(Rudy Maxa) I'm on my way to a party in a city that's constantly hard at work and at play.

It's a place I return to again and again because there's nowhere as unique, resilient and flat-out fun as Hong Kong.

[sitar & percussion play in bright rhythm] (woman) "Rudy Maxa's World" is sponsored by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries-- committed to bringing authentic Japanese food products to the world.

Additional funding provided by United Airlines, serving more than 330 destinations worldwide.

United-- fly the friendly skies.

And by... (Rudy) Hong Kong is a feast and the people of Hong Kong are great consumers.

It's a hungry city-- hungry for food, for prosperity, hungry for life.

Hong Kong'ers are a canny collection of discerning people who know what they want and where to get it.

Blink once and you've missed the latest trend.

No one rests on laurels here.

Be the best or someone else will be.

Hong Kong pursues food, fashion, fun, and finance with a vengeance.

Case in point, where else can you rent a double-decker tram and have a private catered party as you wind your way through town?

(man) Hey.

Hey, Rudy!

My longtime friend and Washington, DC, restaurateur, Daisuke Utagawa is hosting the traveling tram party with a bunch of our friends.

(Rudy) So what are we eating here Daisuke?

(Daisuke) Well, lots of things actually, foie gras, you have escargot, you have dim sum, sandwiches.

It's quite a combination.

Well, that's Hong Kong for you.

(Rudy) Sort of East meets West and then some.

(Daisuke) Well, it's more like Hong Kong devours the West, digests it, and turns into something uniquely Hong Kong.

(Rudy) Born of a desire for trade in 1842, Hong Kong was a British Colony with an eye on prosperity.

Together, British and Chinese entrepreneurs turned this island into a powerhouse and created a city that was more like a country, one that remains to this day a unique and dynamic amalgam of cultures.

Cheers Rudy!

I can't wait to show you Hong Kong.

Show me Hong Kong?

I've been here dozens of times.

So have I.

But for me, Hong Kong's all about drive, it's about energy, but it's also a very sophisticated place, there's great natural beauty, and of course, your favorite topic--food.

That is true, but there's something more.

It's all about value here, you see.

People are very sophisticated, but they make their own value judgment.

They'll take in everything, evaluate, and they march to their own drumbeat.

(Rudy) I tell you what, you show me your Hong Kong, I'll show you mine, and I think I'll blow you away.

Ha, ha, ha!

All right, I bet I can show you Hong Kong you've never seen before.

(Rudy) Umm, maybe.

For me, the best introduction to Hong Kong is to ride the longest escalator system in the world and watch the city go by.

Hong Kong Island is small and steep, thus, the city is built all the way up the hill toward Victoria Peak, and people use a series of 18 escalators and 3 moving sidewalks to go up and down.

In the mornings, the electric ladder, as it's called in Cantonese, rolls downhill.

Some 80,000 commuters ride to and from work each day, and thus begins all manner of life in this vibrant hardworking city.

Since its founding, Hong Kong has leapt from a few thousand inhabitants to more than 7 million.

The density creates a vertiginous skyline above and narrow, intimate streets below.

And the nonstop energy and drive to succeed overflows from the many shops into the streets.

And it all begins on the escalator.

Wait till we come back here Friday night and you see what this puppy looks like going up carrying people to the bars and restaurants.

Fantastic, but right now I'm taking you down to the Central.

I've got this very special place for you.

Every time I come to Hong Kong, I go to this place to have my suit made.

I've had suits made in Hong Kong!

Well, not in this place we're going, it's something very special, very different, you're gonna love it!

(Rudy) Okay.

(Daisuke) Love this.

(Rudy) This is your place right?

(Daisuke) It's my place, I love this place!

Hello Ann, long time, how are you?

Hello, long time.

This is my friend Rudy.

How do you do?

How do you do?

Nice to meet you.

Welcome to Blanc de Chine.

(Rudy) I'm delighted to be here.

The quick turnaround suit is legendary in Hong Kong, but the practice is on the wane as fewer children take up the family business.

You've gotten so much slimmer Mr. Utagawa.

However the tradition of bespoke, or made to order, is making a comeback in innovative design shops like Blanc de Chine, which translates Chinese culture into modern fashion.

This is no 24-hour suit shop, but we are promised the results within a week.

Okay Rudy, what's next?

