Field Trip with Curtis Stone: Hong Kong
Special | 56m 49sVideo has Closed Captions
Curtis visits Hong Kong to explore a food scene that balances tradition and modernity.
Curtis heads to Hong Kong where he discovers the overlapping influences of tradition and a modern food scene that carries a deep respect for the past. Folding dumplings with a master who has been at it for 40 years, exploring jars of ancient ingredients, and facing up to a martial art legend whose most famous student was Bruce Lee, Curtis reconciles the balance between the old and the new.
Field Trip with Curtis Stone: Hong Kong is presented by your local public television station.
Distributed nationally by American Public Television
Field Trip with Curtis Stone: Hong Kong
Special | 56m 49sVideo has Closed Captions
Curtis heads to Hong Kong where he discovers the overlapping influences of tradition and a modern food scene that carries a deep respect for the past. Folding dumplings with a master who has been at it for 40 years, exploring jars of ancient ingredients, and facing up to a martial art legend whose most famous student was Bruce Lee, Curtis reconciles the balance between the old and the new.
How to Watch Field Trip with Curtis Stone: Hong Kong
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♪ ♪ >> CURTIS STONE: I already know that I love Hong Kong.
But sometimes, you love things and you don't really understand why.
♪ ♪ I've been coming in and out of here for years, but it's always been on short visits, seeing things as a tourist.
And it's still very much a mystery to me.
(pans clanging) What I do know is, this is one of the most fascinating places in the world to eat.
It's got a rich history with a mix of cultures and old traditions.
At the same time, it's a city of tall skyscrapers, cutting-edge technology, and ultra-modern skyline.
A balance of old and new.
Constantly innovating while holding a deep respect for the past.
It's got everything.
An absolute overload of the senses.
Not an easy place to wrap your head around.
So I wanted to come and spend a week, get my fingernails under the surface, and try to understand what makes Hong Kong so different.
♪ ♪ I already know I love it.
Now I just need to figure out why.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (can opens) >> I'm Keri Glassman, registered dietitian, nutritionist, founder of NutritiousLife.com and the Become a Nutrition Coach program that teaches people to live nutritious lives and to help others do the same.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> I'm going to bring you to a place that you won't be able to find yourself.
>> STONE: Ooh, I like that.
>> Sometimes even, not even a local knows about it.
>> STONE: Really?
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: Like a little hidden gem.
>> Yes.
>> STONE: And what do they do there?
>> Dim sum.
>> STONE: Oh, yes!
>> Old-school dim sum.
>> STONE: Nice.
>> This is the place.
>> STONE: This is it?
>> Look at it.
>> STONE: Okay.
How cool is this?
(voiceover): ArChan is head chef of a great spot across town, but we'll get to that later.
First, yum cha-- her favorite spot for dim sum.
>> I'm going to bring you to the secret kitchen.
>> STONE: Oh, wow, this is awesome.
>> The secret stair.
This is the little secret spot.
>> STONE: Okay-- I think I'll fit up here.
(both laugh) >> So this is the sifu... >> Hi, yeah, yeah, hi.
>> ...making the har gow.
>> Hi, hi, hi.
>> STONE: Hi, hi, how are you?
>> (speaking Cantonese) >> Mr. Chan, Chan Sifu.
>> STONE: Mr. Chan.
>> (speaking Cantonese) >> STONE: Ni hao.
Nice to meet you.
>> Curtis.
>> STONE: Thank you for having us.
>> But he has been making dim sum for 40 years.
>> STONE: I, I noticed you're calling him sifu.
What does that mean?
>> So sifu means master.
>> STONE: Uh-huh.
>> So when someone, you know, out of respect, you, you know this person can teach you a lot of things, they have a lot of experience, you call them sifu.
>> STONE: I love that.
>> So this is one of the hardest dim sum to master.
>> STONE: What's it called?
>> Har gow.
>> STONE: Har gow.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: Uh-huh.
So har gow always is shrimp?
>> Always shrimp.
>> STONE: With pork?
>> Yeah.
So, har means shrimp.
>> STONE: Uh-huh.
>> Gow means the dumpling.
>> STONE: Got it.
>> Yeah.
This dumpling skin is made of wheat starch and, like, potato starch.
>> STONE: Uh-huh.
>> There's no gluten.
It's quite hard, because, once you pull too much, the dough breaks.
It just breaks, yeah.
>> STONE: Because there's no elasticity from the gluten.
>> Correct.
>> STONE: Because we make raviolis, tortellinis, right?
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: And it's quite easy.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: This is much harder.
>> Yeah.
Dim sum actually means a dot, like, a small thing.
So you can try a lot of things.
So this is how dim sum looks like 50 years ago.
>> STONE: Right.
>> And they have kept it very traditional.
Even see this, you know, size of the basket.
>> STONE: The little basket, yeah.
How many little baskets of dim sum per day does he make?
>> (speaking Cantonese) >> Just, just this one, about 100.
>> STONE: Baskets?
>> Baskets, baskets.
>> STONE: So 400 pieces?
>> Yes.
>> STONE: Whew!
>> (laughs) >> STONE: Do you know what's so interesting?
If you came here as a tourist, you would sit down and you would eat dim sum and you would wonder where they bought it from.
>> Mm.
>> STONE: You would think it comes from a box, right?
Not in my wildest dreams would I think that there's a little old man upstairs who makes every single piece.
You said he makes 400 or 500 pieces per day?
>> Yes.
>> STONE: Of just one.
How many different types of dumpling do they make?
(others speaking Cantonese) >> About 15 to 20.
>> (speaking Cantonese) >> (laughs) >> STONE: Yeah.
>> By him, by him.
>> STONE: Made by his hands.
>> One person.
To me, that is the thing that I really, really respect.
>> STONE: Yeah.
>> Is just how hardworking people in general is.
>> STONE: Right, yeah.
>> And the places still operate is because the guests.
There's a lot of what I call yun ching mei, it's just the people connection.
