:16:51 > 0:16:52DAVE LAUGHS
0:16:52 > 0:16:55LULU LAUGHS
0:16:57 > 0:16:59- So what dish is this one? - Sweet-and-sour pork, Kingy.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02- It's sweet-and-sour pork... - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:17:02 > 0:17:03- With sweet-and-sour sauce. - Ah, yeah!
0:17:03 > 0:17:08'Ah, love it! Lulu knows just how to make these Englishmen
0:17:08 > 0:17:09'feel right at home.'
0:17:09 > 0:17:11Like magic.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15- She's got stuff hidden everywhere! - It's brilliant.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19- Right, this is the sweet-and-sour sauce.- This is it.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21Juliennes of carrot, right?
0:17:21 > 0:17:24I've always wanted to know how to make proper sweet-and-sour sauce.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27- Everybody loves it. - Yes, pineapple now.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Ohhh, look!
0:17:31 > 0:17:35- And the peppers.- Yeah, peppers.- Ooh, you can smell... Lovely.- I like it.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37Hurray!
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Wow, very big.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41BIKERS AND JACKIE: Ohhh!
0:17:41 > 0:17:43- Tomato ketchup.- Yeah, ketchup!
0:17:43 > 0:17:45Oh! Crumbs.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48That's three quarters of a bottle tomato ketchup.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50I think it is a whole bottle of ketchup, Kingy.
0:17:50 > 0:17:55'Crumbs. Dude, that's 700 calories in the tomato sauce alone.'
0:17:55 > 0:17:58'Do you know, sweet-and-sour pork's been on Chinese menus in Britain
0:17:58 > 0:18:00'since 1908?'
0:18:00 > 0:18:02This is so sweet and savoury and...
0:18:02 > 0:18:05- Smells fantastic. - It does, doesn't it?
0:18:06 > 0:18:08'I'm telling you, this one's definitely sweet.'
0:18:08 > 0:18:11- Ah, look at those.- Fantastic, Kingy.
0:18:11 > 0:18:12Beautiful.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14'This family feast
0:18:14 > 0:18:17'has only taken Granny Lulu 45 minutes to rustle up.'
0:18:18 > 0:18:21Now I feel as though I've arrived in Hong Kong.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25Yes, it doesn't get more traditional than a family meal.
0:18:25 > 0:18:26So let's start.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31That's fantastic, that sauce.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34- So nice and crispy.- Mm.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36You are a good cook, aren't you, Lulu?
0:18:36 > 0:18:38JACKIE TRANSLATES
0:18:38 > 0:18:41SHE REPLIES IN OWN LANGUAGE
0:18:41 > 0:18:42You must love her, man.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45THEY LAUGH
0:18:45 > 0:18:48And, you know, this super-gran isn't just a genius cook.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52- Did Lulu look after you?- When I was young, yeah.- Yeah?- Yeah.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54HE TRANSLATES
0:18:54 > 0:18:55Yes, yeah.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57THEY LAUGH
0:18:57 > 0:19:01When I'm the baby, yeah. When I'm a baby.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04I've been living with my grandma for 19 years.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07'Grandparents living in to help out working parents
0:19:07 > 0:19:09'is a really common set-up in Hong Kong.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14'And Jackie's dad is a manager at a computer parts factory
0:19:14 > 0:19:16'over the Chinese border.'
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Do you work during the week in China,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21- and you come back to Hong Kong at the weekends?- Yes.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26- Because in Hong Kong, it's a lot of factory...- Yeah.
0:19:26 > 0:19:27There's not any factory.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30That's why many people have to work in the mainland.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34- So there's really no manufacturing base in Hong Kong at all?- Yeah.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37- It's all in China now? - Yes. It's all in China now, yes.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40The food is just so good.
0:19:40 > 0:19:46- And produced in next to no time, in the smallest, smallest space.- Yep.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50But bundles and spoonfuls of love and care,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53and that was beautiful to see.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56- Thank you very, very much. - Yeah, you're welcome.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59JACKIE SPEAKS IN OWN LANGUAGE ..you're welcome.
0:19:59 > 0:20:00SHE TRIES TO REPEAT
0:20:00 > 0:20:03SIMON CHEERS, THEY LAUGH AND CLAP
0:20:03 > 0:20:04Try again.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06(SLOWLY) You are welcome.
0:20:06 > 0:20:07You are welcome.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10THEY ALL CHEER
0:20:10 > 0:20:14- Man, your granny is the coolest granny.- She is the coolest granny.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19- Every night, Jackie sits down to that!- Yeah.- I mean, fantastic.
0:20:19 > 0:20:20- It was a banquet.- It was.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Cor, I bet Dad looks forward to coming back from China
0:20:22 > 0:20:24- for the weekend. - I bet he does as well.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28But, you know, it also... It gives Lulu a place within the family.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31- Yeah.- Every night, I bet she puts that down with pride.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34- Oh, yeah, absolutely. - It's her role, it is her worth.
0:20:34 > 0:20:35- Yeah.- Proper family.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38And I bet there's loads of people here that do exactly the same
0:20:38 > 0:20:40- as we've been in receipt of in that flat, man.- Yeah.
0:20:40 > 0:20:45It's funny to think that 6,000 miles away in Britain, people are
0:20:45 > 0:20:49tucking in to sweet-and-sour pork just like Lulu's.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52- Well, thank you, Hong Kong. - Lulu, we love you.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04Hong Kong is impressive enough by day,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07but at night, the skyline comes into its own.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12We've headed for Temple Street in Kowloon.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15One of the city's biggest night markets.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20- You could fill a truck, couldn't you?- Oh, aye. It's everything.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22- THEY LAUGH - You dance like that, dude.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26See?
0:21:27 > 0:21:30'The people here don't just believe in bargains, though, do they?
0:21:30 > 0:21:32'They believe in fate, too.'
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Are you superstitious, Kingy?
0:21:36 > 0:21:37I am, mate, a bit, yeah. Are you?
0:21:37 > 0:21:40I am, I am, but not half as much as the Chinese people.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44I mean, fortune-telling, astrology, customs, superstition.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47Yeah? Well, apparently, before any big event in their lives,
0:21:47 > 0:21:49they always go to a fortune teller.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53- I'll tell you your fortune for nowt.- What?- Look into my eyes...