I'm starving!

Well, I know it's not my turn, but food...

I will always defer to you on food.

(Daisuke) Okay.

No trip to Hong Kong is complete without dim sum.

Dim sum, like most cuisine in Hong Kong, is Cantonese.

It took off in this city because it's fast, easy, and it can feed a crowd.

You gotta move fast around here, you gotta move fast around here.

And what a crowd it is, filling the room with the hungry hum of anticipation.

Very hot, like really hot!

Hong Kong embraces modernity and sophistication, but turn a corner and centuries slip away.

Well, this is a very interesting neighborhood Daisuke.

What is all this?

(Daisuke) Dried goods, mostly food and medicine, although in Chinese culture there's not that clear distinction between food and medicine, although it is about yin and yang, the opposites, the dark and the bright, the female and the male.

And it's about balancing the opposites.

You let your chi flow through you, and you know, you stay healthy that way.

(Rudy) Given the number of stores I can see up and down the streets in this neighborhood, it looks like the Chinese take this very seriously.

(Daisuke) Oh, it's been working for them for thousands of years.

(Rudy) Makes sense.

If you're not in the know, it's hard to tell what's what here in these markets and shops.

The Chinese word "fang," which means to prevent, can refer both to a medical prescription as well as a gastronomical one.

Our abbreviation Rx for a prescription comes from the word recipe, so indeed, food and medicine are never far apart.

We got chicken, we got eggs, we got meat.

Whoa, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

You know what Rudy, let's get you an herbal tune-up.

An herbal tune-up?

Yeah, you can use it, come on, let's go.

So he's gonna feel your pulse and tell everything about you.

Everything.

Everything.

That's a little scary.

Well, good thing I don't understand Cantonese.

Right, or me too.

And neither do you.

His expression hasn't changed, I can't tell whether I'm in dire danger or going to make it another year.

Don't worry, this is not a lie detector.

I feel like he's reading my entire life secrets.

[speaking Chinese] Something.

I think he's saying that there's a small something in your left side kidney and liver.

Big problem?

Not a big problem.

Not a big problem, okay.

(Rudy) Once my diagnosis is complete, the herbs are gathered.

Round, that's all there is.

And boiled into a tea.

Aw, here it comes.

That should cure everything.

Okay.

(Daisuke) You gonna drink that?

Well, that's the whole point, but...

It smells very woodsy.

Well, it is medicine.

How is it?

[Rudy clears his throat] Would you like a taste?

No, you have to finish it, that's what the doctor said.

I just take a little medicine at a time, you don't wanna rush it.

Yeah, okay, no problem, we've got all day, I'm here for you.

I wonder what it tastes like cold?

If it takes like this warm, what does it taste like cold?

You wanna try it cold?

No, I can't imagine it cold.

Should I go get some ice?

No!

Yeah, this was great.

Okay, we should really move on down the street, I think.

Okay, let's do that.

(Rudy) No sooner do I get healthy and balanced than Daisuke wants to eat again.

I gotta tell you, this sort of looks like a food court.

Well it is, but don't you worry, in Hong Kong you can get fabulous food at food court.

There's a guy that I really trust with food, he took me here once and in fact, I'm gonna introduce you to him.

Denny!

How are you?

Long time no see.

Hi Rudy!

Long time no see too.

What you mean Rudy?

Do you know Rudy?

Of course, I know Rudy.

Yeah, I know Denny.

Well, he's my Denny.

Hey come on, hold on, hold on, I'm both of your Denny, okay?

I'm big enough to be shared by both of you, don't worry about it.

Why don't we share a meal?

Yes, we're gonna share a meal, a wonderful, authentic Cantonese meal, follow me.

Okay, let's do it then.

(Daisuke) Well, let's have a look at the menu, shall we?

(Denny) Yes, this is a typical live menu of Cantonese cuisine.

Everything is fresh and everything is done in a minute.

Not too shabby for a food court, is it?

No, not exactly your average food court, what are we eating?

(Daisuke) Garoupa, let's have some garoupa, I haven't had garoupa in a long time.

(Denny) Yes, steam them.

(Daisuke) Oh yeah, for sure and razor clam.

(Denny) Yeah, razor clam there.

(Daisuke) So let's have these 2 'cause we've ordered some other things.