>> STONE (slowly): Yun, yun ching mei.
>> Yun ching mei.
>> STONE: I love that.
>> So, yun, yun is the person.
>> STONE: Uh-huh.
>> Ching is, like, a relationship.
>> STONE: Yeah.
>> And mei is, like, taste.
It's like the taste of the human connection.
>> STONE: That's so beautiful.
That's really cool.
>> Do you want to see how he make the skin?
>> STONE: Make the dough?
>> Yeah, yeah.
>> STONE: Yes, please, yeah.
♪ ♪ (both speaking Cantonese) >> So wheat starch and potato starch.
>> STONE: Wheat starch and... >> Potato starch.
>> STONE: Huh, okay.
>> Yeah.
>> So, first, hot water kind of cooking the dough.
>> STONE: I like how simple the tools are, just a little stick.
>> Yeah.
(Stone chuckles) >> And 40 year of experience.
>> STONE: That's right.
>> If you ask them, "How much water you put in?
", they probably won't be able to tell you.
>> STONE: They don't measure it.
>> Yeah.
And even potato starch, he's not weighing it.
He just use his experience.
♪ ♪ >> STONE: Do you know what I love?
This little old man, if you saw him walking down the street, you wouldn't think he's so strong, right?
>> (laughs) >> STONE: But look at him.
That's a tough dough that he's kneading, and he does it all day long.
♪ ♪ Okay, I think it's time for you to show me how you do this.
>> (laughs) If they make the dough easier to press... >> STONE: Yeah.
>> ...when you eat it, it's not as, like, textural.
>> STONE: Not textural, ah-hah.
♪ ♪ >> Nice.
>> Hey, nice.
>> Wow, nice.
>> Wow.
>> (speaking Cantonese) >> STONE: Okay.
>> (speaking Cantonese) >> STONE: Thank you.
>> You should be proud.
>> STONE: I'm never going to try that again... (others laugh) ...because I'm very, very happy with that result.
>> (speaking Cantonese) >> Push and press, push and press.
Ah... >> Okay.
Okay.
>> STONE: It's too long.
>> (chuckles) >> STONE: He doesn't seem to put too much force, right?
Sifu.
>> Hai, thank you.
(speaking Cantonese) >> STONE: Still ugly, but getting better.
That's what, that's what he said.
>> Like at the back, it doesn't move.
So he's pushing... >> STONE: And catching.
>> Yeah.
>> (speaking Cantonese) >> STONE: Ah, he keeps it all in there.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: Okay, I'm happier with that one.
>> Mm.
>> STONE: Still not right.
If Sifu's going to say, "If you make it, you eat it"... >> (laughs) The most important thing is have improvement.
>> STONE: That's my problem.
This one's the worst one I've done.
>> (laughs) >> (speaking Cantonese) >> He said for learning, it's okay.
>> STONE: It's okay.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: That means yes.
>> (laughing): That means yes.
>> STONE: Sifu, xiexie ni.
>> Thank you, thank you, thank you.
>> STONE: It was such a pleasure and an honor.
>> (speaking Cantonese) >> Thank you.
>> STONE: So the mistakes don't go to waste.
>> Thank you, Sifu.
>> STONE: See you.
(voiceover): Sifu sends me and ArChan back downstairs to eat our mistakes.
Manning the steamer station is the owner's son.
It's a family business, something you run into a lot in Hong Kong.
♪ ♪ >> Okay, are you ready?
>> STONE: You ready?
>> (laughs) >> STONE: Let's do it.
Ah.
>> Okay.
>> STONE: Oh.
>> Ooh.
Some of them is not bad.
>> STONE: Oh, wow.
The flavor is great.
But you can tell, right, when the skin's a little too thick... >> Mm.
>> STONE: ...it doesn't eat the same way.
>> Yeah, when you get as thin as possible, that's how you get judged by it.
>> STONE: Right.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: Okay, I'm going to try one of his.
>> Mm.
>> STONE: We tried ours.
Mm.
The big difference between his and ours is, when you bite it, it bursts with this, like... ...crazy flavor.
>> Mm.
>> STONE: Because he sealed it perfectly.
And where I think ours, we probably still had a few little holes.
>> Yeah, and I think that's the thing, how you can put as much filling as possible... >> STONE: Yeah.
>> ...and seal it, so when you eat, you have that right balance.
>> STONE (voiceover): You don't go for dim sum and then just have one thing.
It's about variety.
Shumai, noodle rolls, steamed cakes-- lots of small bites everywhere.
At yum cha and a few similar old-school spots, there is one notable exception to the idea of a small bite.
(on camera): Ooh, whoa!
>> This is one of the signature, which is... You don't see it a lot of places nowadays.
Massive bao.
>> STONE: That's a bao, but it's huge.
>> Yes.
>> STONE: Wow.
>> So the idea is, when you buy a bao... >> STONE: Yeah.
>> ...that's it, that's the meal.
>> STONE: Yeah.
>> So they have, you know, protein, they have carbs-- they have everything.
>> STONE: There's egg inside there.
>> You have egg inside there.
>> STONE: What is that?
Is that sausage?
>> I think it is sausage, yes.
>> STONE: It's so fluffy.
Oh, my goodness.
(voiceover): ArChan grew up in Kowloon City, one of Hong Kong's most populous districts.
From an early age, she had a keen interest in food.
>> In a lot of Asian countries... >> STONE: Mm-hmm.
>> ...being a chef is not really a profession.
No one really study to work in a kitchen.
>> STONE: Right.
>> It's more like if you can't study, you work in the kitchen.
And I met a professor, and he advised me, "Okay, you should start thinking about going overseas."
>> STONE: Right.
(voiceover): ArChan wound up cooking down in Sydney.
She hung around Australia for about a decade, cooking under chefs like Andrew McConnell, and she learnt a ton.
But now, she's back home in Hong Kong, and she's one of the hottest new chefs in town.
Is it common to find women leading the kitchens here in Hong Kong, or are you one of the trailblazers?