0:21:53 > 0:21:57- You are going on a long journey. - Oh. So are you, come to that!
0:21:57 > 0:22:02'There's a whole load of ways to see into the future, here, Si.'
0:22:02 > 0:22:06Which one shall we go for? Shall we go for tarot, a kind of palms...
0:22:06 > 0:22:08I'll have my palm done, I think.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11'Yeah, but nobody could say, dude, our lack of lingo puts us off,
0:22:11 > 0:22:13'though, could they? No.'
0:22:13 > 0:22:17'Now, pay attention, Kingy, because this man has a gift that
0:22:17 > 0:22:20'allows him to see deep into the core of my being.'
0:22:20 > 0:22:22Aha.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24My head?
0:22:24 > 0:22:25PALM READER SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:22:25 > 0:22:28'And he realises that you're stark raving bonkers.'
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Oh, right. Oh, thank God for that.
0:22:50 > 0:22:51PALM READER SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:22:51 > 0:22:54- What did he say?- Thank you.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56He said smashing long life and prosperity.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59- Oh. That's all right, then. - Everything, yeah, is smashing.
0:22:59 > 0:23:00Well, that's good.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02'Right. Now it's my turn.'
0:23:04 > 0:23:08'Simon King, surely you're not entrusting your fate to a budgie?'
0:23:08 > 0:23:11'Well, yeah, but these are specially trained
0:23:11 > 0:23:13'fortune-telling lovebirds, you know.'
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Go on, mate. Pick one out. Pick a good'un.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23Didn't want to come out. Ooh. That one looks keen, this one.
0:23:23 > 0:23:24No, it's away back in.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26WOMAN SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:23:28 > 0:23:29It's not going well.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33The one in the middle looks like he's up for it.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35BIRD CHIRPS
0:23:35 > 0:23:38He's nearly got... Oh!
0:23:38 > 0:23:40Is it good? What does it say?
0:23:47 > 0:23:48- Free!- I'm free?
0:23:51 > 0:23:53Ah, right. Smashing.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11- Seemed all right, that, didn't it? - Yeah, and the bird was positive.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13It was a very positive movement.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19- Thank you very much.- Thank you. Bye-bye.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24'Dave, you know I'm a bit psychic too, you know? Oh, yeah.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29'I predict that next we will stumble across Hong Kong's
0:24:29 > 0:24:30'most popular takeaway.'
0:24:30 > 0:24:32'And I predict it won't be something
0:24:32 > 0:24:34'you'll see on our takeaway menus at home.'
0:24:34 > 0:24:37- Curried fish balls!- Yes!
0:24:37 > 0:24:43Now, 37 million of these are eaten every single day in Hong Kong.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45SHE SPEAKS IN OWN LANGUAGE
0:24:45 > 0:24:47Thank you.
0:24:47 > 0:24:48What did she say?
0:24:48 > 0:24:49"Do you want them in a pot?"
0:24:49 > 0:24:52HAIRY BIKERS LAUGH
0:24:52 > 0:24:55'These fish balls, made from ground-up whitefish,
0:24:55 > 0:25:00'are a cheap, filling snack which first appeared here in the 1950s.'
0:25:00 > 0:25:01'And, about the same time,
0:25:01 > 0:25:04'Chinese restaurants in the UK started doing takeaways too.'
0:25:04 > 0:25:07- Chilli oil.- Chilli sauce.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13Well, this is it. Our first fish ball in Hong Kong.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15THE most popular ball on the planet.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20Chilli sauce is hot. They're nice.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23They're like...
0:25:23 > 0:25:27boiled fish paste, put together, glued together into a ball.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32OK, I've overdone the chilli. Oh...
0:25:32 > 0:25:33Whoo!
0:25:36 > 0:25:39They're like fish Maltesers. Do you know what I mean?
0:25:39 > 0:25:41- (MUFFLED) They are, aren't they? - They are!
0:25:41 > 0:25:42'Curried fish balls.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45'Now, you don't see those down the Golden Chopsticks.'
0:25:53 > 0:25:55'I'm in love!
0:25:55 > 0:25:59'I reckon, you know, Dave, our adventure's off to a flying start.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02'We've tasted real Chinese cooking here in Hong Kong, and found
0:26:02 > 0:26:05'that they love our favourite foods just as much as we do.'
0:26:06 > 0:26:08'And today we're getting to grips
0:26:08 > 0:26:11'with a cornerstone of Cantonese cuisine.
0:26:11 > 0:26:16'The delicious dumplings and other bite-size morsels known as dim sum.'
0:26:17 > 0:26:18Now, we both love dim sum,
0:26:18 > 0:26:23but Hong Kong is like the spiritual capital of dim sum.
0:26:23 > 0:26:24Food for the heart.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27'There's a restaurant serving these parcels of steamed, boiled
0:26:27 > 0:26:31'or fried perfection in every Chinatown around the world.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35'Best served between breakfast and lunch time,
0:26:35 > 0:26:39'some folk reckon dim sum are the original brunch.'
0:26:39 > 0:26:43'These days, going out for dim sum here is a bit like Sunday lunch is
0:26:43 > 0:26:47'to us - a chance to catch up with your family and have a blow-out.'
0:26:47 > 0:26:51'We've talked way into the kitchen of one of Hong Kong's
0:26:51 > 0:26:55'most authentic dim sum houses to see some masters at work.'
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Could you ask Mr Lai how long he's been doing this for?
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Because he looks very, very skilled.
0:27:01 > 0:27:02HE TRANSLATES
0:27:02 > 0:27:04MR LAI REPLIES
0:27:06 > 0:27:13- He became a dim sum master for more than 40 years.- 40 years?- 40 years!
0:27:13 > 0:27:18- Yes.- This is the place to come for dumplings and good dim sum.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21'These guys are serious craftsmen.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24'They have to learn over 300 different dishes
0:27:24 > 0:27:28'and feed over 700 hungry mouths a day.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31'The biggest sellers are steamed barbecued pork buns
0:27:31 > 0:27:33'called cha siu.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35'And har gow, a clear,
0:27:35 > 0:27:38'bonnet-shaped dumpling filled with shrimp and bamboo shoots.'
