(Rudy Maxa) I'm out and about in a city I've explored for decades.

It's a city where East meets West, gobbles it up, and turns out something completely unique.

It's Asia's world city, Hong Kong.

Join me now for "Hong Kong Part 2."

[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 defies definition.

Just when you think you have a handle on what it's all about, you're surprised.

Old, new, East, West, sophisticated, laid back, fabulously expensive, eminently affordable, all hold true for this city.

Even the city part isn't entirely accurate.

Standing in the center of downtown Hong Kong, it's hard to believe that paradise awaits just a short drive away on the other side of the island.

Hong Kong offers adventure on every street and in its surprising, stunning open spaces.

I'm exploring Hong Kong with my good friend and restaurateur Daisuke Utagawa.

We're trying to one-up each other in a city we both know and love.

In Part one of our tribute to Hong Kong, we threw a party on one of the city's double-decker trams.

We rode the mid-level escalators for both the morning commute and the evening party scene.

My energy, or "chi," was evaluated, as was my waist, when we were measured for bespoke suits.

And we ate and we ate and ate, and if that suit doesn't get to me soon, I may not squeeze into it!

But I intend to start off the second part of our rivalry with a bang.

My favorite thing to do in this, one of my favorite cities, is... [bell rings] Alright, they're off.

Okay, let's go, let's go!

Happy Valley Race Course equals pure happiness.

One of the first things the British did in Hong Kong was to build a racetrack.

Hong Kong'ers have been betting on the horses ever since 1846.

Wednesday night at the races-- not to be missed.

Even the skyscrapers seem to lean in to watch.

Everybody comes to Happy Valley, gamblers, tourists, locals, bigwigs, small-fry-- everybody-- and it's big money.

Millions and millions are at stake.

Alright, here they come, here they come.

(Daisuke) Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

(Rudy) I can't tell, I can't tell who's in the lead there.

(Daisuke) This is awesome Rudy.

(Rudy) Oh yeah, oh yeah.

(Daisuke) Big points for you.

Oh yeah, looking good, this could be the one, I feel it!

(both) Go, go, go, go, go!

Yes!

I told you!

(Rudy) Alright, okay, okay, I call this beginner's luck, which means next beer's on you!

Sure.

(Rudy) I can't believe it, I thought I had this one cold.

The next morning is Daisuke's turn to introduce me to what he claims is an absolutely authentic Hong Kong breakfast.

Very local, this is not your father's Starbucks.

[Daisuke laughs] Alright, what is that?

This is called Yuenyeung, it's coffee and tea together with a little bit of milk.

Okay, and this is my... That's your iced tea.

Iced tea, iced milk tea.

Thank you.

(Daisuke) Look at that.

(Rudy) French toast.

French toast done their way, and this is pork sandwich, barbecued pork sandwich.

(Rudy) Barbecued pork sandwich, okay.

(Daisuke) The breakfast of champions.

(Rudy) That's the breakfast of champions, with the honey.

(Daisuke) Oh look at this-- this is classic example of Hong Kong people hacking into food.

These are all from different parts, I mean this is classic Japanese ramen noodles from package.

So they take that, and they make it distinctively their own by adding their own scallion salt, a little bit of barbecue chicken, and you're gonna have it for breakfast!

(Rudy) Yeah, this is not my average breakfast dish.

In fact, it's the first time I've ever had this.

Dairy isn't typically popular in China, but the British love milk with their tea.

In typical fashion, Hong Kong seized on the idea-- mix coffee and tea together to come up with Yuenyeung or coffee milk tea.

After that light meal, a walk uphill in Hong Kong is welcome.

Hong Kong clings to a steep hill at the top of which is the world-famous Victoria Peak.

Below, in the narrow streets, life proceeds at the frantic pace Hong Kong has known since its inception.

Born a British trading fort in 1842, Hong Kong has long embraced hard work with an eye toward prosperity.

Before you even say it, I know it's lunchtime, you're hungry 'cause you're always hungry, and last night, I passed this little French place, I talked to the chef, he was out front, he said come eat here, I thought it looked interesting.

But we're in Hong Kong.

Humor me, let's just try it, it's just for lunch.

Alright.

[speaks French] En avant.

Après vous, monsieur.

Merci, monsieur.

(Rudy) While you may not come to Hong Kong for French food, it's a testament to the city that restaurants like this one, called Cochin, can thrive.

I usually pick the wine, then I pick the food.

It's an interesting menu.

Yeah, it is actually.

I think I'm gonna go with the organic lamb pot-au-fou with anchovy herb dressing.

(Daisuke) You know what?

I'm going to have the beef bourguignon.

(Rudy) Well, that's a good test.

There we go.