>> It might not have a lot of, you know, female wanting to go to the kitchen, but we're definitely seeing more and more, like a trend.
A lot of respect, as well.
Like, at the end of the day, if you treat people with respect, you care about them.
>> STONE: Mm-hmm.
>> If you're being, you know, you have integrity... >> STONE: Yeah.
>> ...people will know.
People will know-- people then will see past you're male or female.
>> STONE: Right.
>> I think that's important.
>> STONE (voiceover): Just another thing that makes Hong Kong such a special place: you see that respect in how ArChan interacts with Sifu and the appreciation shown for the old-school foodways.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ You know, you're thinking a little fishing village, and this is exactly what you think of.
But normally, when you get to that little fishing village, it's really commercial, and it doesn't actually look anything like this.
But people are, like, hanging their washing out, and sitting out in the back having lunch, and everyone's so friendly.
I wave, and they're, like, "Hey!"
♪ ♪ What a place.
♪ ♪ The village Tai O is on the island of Lantau, a 30-minute boat ride from Hong Kong-- another world.
The main drag is a wall-to-wall market, full of vendors selling all manner of things pulled from the sea.
For me, it's an exotic wonderland-- ingredients and produce I either don't recognize or have no idea how to cook.
What is that?
Grouper?
(voiceover): The hard part is picking out which one I want to try first.
(sizzling) I'm here in Tai O looking for a guy named Sing Lee, who I've heard makes shrimp paste the old-fashioned way.
Hard to imagine a better place for it.
But before I can track him down, I get seduced by the glowing orange baskets of eggs drying in the sun.
♪ ♪ (on camera): Ni hao.
>> (speaking Cantonese): >> STONE: Are you curing the eggs?
>> (speaking Cantonese): >> STONE: Uh-huh.
>> STONE: Yeah?
Okay.
Xiexie.
Ooh, it's a little small for me.
(laughs) (voiceover): I've luckily stumbled into the resident duck egg expert on the island.
This is Popo-- she's 78 and skilled at the age-old art of curing egg yolks.
(on camera): So, explain the process for me.
You pick it up like this... >> (speaking Cantonese): >> STONE: Okay.
Is it okay or no?
>> Mm hai.
>> STONE: No.
>> (laughs) >> STONE: "Get back to work," she says.
You don't think I'm going to do all the work?
>> (speaking Cantonese): >> STONE: Yeah.
She's telling me, "No, it's not okay, you're doing a bad job."
So I'm going to try harder.
>> (speaking Cantonese) >> STONE: Okay.
>> Hai.
>> STONE: And salt?
>> (speaking Cantonese): >> STONE: I used to work in Melbourne with a chef from Hong Kong.
His name was Tak, and he used to tell me I'm too slow.
He used to say, "Fun hoi jo yeh."
>> Fun hoi jo.
>> STONE: (laughs) >> (speaking Cantonese): (both laugh) >> STONE: I like this job.
See, Tak?
Slow's not always bad.
♪ ♪ What do you use the egg yolk for once you've salted them?
>> (speaking Cantonese): >> STONE: Uh-huh.
>> STONE: Popo, it sounds like you're inviting me over for dinner.
(both laugh) >> (speaking Cantonese): >> STONE (laughing): No-- okay, Popo, no problem.
(voiceover): Popo starts at 8:00 every morning.
Every day, she fills eight new baskets and sets them into the sun.
The salt preserves the eggs while they dry and helps to hold that bright orange color.
(on camera): Whew, it's hot work!
I'm, I'm sweating, Popo.
>> (speaking Cantonese) (bike bell ringing) >> STONE: Okay, no worries.
So you sit it over here in the sun.
>> (speaking Cantonese): >> STONE: Wow.
>> STONE: Right.
Uh-huh.
That's half-dry.
And that's it, fully dry.
(murmurs) Thank you!
Popo, this is fantastic-- thank you.
>> (murmurs in Cantonese) (bike bell rings) ♪ ♪ >> STONE (voiceover): 20 minutes ago, I'd never heard of the things.
Now my head is spinning.
I'm thinking of East Asian dishes, of course, but also pasta dishes.
Ravioli might be the first thing that I try when I get back into my kitchen.
I mean, what is that?
I have no idea.
(chuckles) (voiceover): Back on the hunt for shrimp paste.
It's like the secret ingredient of Chinese cooking, and I'm not leaving the island without it.
I was told, "To find Mr. Lee, you just follow your nose."
(on camera): Excuse me!
I'm looking for a man named Mr. Lee who makes shrimp paste.
Where's Mr. Lee?
>> (calling out) >> STONE: That way?
Xiexie ni.
♪ ♪ (device whirring) Hey, Mr. Lee.
>> Hi.
>> STONE: I'm Curtis.
>> Hi, Curtis.
>> STONE: Nice to meet you.
>> Yo.
>> STONE: Mate, I can smell it from right down the other side of the village.
>> Yes, smell pretty.
>> STONE: It smells incredible.
So what are you making?
>> This one is shrimp sauce.
>> STONE: And that's the shrimp paste over there?
>> Yes, that's the shrimp paste.
>> STONE (voiceover): Shrimp paste gets laid out to dry in bricks.
Shrimp sauce is a fermented liquid that comes bottled.
They're both made with the same two ingredients.
It's just shrimp and salt.
That's it.
(device whirring) That's fun.
>> Yeah.
(both laugh) >> STONE: So, why, why are you stirring it like this?
>> Because we are at different years.
This one is three years... >> STONE: Right.
>> ...but color is not good.
>> STONE: Right.
>> This is two years, and the smell is good or the taste is good.
>> STONE: So you blend it...
So, you're like a winemaker.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: Who blends different vintages.
>> Yes.
>> STONE: That's cool.
And what about the paste?
Will you show me the paste?
>> Okay, come on.
>> STONE (voiceover): It's a family business.
This is Mr. Lee's dad cutting slices of shrimp paste.