0:27:38 > 0:27:41That is a beautiful thing.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44I mean, if Penelope Cruz was a dumpling, that would be Penelope.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47'The instant the dim sum are cooked,
0:27:47 > 0:27:50'the baskets are banged onto serving trolleys.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53'The ladies known as aunties, push them around the restaurant,
0:27:53 > 0:27:55'shouting their wares
0:27:55 > 0:27:58'and doling out dumplings to hungry punters who tip them the wink.'
0:27:58 > 0:28:00'And today, we get to turn trolley dolly.'
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Does this make me an auntie?
0:28:03 > 0:28:05'Wagon dragons, more like, dude.'
0:28:05 > 0:28:07I'll tie you round the back.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11Listen, are you going to be a miserable auntie or a happy auntie?
0:28:11 > 0:28:15- I think I'm going to go traditional. - What do you mean?
0:28:15 > 0:28:17- They're kind of quite stern, really. - SI LAUGHS
0:28:17 > 0:28:18'I tell you what, dude,
0:28:18 > 0:28:21'it's going to take more than a stern look to win this challenge,
0:28:21 > 0:28:22'Auntie Dave.'
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Cha siu mai, kai pao chai!
0:28:27 > 0:28:30- Yes?- OK. What would you like?
0:28:30 > 0:28:34Cha siu mai, kai pao chai!
0:28:34 > 0:28:37There you go. That was three. Thank you.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41'A hat-trick! I'm cleaning up with my trolley dolly charm offensive, you know.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43'Take that, Myers, get in!'
0:28:43 > 0:28:45Thank you.
0:28:45 > 0:28:46Bye-bye.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50'I guess it just goes to show that when food's this good,
0:28:50 > 0:28:52'it sells itself.'
0:28:52 > 0:28:55It's easy being an auntie.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58Plus it's so good, people love it.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00And I think I've got two of their favourites -
0:29:00 > 0:29:03cha siu mai, kai pao chai.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07'These little dumpling numbers are selling like a...
0:29:07 > 0:29:08'well, hot dumplings.'
0:29:12 > 0:29:15- You give us the wrong dim sum.- Oh.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18- We wanted cha siu bao, but you gave us...- Kai pao chai?
0:29:18 > 0:29:20'Whoops!
0:29:20 > 0:29:23'Dumpling identification fail!'
0:29:23 > 0:29:25- Ah, yes, thank you.- Thank you.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28'That's the last of me baskets gone!
0:29:28 > 0:29:30'Looks like a win for the Kingy.'
0:29:30 > 0:29:33- Oh, in record time, Kingy. Boom!- Host!
0:29:33 > 0:29:36Yeah, hostess trolley. Smashing.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39'Seems like we're naturals when it comes to smelling dim sum.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42'I just hope making them comes as easy.'
0:29:43 > 0:29:46'First we need some ingredients,
0:29:46 > 0:29:49'so we're heading for Hong Kong's back garden.
0:29:49 > 0:29:53'The fishing village of Sai Kung, in the New Territories,
0:29:53 > 0:29:54'for a spot of shopping.'
0:29:54 > 0:29:58It's one of the most popular places for locals to kick back
0:29:58 > 0:30:01and indulge their voracious appetite for all things fishy.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04There's a whole culture of it here. You walk along the prom,
0:30:04 > 0:30:06look at the beautiful scenery,
0:30:06 > 0:30:09you pick your fresh fish, you pick your fresh shellfish,
0:30:09 > 0:30:11and then you nang it.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14Yeah, it's the ultimate pick 'n' mix seafood platter.
0:30:14 > 0:30:18We'd like to say, with a plethora of fishing boats just there,
0:30:18 > 0:30:21that it's all locally caught and there's no food miles
0:30:21 > 0:30:24but the truth is, loads of this stuff comes from China.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27Hong Kong is so built up and it's so overpopulated,
0:30:27 > 0:30:32it eats its way through a phenomenal amount of fresh fish.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36It's not just fish. 95% of all groceries are imported here,
0:30:36 > 0:30:38so living ain't cheap.
0:30:38 > 0:30:42And we're after some super-fresh seafood to make dim sum.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44So I hope you've got your wallet.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49What a fantastic way to go out and get your ingredients!
0:30:49 > 0:30:52It doesn't get much fresher, but how the hell do we ask for
0:30:52 > 0:30:55six bouncing fresh jumbo-sized prawns in Cantonese?
0:30:55 > 0:30:59SI ATTEMPTS TO SPEAK IN CANTONESE
0:30:59 > 0:31:01Those ones. Go up a bit.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03Not that one.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06HE REPLIES IN OWN LANGUAGE
0:31:06 > 0:31:08Yes! Yes. Good.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10Thank you.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13He wants 200.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15- We've only got 100.- Hey?
0:31:15 > 0:31:19- 200 - that's 20 quid for six prawns. - That's ridiculous.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22That's like a major department store in London prices.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25- It's local at the source, isn't it? - Go on, use your Geordie charm.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29Right. Well, no, we don't want your hat, we just want the prawns!
0:31:29 > 0:31:32100! For the pra... Hello! 100.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34Is he telling us what I think he's telling us?
0:31:34 > 0:31:36There's no need to be rude! Two?
0:31:36 > 0:31:37Yeah, two.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40Yeah.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44OK. Oh, great, great, great. He didn't see the other 100. Smashing.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48- Ah! So you don't have to climb down. - Excellent.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52- Hey! Great.- One!
0:31:52 > 0:31:55DAVE LAUGHS
0:31:56 > 0:31:58Look at that. Hey?
0:31:58 > 0:32:00Oh, we get change.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02BOTH: Ah!
0:32:02 > 0:32:04Thank you!
0:32:04 > 0:32:09It was an amazing way to buy prawns but it wasn't cheap.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13Cheap or not, dude, I'm sure they'll be belter in our dim sum recipe.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17Here we are with the South China Seas behind us.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20Yeah! We're doing dim sum Sai Kung style!