Yeah, we'll just start as an appetizer.

Okay.

Okay, let's go.

(Daisuke) Oh Rudy, this is gonna be good.

What is it?

This will kick-start you.

(Denny) Wow!

this is good!

There's a reason this thing is small.

That's the smallest glass I've ever seen in my life.

Well you know what, you're gonna be happy that it's small.

After you drink this, everybody will see the real Rudy.

Oh my God!

Cheers!

Cheers!

Good to see you my friend.

Ah, look at this.

Wonderful chicken.

You put it in the bowl?

Anyway you like, but in the Western world, people might not like the chicken because it's with bones.

But for Chinese, chicken tastes better with bones.

(Daisuke) So the meat right around the bone is the tastiest.

So we kind of like to gnaw at it you know?

So when you see a lot people putting the whole chicken in the mouth and just kind of pushing out the bones, just like you did, fantastic-- there's some meat left-- just make sure you suck the meat off of it.

One of the reasons why Cantonese cuisine is so great, all the ingredients are fresh, and all done in a minute.

So it is just tasty.

Oh razor clam.

(Rudy) Oh my goodness, fabulous!

Sauce?

(Daisuke) It's all about value, but value doesn't necessarily mean cheap.

If it's good, and it justifies the price, they will pay for it.

If it's really cheap, and if it still doesn't taste good, nobody will buy it.

(Rudy) Oh, my it's beautiful.

Look at that!

Beautiful.

Look at the color, the smell.

See how the skin is very plump?

That's very important, when you steam it properly, it blows up.

Obviously the fish has to be good too.

Here's to long-lasting friendship.

Long-lasting friendship!

Over fantastic food.

(Rudy) Yes.

Thank you.

[Denny speaks Cantonese] You should learn to talk Cantonese-- poisson.

Poisson.

Poisson.

Poisson.

(all) Pois... ...son.

Yes.

All right.

(Rudy) Well, this place is filling up very, very quickly.

(Denny) The reason why is because, see are these are the ingredients you don't find in a fast-food court.

Nobody will believe that you found this in a fast-food court.

I mean, in Hong Kong people are...

I agree, it's not a fast-food court.

Well, everything is fast.

The food comes fast.

Well, that's true.

In Hong Kong everybody just loves food, we love to eat.

A little of this goes a really long way.

This is like the Barbie size.

It is Barbie-size, but it's got a Ken punch to it.

Well, that was a great first day, wasn't it?

We are not done yet.

Really?

Really.

(Rudy) Night was made for Hong Kong; this town sings at night.

Restaurants, bars, the harbor, the city lights, it's a pulsing, buzzing kaleidoscope of color and chaos, and it's my kind of town.

You know, one of the things I love about Hong Kong is the fact that you can go home on an escalator.

Yeah, not only are people commuting home from work on an escalator, they're also commuting to restaurants and bars.

Right?

How civilized.

Very!

(Rudy) In contrast to the morning commuters, hardworking, hard-playing Hong Kong'ers now head uphill to all the hotspots, many of which sprang up because of the escalator.

All over Hong Kong, rooftop bars capitalize on the year-around temperate weather, the dizzying views and the enthusiastic weekend crowds.

Rudy, this is quite a posh way to start off our trip.

I think it's a great thing to do when you come to Hong Kong to have the rooftop bar experience like Cé La Vi.

(Daisuke) You've got these incredible panoramic views.

(Rudy) Have a drink, relax, we get a late start tomorrow morning.

(Daisuke) We will relax, but no late start tomorrow, we start early.

How early?

(Rudy) Too early the next morning we board Hong Kong's famous ferry.

Talk about value, the Star Ferry has to be the least expensive, most spectacular short cruise anywhere.

I love this!

(Rudy) This is old Hong Kong, the best way, the cheapest way to get between the two sides, Hong Kong and Kowloon.

A quick ferry ride, everybody locally uses it, it's real Hong Kong.

(Daisuke) Rudy, this is Star Ferry, you're not claiming this is one of yours are you?

I mean everybody knows Star Ferry.

Ah yeah, but do you know about Tennyson?

All these boats were named after a line in an Alfred Lord Tennyson poem called "Crossing the Bar."

And the line is, "Sunset and evening star, and one clear call for me!"

I did not know that, that's a good one.

Well, we're learning things.