It then gets pressed into a mold and cut into bricks to be dried.
Okay, so we turn them... >> Just turn it.
>> STONE: And you do this how often?
Every two hours?
>> Like, one, maybe two hour.
>> STONE: So, your dad did this-- how did he learn it?
>> My grandpa teach him.
>> STONE: Uh-huh.
Teach him.
>> Yep.
>> STONE: That's so cool.
>> He teach me.
Because this is traditional, I don't do this, no people do it.
>> STONE: Right.
>> Just two, maybe three company in Hong Kong.
>> STONE: Is that right?
>> Yep.
>> STONE: Mate, you're going to corner the market.
(both laugh) >> That's good.
>> STONE: It's good for you.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: But it's bad for us, because I want people to keep making shrimp paste forever.
(exhales): It's incredible.
>> This is... >> STONE: You would imagine that this is just so strong in flavor, but... >> Yep.
>> STONE: ...it's very salty and very rich.
But then once that saltiness goes, it's like a punch of flavor.
It's like the flavor of the ocean, but concentrated, in a way.
It's very, very good.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: Yeah.
I'm taking some of this home with me.
(laughs) >> Okay.
>> STONE: For sure.
To the kitchen we go.
>> Oh.
>> STONE: Are you a cook, Mr. Lee?
>> Sometimes.
>> STONE: Yeah?
>> (laughs) Curtin, this is my kitchen and this, uh, she's my auntie.
>> STONE: Oh, hi.
>> Hi.
>> STONE: So you're the cook?
>> Yeah.
>> STONE (voiceover): Auntie's the best cook in the house.
Today on the menu: fried rice.
She starts with shrimp paste, oil, and a bit of sugar.
(on camera): So you always mix sugar?
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: Yeah.
>> Because it's so salty.
>> STONE: Okay.
>> So we need to add some sugar.
>> STONE: To balance it.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: You taught me something.
(voiceover): Like most good things, the recipe's simple.
Scrambled eggs next to the rice, along with shrimp and shrimp paste.
And then there's cabbage with red and green onion.
(on camera): It smells so good in here.
>> Yeah?
>> STONE: Oh, my goodness.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> STONE: What's the secret to this dish being so good?
>> The secret is the shrimps, shrimp paste.
>> STONE: Yeah.
>> Yeah.
Because these have a strong smell and good taste.
>> STONE: Yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: So that's it!
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: That looks so good.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: Well done.
>> I think now we can try it.
>> STONE: Okay, let's do it.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: Mm.
Ooh, it's so good.
That is delicious.
>> So, have you tried this before?
>> STONE: I make fried rice.
>> Mm.
>> STONE: But it doesn't have the same depth of flavor, because I don't use shrimp paste.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> STONE: But from now on, I'll always use shrimp paste.
>> Yeah.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> So this is a good experience, right?
>> STONE: It's fantastic.
>> (laughs) >> STONE: Thank you so much.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: Xiexie ni.
>> Xiexie ni.
(birds calling) >> STONE (voiceover): Hong Kong is a late-night city.
(people talking in background) People are out and about on the streets until the wee hours.
But it's also a town that's not afraid of hard work.
As the revelers from last night trickle from the streets, the next day's morning crew have already started their day.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> We are now in Sham Shui Po.
>> STONE: Sham Shui Po.
>> Yes, Sham Shui Po.
This is a very local town in Hong Kong.
>> STONE: Yeah.
>> You can see the real life of Hong Kong people.
>> STONE: Yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: And where are you taking me?
>> We are going to Kung Wo Beancurd Factory.
>> STONE: I hear it's the best bean curd in Hong Kong.
>> Um, yeah, I will say so.
(both laugh) ♪ ♪ >> STONE (voiceover): This is Renee.
She grew up in the neighborhood, and ten years ago, she left her job as an investment banker to come and work with her dad in the family business.
Kung Wo Beancurd Factory has been making tofu for over 100 years, and they've been here in Sham Shui Po since 1960.
Every day, it's made fresh on premises.
When Renee joined the team, expansion was the number-one thing on her agenda.
Right next door to the old shop is a new café-style shop, where customers can sit down and eat.
(on camera): This is the new one?
>> Yeah, this is the new one.
I opened it a few years ago.
>> STONE: Uh-huh.
>> Yeah.
So you can see all these lovely pictures.
>> STONE: Oh, so it tells the whole story of how you make tofu.
Ooh, so what have we got?
>> It's a mix of three types of tofu, and also sweet style.
>> STONE: Yeah?
>> Tofu fa.
>> STONE: Tofu fa.
>> It's like tofu pudding.
>> STONE: Uh-huh.
>> Yeah.
This one is perfect with the yellow cane sugar on top.
>> STONE: And it's got a rich flavor, that sugar.
But the texture of the tofu is so nice.
It's like eating a cloud.
It just disappears when you put it in your mouth.
It's so soft.
>> You love it?
>> STONE: I love it.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE (voiceover): My dad always said you should start with dessert.
But the main attraction is their fried tofu.
First up, something called tofu puff.
Mm!
>> We put, like, fish, egg, spring onion.
>> STONE: That is delicious.
So crispy and so soft and silky inside.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: Okay, so what's next?
>> This one is the soya cake.
>> STONE: Mm!
That is so good.
But there's something inside.
Like fish?
Meat?
>> Fish, mandarin skin.
>> STONE: Oh, mandarin skin.
>> The mandarin skins make the taste very special.
>> STONE: Mm, it sure does.
(voiceover): The most traditional preparation is this, deep-fried tofu with a ten-ingredient fish paste and a drizzle of soy sauce.
(on camera): What's the etiquette?
Do you pick up the whole piece and take a bite, or you break it in half?
>> Depends on your skills.
>> STONE: Okay.
Well, let's see.
Okay.
Mm.
It's really good.
I think in this version, you get the most of the flavor of the soybean, but then the fish paste gives it a totally different flavor, and then that drop of soy really improves it, because that saltiness that you get from the soy.