0:32:20 > 0:32:24I'll be making a lotus leaf parcel with a mouthwatering meat filling
0:32:24 > 0:32:26encased in rice.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30And I'm going to do scrumptious prawn and crab dumplings.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34But first, we need the necessary Cantonese cooking implements.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38# Everybody was kung fu fighting... #
0:32:38 > 0:32:40Where did they come from?
0:32:40 > 0:32:43- These are good for small work. - Good for big work.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46- Good for medium-sized work. - Good for mashing.- Good for prepping.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49They're good for shaving yourself when you lose your razor.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52- Everything can be done with your Chinese chopper.- Indeedy.
0:32:52 > 0:32:57First, I'm chopping chicken and pork loin to make the filling
0:32:57 > 0:33:00for my lotus leaf recipe. Now, I haven't been too particular
0:33:00 > 0:33:02about trimming the fat off this,
0:33:02 > 0:33:04because the fat will seep into the rice
0:33:04 > 0:33:06and give it additional flavour.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09Fire up the wok and get some garlic in.
0:33:09 > 0:33:14You kind of frizzle the garlic. Don't worry if it gets burnt.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17Again, that's one of the things he says - don't burn the garlic.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20- It's kind of all right with this. - 30 seconds. Wait till it goes crispy
0:33:20 > 0:33:23and then cook off the meat.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25That just needs to be coloured through.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29Lovely.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31This is a lap cheong sausage.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33Wah-hah!
0:33:33 > 0:33:37They're a sweet sausage, full of fat, really, really, really nice.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40If you can't get to an Oriental supermarket,
0:33:40 > 0:33:42try using sweet-cured bacon.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47So it's not too meaty, we're adding some mushrooms to the filling mix.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52DAVE STRAINS
0:33:52 > 0:33:55- This wouldn't happen to Rick Stein, would it?- It wouldn't.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58He-yah!
0:33:58 > 0:34:00I'm making a sauce for the meat
0:34:00 > 0:34:02starting with rice wine.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04Isn't that a bobby dazzler?
0:34:04 > 0:34:07Drink your wine and then make a lamp.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10This is going to help the lotus wrap filling stick together.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12Add some soy sauce and cornflour
0:34:12 > 0:34:15and that's job done.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17And watch it go thick.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25It sticks together lovely so that'll be perfect
0:34:25 > 0:34:26for our parcels.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30We let that cool for about... It'll take about half an hour.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32But what we are going to do is dress that
0:34:32 > 0:34:38with just a splash of sesame oil. Give it that extra bit of doodah.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41So that's the inside of Si's wrap sorted.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44Now I need to start on my seafood dim sum.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48The filling for the prawn and crab dumplings
0:34:48 > 0:34:51is an assembly of fine flavours and fruits of the sea.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53I have a lovely dressed crab here.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55Pop that into a bowl.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59These perfect prawns need chopping up.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02Then add some garlic, ginger,
0:35:02 > 0:35:06dried orange peel and water chestnuts before thickening the mix
0:35:06 > 0:35:08with the old cornflour and water trick.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12And the prawns are quite sort of gelatinous.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14When that mixes with the cornflour,
0:35:14 > 0:35:16hopefully they should be quite easy
0:35:16 > 0:35:18to mould into my little dumpling cases.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22Add chopped carrots and spring onions for a bit of colour.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24Look at that.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26It's like a mosaic. It's like a terrazzo floor
0:35:26 > 0:35:28in a Victorian vestibule.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30That's lovely, that, dude, lovely.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34Let's make dumplings.
0:35:34 > 0:35:36And I've got a dumpling dabbler.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39People use them for packing your dumplings. I'm making my dumplings
0:35:39 > 0:35:43with won ton skins, which you buy in packs of 50.
0:35:43 > 0:35:48I've put a little spoonful of the mixture in the middle
0:35:48 > 0:35:51and I've painted cornflour and water around the edge.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53I pick up my doodah...
0:35:54 > 0:35:57Little pleaty, like so...
0:35:59 > 0:36:01Get it quite firm
0:36:01 > 0:36:03and dab it down.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05And that's number one.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11My dim sum are parcels wrapped in a lotus leaf.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14I'm using cold cooked rice.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16Into the middle...
0:36:16 > 0:36:19we put our lovely mixture.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22A little bit more rice on the top, there.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29Then what we do is, we gather it all together...
0:36:30 > 0:36:33You can buy lotus leaves at Oriental supermarkets
0:36:33 > 0:36:37or, alternatively, use grease-proof paper instead.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40Little parcel.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42All ready to get steaming, Kingy?
0:36:44 > 0:36:48Make sure they don't touch or they'll stick together.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50And they both take 15 minutes to steam,
0:36:50 > 0:36:53cos the rice is cooked already.
0:36:53 > 0:36:54They look amazing.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56It's definitely food for the heart.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00Well, Kingy, "dim sum" actually means a drop ON the heart,
0:37:00 > 0:37:04because they were meant to be eaten as a snack, not a main meal.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09- Shall we?- I think so.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12Oh, little bundles of joy, Mr King.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14How fabulous.
0:37:15 > 0:37:20Whoa! How lovely does that little melange look?
0:37:20 > 0:37:23Si...
0:37:23 > 0:37:24Whoa!
0:37:27 > 0:37:30They are flaming lovely.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32- They've got some life, haven't they?- Cor, yeah.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36- Boom!- Boom! Yeah, nice. The carrots are there, you've got crunch,
0:37:36 > 0:37:37the water chestnuts.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39That's lovely.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42You could have the most wonderful dim sum party,
0:37:42 > 0:37:44all sorts of different types of dumplings
0:37:44 > 0:37:47and you can do all the work before your guests are there.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50When your guests arrive, in the steamers, Bob's your uncle,
0:37:50 > 0:37:53- 50 minutes later - serve it. - Great. Oh, that's chewy.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58- Oh.- Oh, man.- They are good.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16Jousahn - that's Cantonese for "good morning", that is.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23And what a morning, dude! Back in the thick of it.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26Monday rush hour on Hong Kong Island.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28It's mayhem in this mega city.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30Hundreds of thousands of people
0:38:30 > 0:38:33are hurrying into the Central District
0:38:33 > 0:38:35for work in the skyscrapers.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39But we're here to find out what Hong Kongers eat in the morning.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42I like the look of this for breakfast, Si.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45- Oh, it's fabulous, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48- It smells of Asia!- Fish. I can smell fish.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51Can you believe it? A quarter of locals here
0:38:51 > 0:38:54have their morning meal out at least five times a week.
