Within the spring of 2023, Hong Kong had simply opened as much as tourism after three years of pandemic-related restrictions. So for the third season of his PBS journey present “Discipline Journey,” Australian-born chef Curtis Stone assembled a supersized episode highlighting the coastal, cosmopolitan metropolis’s tradition and delicacies, from martial arts to seaside seafood stalls.

Stone had visited Hong Kong beforehand, however the “Discipline Journey” highlight is a extra in-depth have a look at a singular location that almost all vacationers haven’t been in a position to expertise since late 2019. The hour highlights a full vary of Hong Kong meals, from road distributors to hip bistros to Michelin-starred effective eating — all via the lens of Stone’s personal perspective as a chef and restaurateur.

Selection spoke with Stone on the episode’s premiere, hosted by the Hong Kong Tourism Board at his Hollywood restaurant Gwen.

What was your relationship like with Hong Kong earlier than this?

Properly, curiously, I opened an workplace there as a result of we’ve manufactured cookware. We had an workplace there on the Kowloon facet. However it’s not one which I’ve been to usually. I’m going due to course in Australia, Hong Kong is kind of shut. It’s a nasty analogy to say it’s like Mexico, however Aussies spend their holidays in Hong Kong and Bali and Singapore, these sorts of cities. After which in fact, as you flip right into a grown up, you’ve mates that ended up expats working in finance districts, these kind of locations. Additionally, after I was residing in London, it was the proper stopover. You possibly can spend the night time there or a few nights there. So I went so much in my 20s, as a result of it’s such a cool place. 

I hadn’t been again. It’s so attention-grabbing going as a vacationer, however after I began the present, I actually needed to scratch beneath the floor. It was actually an exploration of tradition via meals. 

What was essentially the most novel or shocking expertise this time round? 

What I actually discovered whereas I used to be there was, a lot of Hong Kong runs on this generational data — companies handed down era to era to era. I hadn’t actually thought a lot about that. Like these little dumpling retailers you stroll previous — that was someone’s grandfather’s grandfather’s grandfather. And it’s simply stayed within the household that means. 

We went to a beancurd manufacturing unit, a tofu maker. He was this outdated man and he labored his ass off. As a result of it’s a tough job, proper? They boil the soy milk, they mood it. Then the curd begins to take a seat. Then they need to work it. They’re lifting these items all day lengthy. I met his daughter, who was an funding banker, profitable by that Chinese language customary. After which she was like, “However I’m depressing! And my dad makes bean curd and he’s blissful.” So she left the financial institution and got here again in and invested with him. Now they’ve expanded the manufacturing unit to be one other little store on the opposite facet of the road. And he or she’s like, so blissful working in it. There’s this unbelievable respect.

Was there something you weren’t in a position to squeeze in that’s prime of your checklist for subsequent time?

Sure, there’s so many nice markets. And within the brief time, we are able to solely accomplish that a lot. There’s sure issues which are very seasonal. I imply, God, think about being there now for the brand new yr. And the Yr of the Dragon is so enjoyable. They do festivals unbelievably nicely. 

I imply, there’s a few of the greatest eating places on this planet. One which we truly went to, Vea — he truly took Chinese language drugs, after which made it edible. Every part is like, a sea cucumber. Individuals usually go and discover that for medicinal functions. However he was taking it and discovering a culinary use for it. He was a Canadian born Hong Konger. He discovered methods to cook dinner in Canada, after which he went again to Hong Kong. You discover all of those actually fascinating tales of those who have this actually various background, however tied to Hong Kong in a method, form, or type. He was like, “I discovered methods to cook dinner French meals. So I’m gonna apply that to Chinese language drugs.”

Was there any specific ingredient or approach that you just took again with you and included into your cooking right here?

Truly, that egg roll that we served tonight was a little bit of a mash up as a result of we made an XO sauce. XO sauce, it’s all over the place. Individuals actually satisfaction themselves on it. It’s a bit like a French rooster inventory; everybody has their very own. And duck is such an essential a part of Cantonese delicacies. While you’re there, you actually see there’s so many makes use of for it. So we made this confited duck leg. We cook dinner it in its personal fats actually slowly, which they do there, which I used to be shocked to see. There’s attitudes that you just convey again. 

What I by no means actually tried to do is recreate that meals, as a result of I can’t. I don’t understand how. To develop into an excellent Cantonese chef, you want many years of studying. Getting a bit grasp class from the man that makes shumai his complete life — your arms simply don’t transfer in the identical means. You’re like, “How do I do it?” The crew actually needed to pull me out. 

This interview has been edited and condensed.