I really like that.
>> Okay.
>> STONE: I love that, though.
Tofu puff.
>> Yeah, tofu puff.
(laughing): Yeah.
>> STONE: That was delicious.
>> You are full?
>> STONE: I am.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: Satisfied.
>> So, later on, shall we take a look at the kitchen?
>> STONE: We have to.
Is your dad there?
>> Yeah, my dad is there.
>> STONE: Let's go.
>> Okay, come on.
>> STONE: Thank you, that was so good.
♪ ♪ So this is what you call the old shop?
>> Yeah, this shop has 60-years-old history.
Hey, this is my dad.
>> STONE: Hi, how are you?
>> Hello, how are you?
>> STONE: Nice to meet you.
So what's the process?
>> The first one is, we use this stone grinder.
>> STONE: Uh-huh.
Wow, look at that.
>> This is how the juice comes from.
>> STONE: No way.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: So that's literally being ground on the stone.
>> Curtis, do you see?
The kitchen now is very busy.
>> STONE: It's chaos in here-- I love it.
There's just water being sloshed everywhere all the time.
These guys are genuinely working their asses off.
>> So this is the first step.
And then we boil the soybean juice.
>> STONE: Okay, so that's in these copper pots, and that's just disturbing the bottom so it doesn't burn, it doesn't catch?
>> Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
>> STONE: And then you strain it?
>> Yeah, mix it with gypsum powder.
>> STONE: Gypsum powder.
>> They scoop it, and then put into all these wooden pot.
> STONE: In these presses.
>> How do you feel?
>> STONE: I feel good.
I just hope I don't mess up the tofu.
>> Yeah.
>> Oh, good, very good.
>> Very good.
>> STONE: Okay.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: Why is it important not to break up the curds too much of the tofu?
>> (speaking Cantonese) >> Oh, the tofu is not smooth.
If you break it too much, because too much gap.
>> STONE: Ah, it's...
Okay.
>> That's why even the same tofu made by my dad and from the chef, we can tell the small difference.
>> STONE: Who made it?
Really?
>> Yeah, yeah, yeah.
>> STONE: He's going to flip it?
Whoa.
This is awesome.
The skill level of these guys and how they can move this fast is sensational.
In America, we get impressed by someone that can wrap a cheeseburger fast at In-N-Out.
But this is, uh, just a slightly different level.
>> Flip it over?
>> STONE: Yeah.
>> Your turn.
>> STONE: My turn?
>> Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, your turn.
>> STONE: Oh, I'm scared.
>> No scared.
>> STONE: Okay, so put it on there?
(laughs) Yeah?
>> Okay.
>> STONE: Okay?
>> Oy!
Okay, okay, okay, okay.
(laughs): It's, like, don't fall.
>> STONE: Okay.
Whew, he was nervous.
(laughs): I could see it in his eye.
So what time do you guys start work?
>> This guy start at 8:00.
>> STONE: At 8:00.
>> But we have another two start at 1:00.
So 18 hour, non-stop, this kitchen.
>> STONE (exclaims): That's a lot-- busy place.
What's your favorite thing about working in a tofu factory?
>> (speaking Cantonese) >> Yeah, he said the happiest thing is can make the best tofu and sell to the customer.
>> STONE: That's so cool.
>> And then hear people saying, "Delicious."
>> STONE: Nice to meet you.
>> Oh, oh, thank you, thank you, thank you.
>> Okay, yeah, okay.
>> STONE: Everyone can go, I'm going to keep working.
>> (speaking Cantonese) >> STONE: Let's go.
(others laughing) >> Okay!
(scraping) >> STONE: It's been so fun being in here.
Learning something new.
But I'll tell you one thing, doing dishes?
It's the same, no matter which country you're in.
And I've got pretty long arms.
I've no idea how they reach back here.
Maybe that's why they like the look of me.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ As a chef, you travel around the world and you feel like you could cook anything anywhere.
But when I'm in Hong Kong, I feel intimidated.
Because I look around, and I think, "90% of what's in this shop, "I either don't know what it is or I have no idea what to do with it."
Like, look, I don't know, are these edible?
Are they medicine?
Is that something you can cook with?
>> This is called Hoi Mei Gai.
Gai is "street."
Hoi mei means "dried seafood."
>> STONE: Yeah.
>> So if you look around, behind, in front, everywhere, whole entire... >> STONE: Right.
>> ...three, four blocks is all just dried products.
>> STONE (voiceover): Chef Vicky Cheng is classically trained in French cuisine.
He grew up in Canada, and when he moved back to his native Hong Kong 12 years ago, he found a whole new world of ingredients, and along with them, a challenge to learn new techniques.
>> You know, the thing about Hong Kong and about Chinese cuisine, why we eat certain things, is actually because of health reasons.
>> STONE (voiceover): The culinary traditions in China are as old as anywhere.
Behind almost every ingredient, there's a presumed medicinal benefit to go along with it.
Dried seafood, as legend has it, began more than a thousand years ago, and as the story goes, it began as a preservation technique for an emperor with an abalone habit.
Today, it expanded to just about everything from the sea or on land.
>> Here are some deer antlers.
Turtle shells-- you see the big giant one there.
You have fish maw, dried sea cucumber, all types of dried mushroom, and also a whole big bucket of seahorses.
>> STONE: Seahorses?
For real?
>> Yup.
Through the drying process, amino acids changes inside the abalone, and makes it actually more toothsomely tender, you know?
>> STONE: Right.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: So before you cook it, do you rehydrate it?
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: And then what do you do with it?
>> It's a process of rehydrating... >> STONE: Yeah.
>> ...and then braising to build in more flavor.
So that one piece is 512 U.S. dollars.
>> STONE: (gasps) >> One piece.
>> STONE: That's more than a truffle.
>> Absolutely.
>> STONE (voiceover): These are luxury items.
There's no doubt about it.
Vicky tells me there's an old Chinese saying that suggests you're better off robbing a dry seafood shop than a bank.