0:38:54 > 0:38:55And Dave and I have heard
0:38:55 > 0:39:00the locals are rather partial to a good old-fashioned fry-up.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02- There's Suzie.- Hey!- There she is!
0:39:02 > 0:39:05- Hey, Suzie. - I've been waiting for over two hours!
0:39:05 > 0:39:08- You cannot be. You haven't got a watch on.- So, if you want to eat?
0:39:08 > 0:39:10- I'm starving.- Yeah.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13All you two need is a fishing rod!
0:39:13 > 0:39:16You have to help me down. Oh, I love you!
0:39:16 > 0:39:18SHE CHUCKLES
0:39:20 > 0:39:22Hong Kong celebrity Suzie Wong
0:39:22 > 0:39:25is going to show us how she likes to start the day.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30You see? This is how this man makes tea.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33- Oh, yeah, look!- So we have a stocking.- A silk stocking!
0:39:33 > 0:39:35Yes, silk stocking.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38Back in the good old days of the jolly Empire,
0:39:38 > 0:39:42the English love of a brew filtered through to the local population.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45Now they reckon that straining the tea eight times through what
0:39:45 > 0:39:49looks like my old granny's nylons makes the tea taste silkier.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53This place is called a cha chaan teng.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55A load of them opened up in colonial times
0:39:55 > 0:39:58and they're still popular today.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01It's as close to a greasy spoon as you'll get here,
0:40:01 > 0:40:03serving mixed-up comfort foods to locals who want
0:40:03 > 0:40:06a taste of Western grub on the cheap.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10I guess, to them, it's a bit like chop suey and chips is to us.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13A bit of what you know and a bit of what you don't.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15There's a Spam noodle.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18- Spam noodles?- Yes! Spam noodles.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20# Spam, beautiful Spam!
0:40:20 > 0:40:22# Beautiful Spam... #
0:40:22 > 0:40:25- This is brilliant. - Now this is the French toast.- Oh!
0:40:25 > 0:40:27I tell you, the tea...
0:40:27 > 0:40:30The eight-time passing...
0:40:30 > 0:40:33It certainly draws the mouth.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37- Wow.- Egg sandwich. - Oh, egg butties!- Corned beef?!
0:40:37 > 0:40:40- Corned beef!- It's white bread, sliced, with the crusts off.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43Fundamentally, that's a corned beef savoury sandwich.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47- This is a Pot Noodle with Spam and a fried egg.- Yeah.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49It's very westernised.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51Are you going to have a try?
0:40:52 > 0:40:55I'll give some to you.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58- Have a bite.- Aw, look at this, Kingy.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01It's a Hong Kong breakfast club sandwich.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04Corned beef, egg, four slices white processed.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06Double-decker, dude. Class.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08SI AND SUZIE LAUGH
0:41:08 > 0:41:11- It's not bad.- Isn't it?- No.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14- It's interesting. It's not full of expats in here.- No.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17I thought it'd be full of crusty old colonels
0:41:17 > 0:41:20that had been left behind, having their bully beef and egg butties.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23It's fascinating, isn't it, that you have these kind of echoes
0:41:23 > 0:41:26- of the cuisine of the past... from 100 years ago.- Hmm.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30You can see how important to a lot of nations Hong Kong was,
0:41:30 > 0:41:34and from that, you get these multi layers of food
0:41:34 > 0:41:37from different places around the world, different influences
0:41:37 > 0:41:40brought in, and kind of mish-mashed together
0:41:40 > 0:41:42in this mad city cuisine. It's nuts!
0:41:42 > 0:41:44- Come on, let's have a go.- Yeah.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46It is, um...
0:41:46 > 0:41:48How do you like it?
0:41:48 > 0:41:53It's strange, because the luncheon meat is quite kind of economy
0:41:53 > 0:41:57luncheon meat, and the noodles do seem to be quite kind of instant.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00Yeah, it is instant noodles.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04How come you're not touching your French toast?
0:42:04 > 0:42:07They're not worried about the calories, are they?
0:42:07 > 0:42:09It's all a bit, um... Ah.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16- There's something inside it.- What's the something inside?- Peanut butter.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19SHE CHUCKLES
0:42:19 > 0:42:21It's a fried white-bread
0:42:21 > 0:42:26peanut butter, eggy, syrupy, sweet, buttery,
0:42:26 > 0:42:28extra-butter sandwich.
0:42:28 > 0:42:29Exactly!
0:42:29 > 0:42:32This is the sort of food that killed Elvis.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34A minute on the lips...
0:42:34 > 0:42:36- BOTH:- ..a lifetime on the hips.- Oh!
0:42:36 > 0:42:41Trust the British to leave a legacy of corned beef and egg sandwiches,
0:42:41 > 0:42:43spam and egg noodles,
0:42:43 > 0:42:46and eggy bread! God bless 'em!
0:42:46 > 0:42:48It's interesting that in the same way
0:42:48 > 0:42:51we Brits have westernised Chinese cooking,
0:42:51 > 0:42:54the people here have adapted our food for their tastes.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57Well, that's not what you call an Asian treat, is it?
0:42:57 > 0:43:01- No.- I mean, it's interesting, it's a legacy that we Brits left behind,
0:43:01 > 0:43:04but I did feel it's come back to haunt me.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07It's still coming back to haunt me, I tell you! That's wrong.
0:43:07 > 0:43:09I wanted Asian adventure, not an egg sandwich.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12- We need to go and find something local.- Something bright.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15I've got just the thing - noodles!
0:43:17 > 0:43:21Of course, Hong Kong's the place that brought us Brits
0:43:21 > 0:43:23this key Cantonese ingredient.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27And we've wangled a rare invite
0:43:27 > 0:43:31into the back room of the Lau Sum Key noodle house in Kowloon
0:43:31 > 0:43:34to learn the secrets of making the ultimate heritage noodle.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38You know, Kingy, what I'm excited about
0:43:38 > 0:43:41is, for years, the first Chinese food I ever tasted as a kid
0:43:41 > 0:43:44was in my local takeaway
0:43:44 > 0:43:46- and it was chow mein.- Yeah? - It was noodles.