A-ha, lovely, oh that's very pretty.

Oh look at that, oh look at that.

Pretty good eh?

I love Hong Kong!

You like my restaurant?

I do like your restaurant.

(Rudy) Here it comes.

(Daisuke) Oh my God, cheese!

(Rudy) I'd say cheese, you're serious about cheese here, what have we got?

Goat cheese with... [speaks French] starting with a cow milk 46 month, mimolette, 46 month, [server speaks French and names the cheeses] That's it?

[all laugh] I guess there is some serious cheese in Hong Kong, isn't there?

This is really fabulous!

The iconic Star Ferry is the watery way to travel between Hong Kong proper and Kowloon, just across Victoria Harbor.

The Kowloon side of Hong Kong is known for its markets, temples, and waterfront hotels.

Kowloon is Hong Kong's grittier, tougher cousin, it's full of life.

There's an entire market just for pet birds.

There are streets and streets full of vendors selling flowers, and an indoor market for all things jade.

Birds make popular pets in Hong Kong.

For one thing, it's perfect for families that live in small apartments, and they bring a bit of wild nature inside, something the Chinese revere.

There are some major birdcages.

Wow.

You know who would like a birdcage?

Who?

Your daughter Angelica for her bird.

Oh yeah, she would love it.

Look at that one.

Made of metal?

No, no, it's bamboo.

This is bamboo?

All of this?

It feels so firm.

(Daisuke) This is very clever, so the clever birds can't open it.

What you do is you do this and you line it up with the post.

(Rudy) Take it out of the little groove there?

(Daisuke) Oh look, there's more inside.

(Rudy) A lot more inside.

I love the little porcelain water and feed bowls.

This is amazing, look at this, I don't think there's any surface that's carvable that hasn't been carved.

(Rudy) Clearly the birds of Hong Kong are spoiled.

For my little girl I might get that one out there.

May I have this one?

This one, okay.

Yes, please.

This is beautiful.

(Rudy) One of the joys of Kowloon is the view across busy Victoria Harbor to the dramatic site of Hong Kong Island.

Even better is night, when the skyline ignites and the harbor drips with reflected color.

In fact, when the lights come on all over Mong Kok, the pace gets even faster.

Everybody's out and about in the candy-colored streets.

[fast-paced electronic music plays] The market in Kowloon is vast and utterly authentic.

(Daisuke) Can you feel the energy here?

Is this amazing, look at this.

I can, these are dedicated shoppers.

Multigeneration of dedicated shoppers.

I mean, look at them, they're so particular about what they buy.

To me, this is the microcosm of Hong Kong, I mean, Hong Kong is one of the most visited place by tourists, but you don't see a single tourist, these are all locals.

They come here all the time.

(Rudy) If I was a tourist, I would want to come here because you can learn so much about a culture from its food and even the shopping habits, how carefully everyone here shops, what they're looking for, whether they bargain or not.

Ginger, these small limes, sugarcane, I mean, the panoply of products here is unbelievable.

Our mutual friend and food expert, Denny Ip, joins us.

Hi guys!

Hey Denny.

Hi Denny, how are you?

Hello, hello, how are you, how are you?

You're just the guy I need here.

What do we have here, what is this dried stuff here and what's it used for?

Well, I mean, you have come to the most important part of Cantonese cuisine.

I mean, these are all for making soup.

(Rudy) What is this?

(Denny) This is dry lilies.

Why would I wanna put dried lily in my food?

No, in the soup, the reason why, dried lily is good for respiration.

I mean, let's for instance you have a sore throat or anything, you drink this soup, it helps.

Again, here there's not a clear distinction between food and medicine.

(Rudy) Dried vegetables good for anything?

Yes, this the dried, preserved vegetables, it's good, especially make soup to drink in the summertime because it cools down your internal heat.

(Rudy) Really?

The herbalist will say if you are too internally heated, you sweat a lot, you get tired easily, your head aches, muscle ache-- it helps.

This are all-- we drink daily.

When I was a kid, my mum comes here to buy and start cooking for me.

When my mum was a girl, my grandmother came, bring her to the market and buy this and these are from generation to generation.

I mean, I knew this since childhood.

(Rudy) How often did your mother, when you were growing up, go to the market like this?

Well, she shops every day.

Every day.

Yes, in the West, your fridge is to keep food, in Hong Kong, our refrigerator is to keep ice cream and Coke-- that's it!

Very funny.

Oh, no Denny, street food.

Daisuke, Daisuke has to eat.

Oh my goodness, this is gorgeous!

This is street food, it embodies-- that is dim sum there, this is fried rice, you put soy sauce, so tasty, delicious.

[Denny speaks Chinese] (Rudy) What have we got here?

