Post Description

In his twenties, Adam Liaw embarked on the biggest adventure of his young life: he packed a suitcase or two (along with his law degree) and set up shop in Japan. Over the next seven years, he learned the language, fell in love with a Japanese girl, and was overwhelmed by a food culture that rivals - more often eclipses - all others. 

Now Adam returns to the country that first fired his passion for food in Destination Flavour: Japan. From the frozen ponds of Hokkaido in the north to the southern multicultural island of Okinawa, follow the much-loved formula of the first series of Destination Flavour: one-on-one encounters with the obsessive primary producers, local food legends and master chefs; peppered with recipes that anyone can try in their own kitchen.

No other nation can match the Japanese reverence for food, or the exquisite care that goes into preparing the simplest meal. Classic ingredients like miso, sake, mirin, daikon radishes and konbu kelp are the basis for much of the traditional fare, but Adam also explores a cuisine that's constantly evolving - from some of the world's tastiest and healthiest fast food to a gourmet soup actually made from mountain soil.

And then there's the seafood: not just mouth-watering tuna and king crabs, but abalone, sea urchin and even sea slugs - all prepared in a way that's as much a treat for the eye as the palate.

In a country brimming with brilliant chefs and assorted food heroes, a few stand out from the crowd. Adam meets ex-baseball players and sumo wrestlers who've turned their love of good food into brand new careers. Perhaps most inspiring of all is the soy sauce manufacturer who saved the lives of almost all his staff in the catastrophic tsunami of 2011.

Whether he's simmering in a hot spring, taking tea in Kyoto or hitting the Michelin-star restaurants of Tokyo and Osaka, Adam immerses himself in a vibrant food culture that both embraces innovation and cherishes tradition. 

10 Episodes