0:43:46 > 0:43:50And it was the way the noodles were just fried on the bottom of the pan
0:43:50 > 0:43:52and they were soft on the top
0:43:52 > 0:43:54and there was something special,
0:43:54 > 0:43:57and to wait kind of 40 years
0:43:57 > 0:43:59to have the real thing, it's so worth it.
0:43:59 > 0:44:04This place opened in 1931 and the family business
0:44:04 > 0:44:07has been handed down from father to son,
0:44:07 > 0:44:11ending up today in the hands of noodle artiste Jason.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14JASON SPEAKS IN OWN LANGUAGE
0:44:14 > 0:44:15How many?
0:44:15 > 0:44:18About 30, 35.
0:44:18 > 0:44:19- 35?- 30?
0:44:19 > 0:44:22Duck eggs are going to make it really rich, aren't they?
0:44:22 > 0:44:25The colour of those yolks is going to go through the noodles. Fabulous.
0:44:25 > 0:44:28It's good to see you get cracking, Kingy.
0:44:28 > 0:44:30Did you have to?!
0:44:30 > 0:44:31SI CHUCKLES
0:44:32 > 0:44:36All that's in these noodles is eggs, flour and water.
0:44:36 > 0:44:38Not mixed, but pressed into a dough.
0:44:38 > 0:44:41How old were you when you started making noodles?
0:44:41 > 0:44:45- 11 years old.- 11?- Yeah. - Do you like making noodles?
0:44:45 > 0:44:47I like doing this now,
0:44:47 > 0:44:50but when I was young boy, I don't like this.
0:44:50 > 0:44:52THEY LAUGH
0:44:53 > 0:44:55So far, so normal.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58Having worked the dough to activate the gluten,
0:44:58 > 0:45:00it's time for Jason's party trick.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04OK.
0:45:07 > 0:45:08THEY LAUGH
0:45:08 > 0:45:13Well, I can honestly say I've never seen a rodeo technique of noodle making before.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16Yee-ha! Saddle up, cowboy!
0:45:16 > 0:45:20The pressure of kneading with the bamboo and Jason's body weight
0:45:20 > 0:45:24makes for a denser noodle with a springy texture...apparently.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29And he's agreed to see just how dense
0:45:29 > 0:45:32two hairy bikers can bum bounce his noodles.
0:45:32 > 0:45:36I'll just pull me pants up. So, like, the crease in your bum...
0:45:36 > 0:45:38- No, not your bum, your thigh. - No, that's what I'm doing.
0:45:40 > 0:45:42Oh, I'm a machine, dude. I'm a machine.
0:45:42 > 0:45:47- You're getting good compression. - I'm not surprised, there's about 20st of Geordie on the end of it.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54I never thought I'd see the day when you were pole dancing.
0:45:54 > 0:45:58Very flaming funny! Get on here. Hey? Get on.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01And don't break his pole.
0:46:01 > 0:46:03- Right.- That's it. That's it.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06Yeah, let gravity work.
0:46:06 > 0:46:09Steady on, Madame Butterfly! Have you had dance training?
0:46:09 > 0:46:13It's funny you should mention it. It's all about the posture, in't it?
0:46:13 > 0:46:15Keep your back straight, eyes forward.
0:46:18 > 0:46:21Once the dough's been ridden to within 3mm of its life,
0:46:21 > 0:46:26it's on to grandad's original cutting machine for noodle formation.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28- Wow!- Wow!
0:46:28 > 0:46:31It's a really, really strong dough, isn't it, Kingy?
0:46:31 > 0:46:34- Yes, mate.- And that means you can cut it really fine.
0:46:34 > 0:46:38Do you know what, they're a beautiful from of foodstuff, aren't they?
0:46:38 > 0:46:41- Yeah.- I mean they look... so beautiful.
0:46:45 > 0:46:49And long may the bamboo-pole method of noodle making continue.
0:46:51 > 0:46:52I'll second that, Kingy.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00The Pearl River!
0:47:00 > 0:47:04You know, there's so much more to Hong Kong than the city.
0:47:09 > 0:47:13We're heading out to the fishing village of Taikoo.
0:47:13 > 0:47:18For hundreds of years, the Tanka people have made a living here salting and drying fish.
0:47:20 > 0:47:24Their open-plan stilted houses over the tidal flats
0:47:24 > 0:47:28are a world away from the high-rises of the city.
0:47:28 > 0:47:30Hey, Si, you know how Hong Kong
0:47:30 > 0:47:34would have been all sleepy fishing villages like this till the Brits arrived?
0:47:34 > 0:47:38Back then, it only had a population of just 1,500.
0:47:38 > 0:47:40I know, mate, it's mad to think
0:47:40 > 0:47:43that there would have been English policemen in khaki shorts
0:47:43 > 0:47:46in that colonial police station over there.
0:47:46 > 0:47:49And that's where we're going to do some cooking.
0:47:49 > 0:47:53We're going to do possibly the best egg fried rice you've ever tasted.
0:47:53 > 0:47:58- Don't say, "Oh, no, I don't like egg fried rice!"- Listen, this is a minter.- It is.- It's brilliant!
0:47:58 > 0:48:02We're going to do our own crispy belly pork to start the egg fried rice off.
0:48:02 > 0:48:05Where could be better to roast some piggy than here in China,
0:48:05 > 0:48:09where they produce over half the world's pork?
0:48:09 > 0:48:13This piece is super fatty, so it should crisp up like a good 'un.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16But it needs a marinade.
0:48:16 > 0:48:22The dry ingredients are star anise, five-spice powder and salt.
0:48:22 > 0:48:24Just give that a little shoomozel.
0:48:24 > 0:48:26I love Sichuan peppercorns.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29It's like the culinary equivalent of local anaesthetic.
0:48:29 > 0:48:33- It is, isn't it?- And my department's the wet ingredients.
