Food/Travel Shows

[emuboy]

Hi,

 

I'm looking for a food/travel show where someone just basically goes around sussing out places in China and eating famous or cool dishes. I figure it will be good listening practice and a nice change from the kids shows I've been watching.

[Shelley]

Try to find "A Bite of China" I know it was a good series.

This is something about it https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Bite_of_China

[lakesandrivers]

45 minutes ago, Shelley said:

A Bite of China

 

Oh! Oh! 舌尖上的中国 is great!

[abcdefg]

CCTV Channel 2 recently began showing something like what you are seeking in the 6 p.m. slot. 天涯厨王  -- Name means something along the lines of Chef King in the Remotest Corners of the Earth. 

 

It stars a young English chef who travels to remote parts of China and "discovers" unusual regional food. The places they go are interesting enough, and the culinary content is OK, but the chef himself makes me cringe and I always wind up changing channels. He so badly wants to be a star, always smiling and "magnetic," always 100% telegenic. Seems to me he treats the locals with a huge lack of respect, slapping strangers on the shoulder like they are old pals and such. Casually drapes an arm over the shoulder of Old Mister Zhang, the village leader, as he sips a beer. Really sets my teeth on edge. 

 

But perhaps my resentment is just in my eyes, is just a personal thing. May not actually be warranted; I might be overly sensitive to these issues. His way of interacting with local people is very different from my own. You might like the show. I watch it on TV, but it seems that CCTV has live replays on their internet website. 

 

http://tv.cctv.com/live/cctv2/index.shtml?stime=1526636520&etime=1526639340&type=lbacks 

 

 

[emuboy]

Cheers for the recommendations guys. Just had a look at 天涯厨王 and "A Bite of China".  天涯厨王 is exactly what I wanted - he uses pretty basic Chinese so I should be able to use it for active listening practice.

 

Found it on Youtube too, here's a link to the first episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fROIWeqKCkI

[abcdefg]

I'm very glad that will be useful for you, @emuboy!

 

I've watched just about all of the "Bite of China" series several times over the years. It's well produced and enjoyable viewing. Even bought a boxed set of the DVD's. Eventually gave them to a friend. 

[Alex_Hart]

2 hours ago, abcdefg said:

I've watched just about all of the "Bite of China" series several times over the years. It's well produced and enjoyable viewing. Even bought a boxed set of the DVD's. Eventually gave them to a friend. 

 

On 5/19/2018 at 7:02 AM, Shelley said:

Try to find "A Bite of China" I know it was a good series.

 

I've memorized most of the first season. Watched it in the very early days of Chinese learning and have watched the series over and over since, willingly and unwillingly. I love the narrator as he speaks clearly and relatively slowly. Also gives you great ideas about where to go! I've managed to visit several spots mentioned in the show, some of which I only knew about after watching.

[RjMaan]

I like food ranger show due to its versatility and uniqueness.

[emuboy]

@RjMaan thanks mate, I've seen him before and I like his videos!

 

@abcdefg Finally finished the first episode of 天涯厨王 and I definitely see what you mean about the cringe factor; the uncomfortable, non-reciprocated shoulder slap seems to be a repeat offender. Still a decent watch overall though in my opinion.

[abcdefg]

The guy is so full of enthusiasm and good cheer that it's impossible not to like him despite his borderline inappropriate behavior. I watched an episode yesterday (on the TV) about a visit to a couple of small towns not far from Dali. Lots of interesting discoveries. Makes me want to go there myself to explore.  Got to give him credit for getting off the standard tourist trail. 

[Flickserve]

6 hours ago, abcdefg said:

The guy is so full of enthusiasm and good cheer that it's impossible not to like him despite his inappropriate behavior.

 

I think he's better than food ranger from a learning Chinese perspective. 

 

Food ranger's Chinese is not that great and his dialogue is a bit repetitive. Interesting program though. 

[Flickserve]

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/the-other-jamie-on-a-food-mission-meet-the-chef-teaching-people-in-the-east-to-love-western-food-8857143.html

 

A little background

[abcdefg]

On 5/26/2018 at 11:33 PM, Flickserve said:

I think he's better than food ranger from a learning Chinese perspective. 

 

Agree. Hugely better. Food Ranger talks like a tourist who took a two-week beginner course. Jamie (天涯厨王) talks almost like a native. 

 

9 hours ago, Flickserve said:

A little background

 

Thanks for the background, @Flickserve!

[Flickserve]

although not a travel show, there is a youtube channel called Amanda Tastes where she cooks and speaks in just mandarin.

 

https://youtu.be/ELdrK0p61_M

 

So if you were looking to get used to common kitchen mandarin for western food, this seems to be a good one. She has an amazing number of subscribers.

[abcdefg]

Very good. Thanks. She knows what she's doing and is easy to understand. 

 

This recipe is a classic and she explains it well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yauKESA6daM 

[Shelley]

That was excellent, subtitles in english and Chinese looked delicious, might even try something similar one day. I have bookmarked it and will watch others of hers. Really clear Chinese and easy to understand the bits I did catch.

 

And it contained the famous "glug" of oil and other similar measurements, although there were actual amounts stated at the beginning. Great stuff.

 

 

[Flickserve]

I do believe her early work had mandarin subtitles.

 

Just from watching one video, i picked up the chinese for bubbles and clingfilm.

[大肚男]

Two cooking shows on YouTube I enjoy are

1) 小高姐的 magic ingredients. I like this for the recipes, which are generally easy to follow and very doable, and where I had a pretty high success rate.

 

2) 美食作家王刚。i think the host works/used to work at a restaurant, and he shows how authentic Chinese dishes are made in restaurant setting. I love to watch this cooking show because the guy is pretty charismatic, even though I have no hope of ever successfully making anything shown on it.

 

Both are Chinese with English subtitles in YouTube.

[abcdefg]

8 hours ago, 大肚男 said:

小高姐的 magic ingredients. I like this for the recipes, which are generally easy to follow and very doable, and where I had a pretty high success rate.

 

Two thumbs up for this one on how to make 水煎包: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHYfHfDWvtY 

[emuboy]

Awesome, just saw these new ones. Going to check them out over the next week. Thanks!