>> Yeah, so this is all the fish maw.
This one piece in my hand is $5,700, U.S. dollars.
>> STONE: Come on.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: What is this?
>> Fish maw.
>> STONE: And what actually is it?
>> It's the swim bladder of a specific fish.
This is called magur.
>> STONE: Right.
>> So fish maw doesn't necessarily have a lot of flavor, so you have to inject flavor.
>> STONE: But... You're spending a fortune on something, you just said it doesn't have much flavor.
>> Right, but it has a lot of collagen.
>> STONE: Mm, I get it.
>> Yeah.
And one more thing I want to show you is also, one of the signatures in the restaurant is sea cucumber.
Typically, the more spikes, the more expensive.
>> STONE: Is that right?
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: So this is going to cost you 9,500... >> 9,500 Hong Kong dollars.
Yeah.
>> STONE: It's over $1,000.
You're blowing my mind.
I thought truffles, caviar, saffron.
I thought I knew all the expensive ingredients.
But this store is worth millions of dollars.
>> Yes.
>> STONE: Millions of U.S. dollars.
It's worth tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars.
>> Yeah.
♪ ♪ >> STONE (voiceover): Vicky's restaurant Vea is a short taxi ride away.
For more than a decade, he's been a pioneer, combining traditional Chinese ingredients with his background in classical French cooking.
(on camera): Whoa.
Great kitchen.
>> Thank you.
>> STONE: What a beautiful restaurant.
>> Welcome to the kitchen.
>> STONE: Thank you, thank you very much.
>> What's unique about this restaurant is that we take a lot of traditional Chinese ingredients.
>> STONE: Yeah.
>> While respecting Chinese culinary culture... >> STONE: Yeah.
>> ...we cook it in a French way, present it in French flavors.
So here's the sea cucumber that we saw earlier.
So day one, you bring it from the shop.
>> STONE: Yeah.
>> And around six days later, you get this.
>> STONE: It's crazy.
>> Size difference is almost ten times bigger.
>> STONE: That, through the blooming process, turns into that.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> STONE: I mean, it's crazy.
One could only dream.
>> (laughs) >> STONE (voiceover): The sea cucumbers go through a weeklong blooming process.
After six days of hot water baths, it's edible, but proudly hangs on to its spiky, prehistoric appearance.
(on camera): You know what's flipping me out?
I mean, this is a modern restaurant, you guys are cooking beautiful fusion-style food, but this process has been happening for centuries.
>> Yep, my grandmother, my mother knows all of this process.
>> STONE: Really?
>> Yeah.
At home they would do this.
I always believed that, you know, you cannot, you cannot do your own modern version of any dish unless you know how to do the traditional way.
>> STONE: Yeah.
>> And so this is the tradition, to bloom it.
>> STONE: Yeah.
Okay, so this is extremely Chinese, right now.
>> Yes.
>> STONE: How do you make it French?
>> So from here, we will stuff it with a very traditional French mousse using some local shrimp with scallop.
>> STONE: It's like a sea cucumber Twinkie.
(voiceover): The cucumber gets wrapped in plastic and spends ten minutes in a steamer that sets the mousse.
Next, a rinse with hot oil to crisp the outside.
(sizzling) Last step, it gets laid over a seafood sauce.
It's essentially like a classic French bisque.
(on camera): That is so pretty.
>> And that's it.
>> STONE: And do you know what?
If you were served it, you'd just be, like, "What on Earth is that?"
>> (laughs) Chocolate eclair.
>> STONE: (laughs) >> Try, try.
>> STONE: With pleasure, chef.
Well, this is my first-ever bite of cucumber from the sea.
Mm.
Wow, the sea cucumber is so crazy in its texture.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: The softness of the mousse, the crunch from the outside, but then just that overwhelming power of the flavor of the ocean.
In one mouthful of food, you've just given me everything I love about Hong Kong.
There's this incredible contrast between the old and the new, between the Chinese heritage and the mix of cultures that have come here since.
Chef, good job.
>> Thank you.
>> STONE: Well done.
>> Thank you.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (people talking in background) (lands loudly) >> Hi, hi, hi, hi.
Who's this guy?
(man laughs) You just come for, just visit or what, you know?
>> STONE: Yeah, visit.
>> Or challenge me or what?
>> STONE: No, I just wanted to learn what you do.
>> Learn what I do?
>> STONE: Well, I'm a boxer.
I, I train in boxing.
>> So you're big-- you know I can't beat you, you understand?
>> STONE: (laughs) >> Ah?
>> You know, if I want beat you, I've got to use this.
Poke your eye, your throat, understand?
>> STONE: Understand.
>> Otherwise, I can never kill you, understand.
>> STONE (voiceover): This is Sam Lau, master of the kung fu style known as wing chun.
The wing chun school rose to prominence in Hong Kong thanks to Master Lau's teacher, Grandmaster Yip Man.
But Lau is not Yip Man's most famous student.
That would be Bruce Lee.
You might've heard of him.
(on camera): So what is the theory behind wing chun?
>> Wing chun is like that.
You don't use your hand.
>> STONE: (gasps) >> I can do it in short distance.
>> STONE: Right.
>> Ah, continuously.
If I found out that you have weapon, I poke you up-- throat, chin.
Huh?
Like that, you know?
>> STONE (laughing): You're so fast.
>> Punch and attack at the same time, like this.
>> STONE: And you can get a lot of power with that?
>> Yeah, of course.
If I use this... >> STONE: (grunts) >> Your heart is here, I punch here, understand?
>> STONE: (grunts) >> Ah, I try to hit your delicate part, you see.
>> STONE (laughs): My, my delicate parts.
>> You give me ho-- ho, ho.
>> STONE: Right.
(hits thudding) >> Two, one, two!
>> STONE: (gasps) >> Right?
Sorry, I sorry.
>> STONE: (laughs) (voiceover): Wing chun is focused on self-defense in close-quarter combat.