0:48:33 > 0:48:35Grate two cloves of garlic,
0:48:35 > 0:48:39some palm sugar and a thumb-sized piece of ginger.
0:48:39 > 0:48:42Why do people say that? I mean, whose thumb's that?!
0:48:43 > 0:48:47And we're going to marinate the pork in a plastic bag.
0:48:49 > 0:48:53- So that's our drys.- Invisible tennis ball. Go on, then. Go on.
0:48:53 > 0:48:55Thrown the invisible ball.
0:48:58 > 0:49:00Oh, nice catch, dude.
0:49:00 > 0:49:01Then add the wet stuff.
0:49:01 > 0:49:05Plus a spoon each of hoisin sauce and sesame oil.
0:49:05 > 0:49:07Just give it a good squidgy up.
0:49:11 > 0:49:12You pop that in.
0:49:13 > 0:49:16And then we're going to massage the pork.
0:49:16 > 0:49:20You know, you want a kind of... put Barry White on in your head.
0:49:20 > 0:49:24- You know, that kind of... Hey, baby! - BARRY WHITE PLAYS IN BACKGROUND
0:49:24 > 0:49:27- Go on. - THEY HUM
0:49:27 > 0:49:30# My everything. #
0:49:30 > 0:49:33Whoo, baby! Laying on the love!
0:49:34 > 0:49:36So look at that, no washing up.
0:49:36 > 0:49:39Then put it in a moderate oven, about 160 degrees Celsius,
0:49:39 > 0:49:41for an hour-and-a-half, an hour-and-three-quarters,
0:49:41 > 0:49:44until it's cooked through and maybe a little bit crispy.
0:49:44 > 0:49:48Obviously, take it out of the bag first.
0:49:48 > 0:49:52And there's just time to emulate our colonial forefathers.
0:49:52 > 0:49:56- We'd take a little kind of tea-time gin and tonic, wouldn't we there?- Yes.- Yes, on the terrace.
0:49:56 > 0:50:00- Oh, yes, once the sun set over the Empire.- Yes.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03- And fill ourselves full of quinine because of the malaria.- Yah!
0:50:03 > 0:50:06Oh, God! They're biting again tonight!
0:50:06 > 0:50:08Let's shoot something as well, that's a good chap.
0:50:08 > 0:50:11- Yes, we did a lot of that, didn't we?- Yes.- Yes.
0:50:15 > 0:50:20MUSIC: "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" by Noel Coward
0:50:20 > 0:50:22Yes.
0:50:23 > 0:50:26DAVE LAUGHS AND SNORTS
0:50:26 > 0:50:28- Cheers.- Cheers.
0:50:28 > 0:50:29Fabulous!
0:50:32 > 0:50:35- Cheers.- Cheers. It reminds me of Broadstairs.
0:50:37 > 0:50:42Come on, mate. The pork's got to be done by now.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52That's me belly pork.
0:50:52 > 0:50:53Oh! Beautiful!
0:50:53 > 0:50:57It's very sticky, it's icky, it's just as it should be.
0:50:58 > 0:51:02A mistake a lot of people make when they're doing egg fried rice
0:51:02 > 0:51:05is just to pop the eggs into the rice and it ends up being kind of soggy.
0:51:05 > 0:51:10You don't want that. Cook the eggs first in a kind of rolled up omelette.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13Shred it and put it in the eggs at the end, it's beautiful.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16Right, put that in there. Just throw it into the pan.
0:51:16 > 0:51:21First off, about two tablespoons of ground nut oil.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24Now, we've soaked some dried prawns to flavour the dish.
0:51:24 > 0:51:26Bung 'em in!
0:51:26 > 0:51:29Now to this, we want the garlic.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32One big clove finely sliced.
0:51:32 > 0:51:35- Pop that in.- I tell you what, mate, I'm going to come round this side
0:51:35 > 0:51:38- and see if I can be a bit of a shield, cos the wind's up.- Yeah.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41Because you want to get heat under a wok, you know.
0:51:41 > 0:51:45Now, take the pork... it's fantastic!
0:51:45 > 0:51:47Ah!
0:51:47 > 0:51:49Crushed Sichuan peppercorns.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52Chinese five-spice.
0:51:52 > 0:51:54And now the rice.
0:51:54 > 0:51:58Never use fresh rice, you want stone-cold leftover rice,
0:51:58 > 0:52:00cos you don't want it to go soggy.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03So what I often do is if I'm having rice the day before, say with a chilli,
0:52:03 > 0:52:05I'll do double rice.
0:52:10 > 0:52:14And now for the fresh prawns, which need less cooking time.
0:52:14 > 0:52:16If you're me, I dig for the prawns.
0:52:19 > 0:52:23- Wok-static in't it?- Hey, man, it's absolutely beautiful!
0:52:23 > 0:52:26And now the spring onions.
0:52:27 > 0:52:29And now the omelette.
0:52:31 > 0:52:34Look at the colours in that, though, it looks fabulous.
0:52:34 > 0:52:37- Well, some people call it rainbow rice, don't they?- Yeah.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42And lastly...a dressing of soy sauce.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50That...looks and smells epic.
0:52:52 > 0:52:55And where better to eat our seafood supper
0:52:55 > 0:52:58than here on the shore of the South China Sea?
0:52:59 > 0:53:03- Well, what a perfect end to a perfect day.- Mmm!
0:53:08 > 0:53:12Well, unfortunately, our adventure in Hong Kong is nearly over,
0:53:12 > 0:53:15but there's one last thing on our to-do list.
0:53:16 > 0:53:20It's nice to head out into the wild blue horizon!
0:53:20 > 0:53:25We're hooking up with The Mad Dogs, a Hong Kong biking club.
0:53:26 > 0:53:28Hey! You all right?
0:53:28 > 0:53:33- I used to have one of them! Yeah! - How you're doing?- Are you all right?
0:53:41 > 0:53:45They regularly get together at the weekend to bike out of the city
0:53:45 > 0:53:47and into the surrounding countryside.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49It's about an hour's ride to our destination,
0:53:49 > 0:53:53the Tai Chu Hut Temple near the Chinese border.
0:53:55 > 0:53:57SI GROANS
0:53:59 > 0:54:02- It's like a pressure cooker, in't it?- In't it?
