LUKE NGUYEN’S STREET FOOD ASIA

Description

The first food choice in many countries is street food, and it’s booming right around the world.

Luke Nguyen passion and underlying desire has always been street food in Asia. In this new series Luke embarks on a culinary exploration of street food throughout Saigon, Vietnam; Bangkok, Thailand; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Jakarta, Indonesia. Street food carts are run by families cooking dishes that have not changed for generations. Luke follows local traders collecting ingredients, preparing recipes, and setting up stalls.

EPISODE 01 Saigon, VIETNAM
Luke begins his Asian Street Food adventure in his family’s home city of Saigon, Vietnam. Getting up early in the morning, Luke ventures into the hustle and bustle of market life looking for traditional vermicelli noodle dish topped with grilled pork and herbs, getting straight into the action he’s invited behind a street food cart to serve up a Vietnamese delicacy, crab and pig brain soup to hungry locals. Talking with the stall vendors, Luke uncovers the secrets of recipes passed down through families for generations.

EPISODE 02 Saigon, VIETNAM
Luke continues through the streets of Saigon in District One visiting his favourite Pho restaurant, he then uncovers a family dispute between two sisters with competing food stalls both called number one X̫i GÌÊ, then it’s off to Miss Yung-Jow, his very own lunch lady’ who has been cooking a different dish every day for twenty years. In District 4, Luke revisits a family-favourite restaurant, QuÌÁn ‡ÈÔc Oanh, where he’s enticed by the aromas as he explores the street before cooking up some spicy Chilli Crab Claws.

EPISODE 03 BANGKOK, THAILAND
Luke continues his street food journey venturing into Bangkok, Thailand, with different street food vendors on every corner he stumbles across hidden stalls and characters like Miaw who teaches him how to cook a traditional Thai sweet dessert, Thai Coconut Pudding. Luke needs to be patient as he joins the back of the que waiting amongst the locals for the best Thai Red Pork and rice (Kao Moo Daeng) in town. Luke then meets his friend Ged at a local floating market where she buys a variety of locally caught seafood for him to taste. Walking down one of the oldest street food streets in Bangkok Luke is lured to a tasty satay stall by the aromas from the charcoal grills. Under the watchful eye of Mama, Luke jumps behind the counter of Sor Na Wang where he practises how to cook Mee pad pak kachade.

EPISODE 04 BANGKOK, THAILAND
Luke continues his journey through the back streets of Bangkok uncovering secret street food eats in a local neighbourhood searching for the best Tom Yum soup in Bangkok then he entertains the locals creating a disappearing Thai delicacy, fresh dancing shrimp salad. Luke wanders through the streets of Chinatown before dining with locals at a 70 year old street food stall only millimetres away from hectic traffic, he then meets up with his friend Chow who take him to a famous street restaurant called Thipsamai where they watch the chefs cook the best Pad Thai in Bangkok, ten serves at a time!

EPISODE 05 KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
Luke continues his street food journey venturing into multicultural Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Luke meets his friend Tana in Brickfields, filled with a variety of different Indian dishes. Tana escorts Luke to his favourite street food stalls where Luke tastes delicious sweet and savoury treats, including the curry puffs said to provide the consumer with prosperity and happiness. Luke then meets the famous Mr Hung with a reputation for flying instant noodles nearly two stories high. Luke then heads to Ramal Food Junction where he visits Willy’s Satay Stall, considered to be the best satay in Kuala Lumpur.

EPISODE 06 KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
Luke continues unearthing different street foods in Kuala Lumpur starting at the central Jalan Imbi market. With the market already busy at 7:30am Luke is lucky to meet a friend with a table where he’s able to taste different dishes walking past him. Having reserved the table Luke heads off to talk to some local stall-holders and fills his plate high with different tasty treats. Luke then meets Mr Sou who has been cooking a hearty Pork Bone Soup with medicinal herbal properties for over 20 years. Luke learns from Grandma Lim who’s perfected her noodle making skills for 40 years to the most delicious fresh Chinese-Malay dish.

EPISODE 07 JAKARTA, INDONESIA
Luke continues his street food adventure exploring Jakarta, Indonesia. Meeting up with his old friend, Derice, Luke unearths the delicious delicacies of Chinatown, finding the experience a melting pot of diverse cultural cuisines. Luke joins the locals beneath the tall city skyscapers and uncovers a truly authentic Indonesian stall which serves every part of a chicken. During the busy lunch break Luke joins the hustle and bustle, meeting local Hadi, and dines on a diverse range of dishes. Moving onto dessert, Luke visits a vendor selling a sweet snack that resembles his grandmother’s hair.

EPISODE 08 JAKARTA, INDONESIA
Luke completes his street food journey in Jakarta, Indonesia where he visits a busy stall that’s been serving a traditional Indonesian salad since 1961. Luke indulges in an Indonesian dessert, the sweet Martabak, known as the King of Street Food. After exploring the streets of Jakarta for the best Nasi Goreng, Luke is put to work helping to cook and serve the largest wokful of Nasi Goreng he’s ever seen.