It's all about efficiency of movement, a system that employs continuous chain punches in simultaneous attack and defense.
(on camera): Okay.
>> Do it.
>> STONE (laughs): It's an aggress...
I mean... (laughing) >> Yeah, this is wing chun.
>> STONE: (laughs) >> Ah?
>> STONE: Too fast.
>> I'm 75 right now.
>> STONE: Mate, you're amazing.
(voiceover): That's right, Master Lau is 75 years old.
Not sure if he's bragging or taunting, but this particular matchup is a bit like a shark versus a baby deer.
These days in Hong Kong, schools that claim to teach the true path of wing chun are a dime a dozen, but none of them have the legacy that this place has, nor the energy of Master Lau.
>> Now I teach you how to block this, okay?
>> STONE: Yeah.
>> (vocalizes each punch) Let up.
If we're in a fight, I hit your chin.
>> STONE: (grunts, laughs) >> All right, what else?
Many things.
You're tired?
>> STONE: I'm tired.
>> Tired-- somebody else.
>> STONE: (laughing) >> Ah?
>> STONE: Nice to meet you, sifu.
>> That's good-- nice to see you.
>> STONE: Okay, has anyone got any ice?
Because my forearms are really sore.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (voiceover): ArChan is taking me shopping.
We're heading to Sai Kung, where they've got a unique approach to selling fish.
♪ ♪ >> So this is Sai Kung.
>> STONE: Ah-hah.
>> On the pier, you see boats selling seafood.
>> STONE: Yeah.
>> And that's amazing because, like, you can look at the seafood and you can pick it, and they'll literally sell it up to you.
You don't get too much fresher than that.
>> STONE: Can't believe all these beaches I'm seeing right now-- where are we?
Like, you think of Hong Kong like this thriving metropolis, this urban, sprawling city, right?
But here we are, everything's green.
There's these deserted little beaches everywhere.
>> We have a lot of islands, 263 islands or something.
>> STONE: You know, I don't think anyone knows that.
I think tourists see Hong Kong as an island and that's it.
>> I guess that's why people love Hong Kong so much, because you get the fast pace, you get the vibe, you get all the restaurant, you get the craziness.
>> STONE: Yeah.
>> But if you want something calm, something relaxing, something natural, you got it, as well.
>> STONE: It's here, as well.
>> You know, chef life is always busy, right?
>> STONE: Oh, yeah.
>> But you're able to just chill... >> STONE: Take it easy.
>> You know, look at the sea, hear the wind.
>> STONE: So today's your day off?
>> Yes.
>> STONE: How many days off a week you get?
>> Two, usually, usually, yes.
>> STONE: Oh, lucky, lucky.
(chuckles) >> Usually.
>> STONE: Yeah, but we do, like, 15-hour days, so our days are like anyone else's two days.
>> Yes.
>> STONE: So when you develop the menu at the restaurant, do you think about this place?
Is it a source of inspiration?
>> Absolutely, because I think sometimes, you know, we, as a chef, instead of, you know, sitting there just thinking about the menu items, when you see thing, when you smell thing, when you touch things... >> STONE: Right.
>> ...when you talk to people, that is how, you know, it gets your brain working.
>> STONE: Yeah.
>> STONE: Oh, look, what's that?
Lunch?
>> (laughs): Oh, yeah.
>> STONE: That's awesome.
Ask her, how does she cook it?
>> (speaking Cantonese) Oh, um... Basically, like, a dry wok fry.
>> STONE: Oh, yeah?
>> We add shallot, ginger.
>> STONE: Ask her what time.
>> (speaking Cantonese) >> (speaking Cantonese) >> STONE: (laughs) >> 7:00.
>> STONE: I'll be here.
>> (laughs) ♪ ♪ >> STONE: Okay, we're here-- Sai Kung.
>> Get ready.
>> STONE: Okay.
Here we go.
>> Okay.
>> STONE: Whoo-hoo!
>> (speaking Cantonese) >> Oy, oy-- thank you, thank you.
>> STONE: Thank you!
>> Thank you!
Okay, let's go get some, pick some seafood.
>> STONE: Let's do it.
What a cool-looking town.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE (chuckles): They left with our sound guy.
>> (chuckles): Yeah.
>> STONE (voiceover): Every day on Sai Kung, up and down the waterfront, boats pull up to the pier filled from port to starboard with the daily catch.
♪ ♪ (on camera): What is that crab there?
>> That is called flower crab.
>> STONE: Uh-huh, because it looks so pretty.
What is that thing?
>> So that one that looks like a zebra, zebra shell, that is a type of mantis shrimp, called zebra mantis shrimp.
It's quite common in Hong Kong, not common anywhere else.
>> STONE: I've never seen it.
>> Yeah.
It's also called a peeing.
>> STONE: Peeing?
>> (laughs): Peeing shrimp.
>> STONE: Yeah?
>> Yes, because it's so big, right?
So when you touch them, sometime the water will come down.
>> STONE: Really?
>> And, and... Yeah, they just call it peeing shrimp.
>> STONE: (laughs) >> Over there is the price list.
>> STONE: How much is the abalone?
>> Ten dollars apiece, $100 for ten piece.
>> STONE: Ten dollars per piece?
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: No way.
>> Yes.
>> STONE: That's, like, $1.20.
>> Yes.
>> STONE: You know how much I pay for that?
>> No, how much?
(laughs) >> STONE: I'm getting mad!
What a seafood shop.
I love this setup.
It's, like, water comes out the top, obviously.
Then it goes into the first bucket, comes out of there, goes into there, falls down to there, keep the oxygen in the water.
And it's just, like, this tiered-- it's perfect.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: You call down to him what you want, he wraps it up.
Look at that, straight in the net.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: And you put your money in the net.
(laughs): That's awesome.
What do you got your eye on?
>> Uh... >> STONE: What about abalone?
>> We'll get some abalone.
And that's my favorite.
I cannot get in Australia.
Every time I come back to Hong Kong, I'll eat razor clams.
