Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey

Rick begins his odyssey in Cambodia, where he discovers the joys of freshly caught swimmer crabs cooked with green peppercorns from Kampot, once the king of pepper. He learns how to cook the most famous dish in the country, fish amok, made with lemongrass and coconut. He also samples lok lak, an extremely popular and delicious dish made with stir-fried strips of marinated beef. Like most people who come here, Rick visits the awe-inspiring Angkor Wat temple (the very symbol of the country), before joining a rice barge to take him down the mighty Mekong River to the border of Vietnam.

Rick travels down the Mekong River to Vietnam. Here, the food is light and fresh food, prepared using an abundance of herbs, lots of freshwater fish and flavoursome soups made with thin strips of beef with rice noodles. In Saigon, Rick visits the old stomping ground of his hero, author Graham Greene, and in Hanoi he meets up with a former employee who delights in the varied and delicious street food of Vietnam’s capital city. For the ultimate in al fresco eating, Rick tries the night food stalls in the heart of Bangkok.

Rick continues his odyssey in Thailand, where he meets up with one of his heroes, David Thompson, a man who has devoted his professional life to understanding Thai cuisine. Later, Rick takes a train South to Phuket to learn the art of creating a hot and sour tom yum goong, the culinary icon of Thailand. Finally, he visits Melaka, once the heart of the spice trade, to enjoy the delights of Nyonya cuisine.

Rick is spoilt for choice as he explores the multi-faceted food of Penang, an appealing mix of indigenous Malay, Indian and Chinese with a bit of British charm thrown in for good measure. He meets up with vibrant food writer, Fay Khoo, to discover the exceptional popularity of fish head curry in the region. Across the Indian Ocean, in Sri Lanka, Rick continues his passion for seafood by visiting a bustling fishing village North of Colombo and takes part in a most unusual fishing expedition further South in Galle.

Rick Stein visits Sri Lanka, where he discovers a wealth of hot and spicy vegetable curries. In Colombo, he meets Chef Publis, one the country’s most respected chefs, and tastes an unforgettable chilli crab in a small Tamil eatery. Down in Galle, Rick discovers the delights of tea plantations and buffalo curd, and experiences first-hand the secrets of making cinnamon. Back at home, he creates a delicious cashew nut curry to savour the memories of his time in Sri Lanka. He then moves on, to the volcanic island of Bali, where food takes on a religious significance. Rick samples the best roast pork he has ever tasted. After buying fish straight off the day boats, he enjoys fresh barbecued fish on a beach. He ends his trip to Bali by taking part in a village ceremonial feast.

Rick ends his culinary tour in Bangladesh, the country that spawned thousands of ‘Indian’ restaurants in Britain years ago. Not surprisingly, curry is at the top of his list. Rick starts his journey in Dhaka, where he discovers the intricacies of making a true biryani. With fish being central to most Bengali dishes, he is invited for lunch by a local family to sample the country’s traditional dish of fish dampokht. Heading North to Sylhet, Rick explores the city’s close links to British curry houses and visits a Khasi village close to the Indian border for an unforgettable pork and black sesame seed curry. Back at home, he cooks fish steamed in banana leaves with mustard massala.