0:54:02 > 0:54:04- Yeah. - THEY LAUGH
0:54:04 > 0:54:07What's the motorcycling scene like in Hong Kong?
0:54:07 > 0:54:09We have the luxury of some really beautiful mountains,
0:54:09 > 0:54:11some really beautiful closed roads.
0:54:11 > 0:54:14- And where we do get to ride is fantastic.- Yeah.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16It's not all motorway riding to get somewhere scenic,
0:54:16 > 0:54:20you step outside your door, ride for five minutes and you're in some beautiful countryside.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23Do you not run out of roads and places to go?
0:54:23 > 0:54:26Pretty much in two hours. It takes about two hours.
0:54:26 > 0:54:27LAUGHTER
0:54:27 > 0:54:31- Can you go into China and motorcycle there?- We're not allowed. - Unfortunately not.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33- Really?- Unfortunately not, no.
0:54:33 > 0:54:37- Why, what happens?- Perhaps we are too fast for the Chinese police.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39I don't know.
0:54:39 > 0:54:42There are 600 temples and shrines here in Hong Kong
0:54:42 > 0:54:46where the dominant religions are Taoism and Buddhism.
0:54:46 > 0:54:49This temple honours the sea goddess, Ting Hau,
0:54:49 > 0:54:51who is worshipped by both faiths.
0:54:53 > 0:54:56Here, The Mad Dogs are going to send us on our way
0:54:56 > 0:54:59with a traditional Chinese good-luck ceremony.
0:54:59 > 0:55:01- And this is a bissum? - Basically, yeah.
0:55:01 > 0:55:07This is our way of blessing journeys and houses and workplaces and all sorts of stuff.
0:55:07 > 0:55:11Expat biker Jeff is going to guide us through the bissum.
0:55:11 > 0:55:13Take three of these, sir.
0:55:13 > 0:55:16- Thank you.- And you get three of them.- Thank you. Thank you.
0:55:16 > 0:55:21- So then we approach...- So you light your incense stick.
0:55:21 > 0:55:24This ceremony worships the gods of the land and air
0:55:24 > 0:55:28and is typically performed for any new venture that might disturb them,
0:55:28 > 0:55:33a new business, construction project or event, for example.
0:55:33 > 0:55:36Or a couple of hairy bikers travelling through Asia.
0:55:36 > 0:55:39This sort of ceremony is really important in Hong Kong.
0:55:39 > 0:55:43No matter whether it's your house or your business, everyone will do this ceremony
0:55:43 > 0:55:48when they first move in to get rid of any evil spirits that may be around, or any bad feeling that's there.
0:55:48 > 0:55:52- Just to kind of exorcise it? - Yeah, absolutely.
0:55:52 > 0:55:54And after a while of living here, you kind of get drawn into it.
0:55:54 > 0:55:59And the more you hear people talk about it, the more real it becomes, I suppose.
0:55:59 > 0:56:01I'm off.
0:56:02 > 0:56:05To the Chinese, three is a lucky number,
0:56:05 > 0:56:07so we've got three incense sticks.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10Then we have to bow three times
0:56:10 > 0:56:14and then give the gods a drink of rice wine.
0:56:14 > 0:56:17And then bow to the sky and just pour a little bit on the floor.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23Next, an offering of roast pork.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26The way you cut the pig is very important too, isn't it?
0:56:26 > 0:56:30- It is, the position of the pig with the head facing the temple. - Yes.- Right.
0:56:30 > 0:56:33The way the pig is cut, the way it's served, everything has a meaning to it.
0:56:33 > 0:56:35Oh, so from the neck?
0:56:35 > 0:56:42Using the Chinese cleaver to cut the pig from top to tail in one fluid stroke signifies completion.
0:56:42 > 0:56:46And sharing the chopper means sharing the luck.
0:56:46 > 0:56:48Wah!
0:56:50 > 0:56:52Oh, thank you.
0:56:54 > 0:56:56Oh, wow!
0:56:56 > 0:57:01It's like the Hong Kong biker's equivalent to the bacon butty, do you know what I mean?
0:57:01 > 0:57:02Mmm! Thank you.
0:57:02 > 0:57:07Before we go, there's one last thing to keep the gods onside.
0:57:07 > 0:57:09The eternal financial flame.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12Offer them some paper money. That's alight.
0:57:14 > 0:57:16- What a great day, wasn't it? - Wasn't it just?
0:57:16 > 0:57:18I never expected all those people to turn up.
0:57:18 > 0:57:21What was cool was people were joining us as we were riding through,
0:57:21 > 0:57:24- it was just brilliant, weren't it? - Yeah.
0:57:24 > 0:57:26And actually we were amongst ex-pats,
0:57:26 > 0:57:32but they're ex-pats who have adopted the culture, appreciated it and get a lot out of it, you know.
0:57:32 > 0:57:34- And that pork was good, wasn't it? - Excellent.
0:57:34 > 0:57:37Aye, pork crackling and a joss stick.
0:57:37 > 0:57:41Well, hopefully we're guaranteed a bit of safety on the rest of the trip.
0:57:41 > 0:57:44- Thank you.- Yeah, thank you very much.
0:57:44 > 0:57:47Our time in Hong Kong has come to an end.
0:57:47 > 0:57:50You know, it's kind of reassuring that the Chinese dishes
0:57:50 > 0:57:54we love back home are so important to Hong Kongers too.
0:57:54 > 0:58:00Yes, I've also realised, Dave, it's easy to take Chinese food for granted.
0:58:00 > 0:58:03It's so simple, just fresh ingredients cooked quickly.
0:58:03 > 0:58:06And you know what, mate, that its beauty.
0:58:08 > 0:58:11Our journey to discover the roots of Britain's favourite food
0:58:11 > 0:58:14continues next week when we hit...
0:58:14 > 0:58:16Thailand!
0:58:16 > 0:58:19# One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster! #
0:58:24 > 0:58:27But will our efforts to cook Thai food impress the locals?
0:58:27 > 0:58:29- Good. Very good.- Good. Good.
0:58:29 > 0:58:31- Oh! Champion.- Champion!
0:58:31 > 0:58:34LAUGHTER