>> STONE: Razor clam.
How do you say, "I'll take those razor clams, please"?
>> (speaking Cantonese) >> STONE: (repeating hesitantly) >> (speaking Cantonese) >> Ten dollars apiece.
>> STONE: How many does he have?
>> 13.
Okay.
(speaking Cantonese) >> STONE: No, no, that's bad luck.
What's a lucky number in Chinese?
Eight.
Right?
>> (laughing): Eight, yes.
>> STONE: I'll get eight.
I want eight.
>> (speaking Cantonese) >> STONE: Oh!
Bargain.
>> Bargain.
>> STONE: It really is a bargain.
>> (laughs): Yeah.
>> STONE: I'm shocked.
This is a place to come for seafood, clearly.
(laughs) Thank you.
>> (speaking Cantonese) >> STONE: What a system.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: I love the ingenuity.
Now, you said it's your favorite, so this is for you to cook for dinner tonight.
>> Oh, thank you, thank you.
>> STONE: (chuckles) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (voiceover): The last stop on my Hong Kong adventure requires some careful pronunciation.
It's ArChan's place.
She took over here as chef in 2021.
You come here for the seafood, roast meats, and to meet your friends for a drink.
It's a modern place that's open late, and it buzzes with energy.
Streets here will be crowded late into the night, and ArChan's spot is so popular, that early evening was the only time that we could get in to see it.
(on camera): ArChan!
>> Hello, chef!
Hey!
>> STONE: Chef, how are you?
>> Good, how are you?
>> STONE: Good to see you.
>> Welcome to Ho Lee Fook.
>> STONE: Can I come in?
>> Yes, please, welcome-- welcome to our kitchen.
>> STONE: What a beautiful kitchen.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: This is awesome.
>> So we've got a roast meat section over here.
Barbecue, duck, chicken, char siu.
The center of the kitchen is a wok section.
>> STONE: Ooh, your spot.
>> Have you done wok before?
>> STONE: I have, but not, like, on a... Not on one of them!
(laughs) (voiceover): In the middle of everything is ArChan's domain, the wok station.
This is her happy place.
♪ ♪ This is something I've never seen before, next-level flame control.
(on camera): Add some more fire?
Add some more fire?
Whee!
Whoo!
It's like a jet-- can I try and drive?
>> Of course.
>> STONE: I have to bend a little bit.
Whole new level of coordination, it's... (laughing) You're not just messing with your hands.
(voiceover): The most beloved thing on the menu might be the wok-fried clams with black bean and chili.
It's been a favorite dish of ArChan's since childhood.
>> So I think this is actually quite different from Western cooking.
>> STONE: Right.
>> This one we just kind of gently poach it.
>> STONE: Yeah.
>> So they start to open up without overcooking.
>> STONE: So they just pop and that's it.
>> Yeah.
>> STONE: So you refresh them, stop the cooking.
>> Yeah.
So I'll just check the flavor.
'Cause usually, I'll use the clam juice for cooking, as well.
>> STONE: Oh, it's sweet.
>> Yeah.
So mainly it's sweet, not, not too salty.
>> STONE: Yeah.
So you season the wok, then you put fresh oil.
>> Yep.
I think you like spicy, so extra chili for you.
>> STONE: I like spicy.
And now we're talking.
♪ ♪ (flames roaring) Just drop.
That's heavy with all those clams.
>> Yes.
>> STONE: You move it around like it's nothing.
>> Practice, practice, practice.
>> STONE: Dang, that looks good, chef.
What is that?
>> Chili oil.
House-made chili oil.
>> STONE: Whoo!
I mean, come on.
It doesn't get any better than... >> (laughs) >> STONE: Whoa.
(yelps) >> (laughs) >> STONE: Ho Lee...!
Come on.
Look, it's a double.
>> Oh.
>> STONE: The spice is for real.
The black beans you can taste.
The saltiness of the clams, with the sweetness.
Mm!
It is so good.
ArChan, that is delicious.
Tell me, what does the name mean, Ho Lee Fook?
>> So Ho Lee Fook means "good fortune in your mouth," in Cantonese, ho lee fook.
But obviously, "ho lee fook" is also, like, it's tongue-in-cheek.
>> STONE: Bit of, bit of fun.
Well...
This is delicious.
Mm.
>> Nice.
>> STONE: Oh, my goodness.
Every bite I take, it gets better and better.
>> And you just need, like, a beer.
>> STONE: I'll go downstairs and get one.
I know you're in the middle of service, but this is incredible.
That is so good.
Thank you, chef.
>> Thank you.
>> STONE: My pleasure.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ What a few magical days I've had.
I mean, Hong Kong is such an incredible place.
The thing that stands out to me is, it's, like, so rich in its culture, but then it's also brand-new.
And it's this incredible dichotomy of new and old smashed together.
I mean, you've got these rich, green mountains that feel like they're totally untouched, a harbor that's lined with skyscrapers, century-old cuisine that's been cooked here forever, and then brand-new contemporary Chinese cuisine that's, just feels like the newest thing on the planet.
I ate some of the most delicious things, and the only thing that could be better than what I ate were the people that I met.
And I just couldn't be happier right now.
Thank you, Hong Kong.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (can opens) >> I'm Keri Glassman, registered dietitian, nutritionist, founder of NutritiousLife.com and the Become a Nutrition Coach program that teaches people to live nutritious lives and to help others do the same.
>> But you should try another dish.
>> STONE: Oh, yeah?
>> Have you ever tried chicken feet in your life?
>> STONE: I have-- I love them.
They're gelatinous and delicious.
>> You know, this is the perfect food for... Football.
>> STONE: For football.
>> (laughs): Yeah.
>> STONE: Chicken foot-ball.
>> (laughing) You are funny!
I have to stop.
(both laughing) >> STONE: She's lost it.
>> (laughing)
Field Trip with Curtis Stone: Hong Kong is presented by your local public television station.
Distributed nationally by American Public Television