Episode 1

Rick Stein kicks off his nearly 5,000-kilometre road odyssey by exploring Sydney, the city where he first arrived in Australia as a 19-year-old in the 1960s. Framed by personal memory and curiosity, Rick uncovers how Australian food is changing and why.

Rick’s journey begins on the harbour as he recalls his memorable first visit and meets First Nations chef Mark Olive at his acclaimed modern Australian restaurant, Midden, which occupies pride of place at the Sydney Opera House. Over the past 20 years, Mark has pioneered the use of native ingredients in contemporary Australian cuisine. Over a native plum margarita, he introduces Rick to some of his favourite herbs, including lemon myrtle, wattle seed, riberries and ice plants.

Rick heads into Sydney’s Chinatown, where he explores some of the city’s earliest and most important food influences with writer Jennifer Wong. Jennifer takes Rick for yum cha – a traditional Cantonese morning tea that has become a Sydney brunch institution enjoyed by Australians of every cultural background all over the city. Here, at the Royal Palace Seafood, she gives him an introduction to the yum cha basics.

Reflecting on the beauty of Sydney’s beaches, Rick visits the harbourside home of an old friend and one of Australia’s most famous artists. Ken Done’s brightly coloured paintings sum up the allure of Sydney for Rick. After a tour of his studio, Rick cooks Ken lunch – a bright and zesty kingfish and prawn ceviche.

From here, Rick travels to the 'belly of Sydney' and Australia’s largest produce market. Sydney's markets have been shaping Australian palates for generations – and there is no better place to see the nation’s changing food culture in action. Rick meets stallholders like Eileen Yip, who’s from a fourth-generation family of Australian Cantonese traders, and shares her experience of how new waves of migration are transforming Australian food.

Inspired by the openness with which Australians have embraced food from diverse cultures, Rick shares his own Chinatown-inspired recipe – salt and pepper crab served with bok choy and oyster sauce.