(Daisuke) Well at least we're downstairs where all the locals hang out.

(Rudy) And the original wood floors.

(Daisuke) Look at that, isn't that gorgeous?

(Rudy) The Star Ferry deposits us at the feet of Old Town Central, one of my favorite parts of Hong Kong.

This is where the British first landed.

They saw a gorgeous natural harbor and a sparsely inhabited island, and they set up a trading post.

Thousands of immigrants from mainland China poured in, and a powerhouse was born.

Hong Kong real estate is among the most expensive in the world.

Old Town Central is a microcosm of Hong Kong.

The past and the present rub shoulders.

Edgy art and wafting smoke from a temple mingle in the streets.

Staircases lead up the steep hillside and every square inch is packed with life.

Old Town Central is eminently walkable and filled with every sight, sound, and scent imaginable.

There's nowhere better to catch the flavor of Hong Kong, both literally and figuratively.

Most inviting is the incense-filled Man Mo Temple.

It's dedicated to the god of literature, Man, and the god of war, Mo.

For generations, students hoping to succeed in civil examinations prayed to these gods.

Man Mo also served as a place where the Chinese community could meet and resolve disputes.

Another legacy of the British, the Police Married Quarters, has been converted into a hip collection of local designer shops and exhibitions.

I think we're here.

Oh, is this the place?

Hi, are you Nick?

Hi.

Hi, I'm Rudy Maxa, and this is Daisuke Utagawa.

Tell me about your brand, it's spelled Eone, correct?

How do you pronounce that?

(Nick) E one.

(Rudy) E one.

Okay, and you make watches that are very unique.

Show them and describe them to us, will you?

(Nick) Yeah, sure, so our brand is called Eone, it actually stands for "everyone."

Started as a brand you really could think about how to produce product for the visually impaired, and also normal people can use it.

To do that we also inject a lot of really good design concept.

It's beautiful.

Thanks.

Can you explain to me how this works?

Sure, so the top one represents minute and the side one represents hour.

This little ball represents minutes?

(Nick) Right.

(Rudy) But if I move it, it goes right back to where it belongs, so is there a magnet there?

(Nick) Exactly, the magnet is driving the ball inside.

(Rudy) This is the hour, and it moves around as well?

(Nick) Yes.

Okay, so you just touch both balls, and you know what time it is.

This is so your style.

(Daisuke) I like it, I mean, it's brilliant, the fact that, because you have actual hands and you touch them, you can move them right?

With this, you can move it all around (Rudy) And it goes right back to where it's supposed to be.

(Daisuke) Look at that, look at that.

I love it.

It's like a toy and a watch at the same time.

(Rudy) It's also a conversation piece.

Wear that on your wrist and what is that?

(Daisuke) So that was really cool, I really enjoyed it.

I do have one request though.

(Rudy) What's that?

(Daisuke) Can we eat?

Oh, tonight we're going sophisticated, Michelin Stars Cantonese cuisine.

Wait, wait, wait, Michelin Star Cantonese?

I've got a reservation later this week at T'ang Court.

Okay, tonight we're going to Yan Toh Heen.

I can always eat.

I know that about you.

Well, let's go, I'm really hungry.

(Rudy) One last detour before we eat again.

You can't come to Hong Kong without riding the tram to the Peak.

The British soon discovered that Victoria Peak was cooler than the city below it.

Before the tram was built, the Brits paid locals to carry them up in sedan chairs.

Today Victoria Peak is one of the world's most exclusive hilltops.

Homes up here can run you $15,000 to $20,000 per square foot and it's not hard to see why.

Stick around until the sun goes down.

Nowhere, maybe nowhere on earth, does sunset turn to night so spectacularly.

Many of Hong Kong's finest Michelin Starred restaurants are located in hotels and many of these feature classic Cantonese cooking.

Yan Toh Heen is the Intercontinental Hotel's celebrated restaurant.

Perhaps foolishly, the chef as agreed to let me assist in the kitchen.

It's my first time cooking in a Michelin Starred restaurant.

What are we making today chef?

Today we demonstrate the Wagyu beef.

Wagyu beef.

Mushroom.

That's a mushroom?

Yeah.

Alright.

[speaks Chinese] Green pepper, right?

Green pepper.

And garlic.

Yeah, and garlic and cornstarch.

