Accidental Chef

Known as the culinary center of the Philippines, Pampanga is the place to go for foodies. Here, Melvyn visits two very different families- a celebrity artist, and a tribal chief, and experiences the Filipino life and cuisine in a whole new light. Melvyn brings both families together for a Filipino inspired meal, which he personally cooks. Can food truly be the universal language?

The capital of the nation, Hanoi boasts more than 1000 years of history. Along with that, comes a long-standing history of traditional cuisine with many famous delicacies. Melvyn visits a Vietnamese rice farmer, where he experiences a typical Vietnamese home cooking. Then he hangs out with a culinary artisan who has been living in the city for many generations.

Melvyn finds himself in seafood galore as he heads to Xiamen, China. He meets two different families- one living in a rustic fishing village and the other, the owner of a famous restaurant chain in Xiamen. Melvyn then brings his experiences together in a meal, which he specially prepares for his new friends. He puts his Chinese cooking skills to the test.

Melvyn experiences the contrasts in multicultural Malaysia where he meets up with two very different families: Malaysian royalty who live in an upscale suburb in a sprawling bungalow and a family belonging to the Mah Meri tribe, a once nomadic indigenous people who still live off the land. Melvyn ends his trip in a bid to fuse two very different culinary cultures, serving lunch at Bayan Indah.

Melvyn explores Taiwan. He scales the altitudes of Taiwan's central mountains to meet an aboriginal woman. With her, Melvyn discovers some unique local produce and learns how to prepare a dish that dates back to the hunting days of the Atayal men. He descends the mountain and heads for Taiwan's dramatic coastline. There, he befriends a Han Chinese fisherman.

Melvyn finds himself in South Korea. He experiences two distinctly different cultures and cuisines of the country- that of the royalties and the monks. He meets royal food expert to learn about the imperial traditions and cuisines, which had influenced so much of Korea. Then Melvyn goes zen with a famous Korean monk. Melvyn brings both parties together for a special meal.

Melvyn is first invited to dine with a privileged family. In their mansion, Melvyn feasts on one of the most unusual things he's ever experienced - ant's eggs! Then, by the famous Mekong River, Melvyn shares a simple meal with his hosts. He experiences eating in a house built on stilts. What's more, Melvyn will eat on the same floor, which the family sleeps!

Melvyn's culinary journey culminates to a homecoming this week- Singapore. In this city where he grew up, Melvyn hopes to rediscover the history and culture through two very important groups of Singaporeans- the Peranakans and the Eurasians. They represent the multi-ethnic past and present of the nation. Melvyn will prepare a meal for these 2 families- a sumptuous gourmet dinner.