DON’T you ever have one of those weekends when all you want to do is veg out on the couch and watch a whole bunch of shows all day long?
(This happens to me every once in a while—mostly when traffic is so bad, I get exhausted even before I step out the door.)
While my go-to shows are procedurals and Korean dramas, every once in a while I wander onto channels like TLC (Travel & Living Channel), where I used to avidly watch Miami Ink, a reality show that featured tattoo artists (and their various clients, whose stories surprisingly made for compelling TV).
Now, if you’re a couch potato, or you would rather let your fingers do the surfing instead of wasting some shoe leather exploring your streets, then TLC is the channel for you.
Not only does it have shows that satisfy various vicarious cravings (travel, food, fashion), but it also features shows that highlight the cultural landscape of exotic locales. Couch potatoes don’t even have to move a muscle to travel to far-flung destinations.
I know I’ve spent many hours watching Anthony Bourdain wander off to Parts Unknown to dine on things like camels or scorpions, or tree frogs. Absolutely riveting stuff.
BACK FOR ROUND 3
Interestingly, last week saw TLC launch Season 3 of A Taste of Hong Kong, one of the most popular shows on the channel. Hosted by globetrotting Englishman Ian Wright and energetic Chef Christian Yang, the show explores the culinary and cultural landscape of Hong Kong.
Both hosts flew in to the Shangri-La at The Fort in Bonifacio Global City (Wright came from London, while Yang flew in from Hong Kong) for the festivities. Guests included Hong Kong Tourism Board Regional Director for Southeast Asia Simon Wong (TLC partnered with HKTB for the third consecutive season to present the three-part series.)
FROM “STAR EATS” TO “STYLE EATS”
Each of the three 20-minute episodes will have concepts like “Star Eats”, “Street Eats” and “Style Eats”.
At the launch, both hosts said they looked forward to traveling around Hong Kong and uncovering the different types of its culinary delights from street food to high-end cuisine.
The duo will hop on a tram and pick out specific places to hold a pop-up event that would serve as an “ode” to the city’s sights and smells. The pair would present five or six dishes, which would highlight the theme of the event. Yang will also flex his culinary skills by creating a unique dish inspired by his adventures with Wright.
The show marks the return of Wright, a professional globetrotter who has seen (and eaten) practically anything and everything across Asia, to TLC. Wright, the most traveled man on the planet, has been the face of travel TV for two decades. He is best known for hosting Globe Trekker and Invite Mr Wright. Yang has trained in many Michelin-starred restaurants across Europe before settling back in Hong Kong, where he hosted the highly rated Food & Culture alongside mentor Martin Yan (Yan Can Cook). Chef Yang is also the host of NOW TV’s Chef Corner and Junior Chef Corner.
Yang, who describes Hong Kong’s culinary scene as an encyclopedia of “all types of prices, quality and exclusivity,” recommends the roast pork to Filipinos.
Wright, for his part, hopes viewers will get a real insight into Hong Kong through the show, and encourage them to “get up and go to Hong Kong.”
“Then food will make you drool,” he says.
- A Taste of Hong Kong premieres tonight at 6:40 on TLC, SKY Cable Channel 62.