Rudy Maxa's World

Bangkok is a city of the senses – a city where chaos and serenity happily co-exist. Rudy and chef Daisuke Utagawa roll up their sleeves and prepare to eat their way across Bangkok. Nobody eats at home; everything in this tropical town happens on the street. These fun loving, food crazy, spiritually rich, profoundly graceful people make Bangkok one of the most welcoming cities in the world.

The iconic photo of Hong Kong is a wall of skyscrapers against Victoria Peak with the city’s harbor as a foreground. But on the other side of the island there are beaches and miles of forest hiking trails. Rudy and Daisuke Utagawa explore both sides of the island, from the frenetic night life of the bars and restaurants to the calm waters of Repulse Bay on the quiet side of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong certainly ranks as one of the world’s great cities. Rudy and chef Daisuke Utagawa enthusiastically eat their way through Hong Kong, from cheap but authentic, hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurants to Michelin-starred palaces. Along the way they illustrate the excitement, stunning topography, and energy that defines Hong Kong.

On Japan’s most southernmost islands, Kyushu, the cherry blossoms are out and beach goers are burying themselves in the hot sand—heated by the island’s volcanos. Rudy and chef Daisuke Utagawa introduce viewers to this lush island with luxurious resorts and a history of providing the world with Wagyu beef, black pork, and other delicacies that have made Japanese cuisine well known around the world.

Known as Japan’s “soul food,” ramen is revered in Hokkaido, where it enjoys a long history. Rudy and chef Daisuke Utagawa explore Sapporo, Hokkaido’s capital. Along the way, they track down the families that produce the ingredients of ramen and visit the island’s stunning lakes; one of the island’s premier ski resorts, as well as a whiskey distillery that helps makes Japan’s award-winning spirits.

Washington, D.C. chef and restaurant owner Daisuke Utagawa notes that “Japanese chefs are highly regarded around the world. But it’s also the commitment, or the kodawari, of producers of many of the food products those chefs use that helps makes the cuisine what it is.” Utagawa joins Rudy visiting the producers of the food that’s made Japanese cuisine so famous.