‘Odd couple’ foodie hosts explore HK for culinary gems

CHRISTIAN Yang (left) and Ian Wright

It’s a match made in cable TV heaven.

At least that’s practically how two contrasting co-hosts—seasoned travel show presenter Ian Wright and Hong Kong chef Christian Yang—described working together for their new series, TLC’s “A Taste of Hong Kong” (Sept. 30, 6:40 p.m.).

“You don’t know if you’re going to get [along] well with anyone until you meet them,” Wright told the Inquirer days before his and Yang’s arrival in the Philippines for a meet-and-greet this week. “The chemistry there worked quite well.”

Wright, a British travel host and theater actor, has previous experience with sampling street food all over Asia and other regions;  while Yang, a cooking show host, trained in restaurants across Europe before moving back to Hong Kong.

The show will highlight the “odd couple” dynamic of the duo, while they search for hidden culinary gems in the busy streets of the former British colony.

“Ian and I are like an old bickering, married couple,” Yang told us. “We seriously needed some wardrobe changes—and that’s some pretty funny stuff!”

Excerpts from the interview:

How would you describe co-hosting and learning from each other?

Ian Wright (IW): We have a great relationship. Since Christian is in the industry, he is more diplomatic. He could teach me about the food the sophisticated way—how it’s made, the technical side of it. I don’t really care about that. It’s like a film—I either like it, or I don’t.

Christian Yang (CY): Ian is easy to work with, and he makes you comfortable to just be yourself. We fell in love, got married, and became a bickering odd couple all on the first day (laughs). Ian is able to say [on camera] that he hates the food to the chef’s face and the chef won’t even get mad but, in turn, will thank him. That’s an art I’d love to learn.

What do you consider standout food?

IW: It’s harder for me to talk about the special things that I like about food … All around Hong Kong, I love the ciao chao, that lovely barbecue cooked to perfection with a bit of rice. It’s a simple dish but, when it’s done well, it’s heaven on earth. You feel hugged by the food.

CY: I love it when I find a chef who makes full use of education, training and technique to make dishes that honor their homes. In essence, we get a dialogue about their source of strength, communicated through the food. When you understand the chef, those moments are gold.

What are the toughest parts about doing the show?

IW: No tough parts to hosting this show. It’s brilliant! I’m not the chef. All I’ve got to do is turn up.

CY: It’s the toughest to have to pace myself with the amount of food we eat.

How would you describe the show’s entertainment value?

CY: We came together to [create] an updated list of what to expect from today’s Hong Kong cuisine. We’re more about what real Hong Kongers eat, because that’s probably what visitors also want.

IW: What’s nice about it is, Christian can give me the lowdown on what goes into [cooking]. So we went high dining and, to me, it was rubbish! We went for street food, and it was lovely. We have a giggle and we show how fantastic Hong Kong is. It’s a beautiful place. It’s an urban sprawl, but it’s almost like Asia for beginners.

Why do you think food-travel shows are popular?

IW: I don’t really know. I suppose people want to change diets, and learn new things. People want to know how it’s done and, on that level, it’s good. You also see food in the eyes of a chef. It’s got something for everybody.

CY: Why travel if you aren’t going to indulge in the local fare? People—the best ones—love food.

Do you plan to explore Manila’s food scene?

CY: Oh, man. I wish I had a good week to search for food in Manila. I would love to find a nice grandma who would cook [for] me the family’s secret recipe for kare-kare, and of course, find the best lechon!