Cornstarch, okay, great.

Chinese wok.

Chinese wok.

Very powerful, very hot.

Be careful, keep your distance.

[loud rush of the flame] (Rudy) Oh!

Little scary.

It's very scary!

It's like a rocket ship, like a missile to the moon.

Okay, so it's very hot, what can I do?

Put the oil in?

(the chef) Put the oil first.

(Rudy) Okay, that I can do I think.

This much?

(the chef) Yeah, okay, put in wok.

(Rudy) That's okay?

Is this gonna go all over the place here?

(the chef) No worry.

You see the smoke.

Mushrooms first?

Mushroom first, quickly.

Okay.

Yeah, very quickly.

Right now we start to cook the beef.

(Rudy) For the beef, okay.

Put one in.

(the chef) Yeah, very, very hot.

(Rudy) Very slowly.

How we handled it, we handle this, you hurry.

Okay, okay.

Easy though.

Very easy.

Yeah.

I could cost this guy one of his Michelin Stars if allowed to be alone in this kitchen for about 5 minutes.

All the ingredients together, put it in the wok.

(Rudy) Put it in together?

(the chef) All in, yeah.

(Rudy) And then?

Very quickly, right?

(the chef) Yeah quickly, very quickly.

Very quickly, and put in the green peppers and the mushrooms.

A little more sauce.

Boy, like a ballet in the way you do it.

[russhhh!

of the flame] That's it?

It's a lot easier than I thought.

You will smell, you will smell, that aroma.

Just a little charred-- perfect-- voilà!

Wonderful!

I can't wait to taste it, thank you chef, Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

Now to taste the fruits of my labor in Yan Toh Heen's dining room.

Oh, look at that!

This is your dumpling.

Enjoy your dim sum.

Thank you.

(Daisuke) See, all good dim sums have a way of making what's, it's almost like poached.

Right?

So its own juice comes out, so it's almost like having a mini soup of whatever the meat's inside.

So the skin shouldn't really bother it, and this is just perfect.

Thin skin, when you bite into it, it's like a pocket of small juice that's made from these little ingredients inside-- it's really good.

Oh look at that.

Oh my goodness.

That is gorgeous!

Looks good to me.

(Rudy) Peking duck is this restaurant's signature dish.

(Daisuke) Right, it looks very good.

The best Peking ducks, well obviously you just eat the skin, but the skin cannot be crispy.

To me it has to be almost like the perfect croissant crust, then multilayered, when you bite into it, it goes "ssst, ssst."

And obviously the flavor has to be good, so-- but it looks good to me, let's have it.

This is proper, this is how it should be, burst out with flavor and a lot of places serve you Peking duck that's crispy, like cracker crispy, it really shouldn't be like that.

It should be delicate, it should be, this is right to me.

You're saying this is the best Peking duck you've ever had.

You've had a lot of Peking duck.

I have, and this is really good, this is proper.

Daisuke, I'd like to present to you, my beef.

This is wok-cooked, Wagyu Beef with mushrooms, green peppers, something else.

You did make it though.

Well, the chef helped just a little bit.

It looks very good.

Garlic, that's what the other thing is.

Well, let's try it, shall we?

Love it!

Ummm!

(Rudy) Our Yan Toh Heen meal is as eclectic and alluring as Hong Kong itself.

From the early morning scrutiny by shoppers in the abundant markets, to the ride of neon and nightlife after hours, this city's enthusiasm is what sticks.

Everything here is full bore, no holds barred, carpe diem.

I for one am head over heels in love.

Boy, this has been terrific, but Hong Kong has so much more to offer.

What are you talking about?

It's a half-hour show, Daisuke, it's over.

Well, half hour for Hong Kong?

That's not possible.

I'll see what I can do.

Well, you do that, find us more time.

Until then, I'm just gonna sit here and keep eating.

Of course, you are.

I guess this means you're just going to have to tune in for "Hong Kong Part 2."

(woman) For more information on the places featured on "Rudy Maxa's World," visit... To order DVD's of "Rudy Maxa's World," visit... (woman) "Rudy Maxa's World" is sponsored by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries-- committed to bringing authentic Japanese food products to the world.

Additional funding provided by United Airlines, serving more than 330 destinations worldwide.

United-- fly the friendly skies.

And by... [synthesizer fanfare]