(Denny) This is chicken with mushroom.

(Rudy) Chicken with mushroom, with rice.

(Daisuke) They pour a little sauce on it.

And the sauce goes through that chicken and all that fat, it goes on the bottom, and that rice tastes so good together with the fat, oh, look at that.

He eats all the time.

I'm gonna have a bun of some sort, what do we have over here?

Yes.

[Denny speaks Chinese] (Rudy) And I need a bun of some sort, what do we have over here?

Sweet bread?

Spring onions.

Spring onions, okay, this is veggie, I'll do the veggie.

Oh, look at Daisuke, he's finishing it, he should be called a black hole of food.

He is a black hole of food, there's no question.

(Daisuke) That's good stuff.

[Denny speaks Chinese] [Denny speaks Chinese] (Rudy) Oh, it smells great.

(Denny) Yeah, it smells great.

Our suits have arrived, and we're meeting up in our lobby of the Intercontinental Hotel to head off for high tea, my must-do in Hong Kong.

Mr. Maxa, you are Hong Kong chic.

You cut quite a figure as well.

I think this is my new favorite suit.

I told you you're gonna like it, shall we?

(Rudy) Hong Kong is the best place in the world for high tea, at least for me.

Many of the finer hotels offer it, I booked us at the Ritz Carlton.

Glitters.

Quite elegant, oh my goodness, look at this.

(Daisuke) Nice!

(Rudy) An entire meal in one carousel.

Thank you very much.

(Daisuke) Thank you.

(Rudy) Well, everybody knows that tea originated in China, but when people tasted it all over the world, they went nuts and everybody wanted to have tea.

Yup, and they all made it their own, like Japanese with their green tea ceremony, Russians with their samovar, and of course, British high tea.

The Brits were so nuts about it, they sent a botanist spy in disguise into China to learn how to make tea and then he smuggled plants out.

Robert Fortune, mid 1800s and soon after that Brits started making their own in India.

Alright, we got our tea history down-- pinky up.

Your pinky's not up.

Pinky's up, it's up.

Now it is.

(Rudy) Outside the stately calm of the Ritz Carlton, downtown Kowloon rocks and rolls with commerce.

It teems with shopper from all walks of Hong Kong life, and as always, food is not far away.

Hong Kong has attracted immigrants since its founding in 1842.

The port, open trade, the promise of wealth, all lured mainlanders in droves.

Bustling Kowloon makes serene Kowloon all the more surprising when you stumble upon it.

The Nan Lian Garden and the adjacent Chi Lin Nunnery were both recently constructed in the style of the Tang Dynasty.

Encircled by skyscrapers, this little haven bewitches, just another gem in Hong Kong's back pocket.

Daisuke counters my high tea with another upscale experience.

Many of Hong Kong's Michelin starred restaurants can be found in luxury hotels.

Daisuke's booked us at T'ang Court in the Langham Hotel.

T'ang Court celebrates classic Cantonese cuisine from that golden age in China, the Tang Dynasty.

Denny Ip joins us with other friends.

Don't panic, I'm here, everything is okay, hi.

(Rudy) The appreciation of food goes back a long, long way in China.

At a single banquet in the Imperial Court in China, there might be 200 different dishes, thousands of cooks were employed.

And a cook was a most valued person.

In fact, that's still true today.

Among Hong Kong's wealthy, a personal cook is as important a status symbol as diamonds or a Rolls Royce.

I think we have incoming.

Stir-fried lobster.

Beautiful.

(Denny) Smells good.

(Rudy) Shouldn't be touched.

(Rudy) What is that?

(Denny) Basically it's vegetarian.

(Rudy) In a bird's taste.

You know what I love about this is, this is really Hong Kong, you know, Cantonese cuisine.

I mean Hong Kong being port town and all, it brought in a lot of influences from all over the world anyway, but again, Cantonese cuisine is so inclusive, it just takes in everything and it just processes it and makes it into Cantonese-- I really love that.

Well, Denny, what are the hallmarks of Cantonese cuisine?

It's this flavor-- you don't want to put something on top to cover the original flavor.

You love the lobster, for example, it tastes very lovely, very good, and the onions just emphasize and enhance the flavor of the lobster.

If you put sweet and sour gook on this (Rudy) You drown it, you drown it.

That's right.

I think all the chefs in Hong Kong is chasing after this kind of Cantonese or British life.

Ah, thank you very much.

[Denny speaks Chinese] It's morning, back on the Hong Kong side, the city is waking up.

Commuters are streaming down the mid-level escalators to go to work.

The street markets have come to life and traffic is roaring by.

Rudy, let's get some soup.

Love some wonton soup.

This is a little bit different kind of soup, but you're gonna love it.

[speaking Chinese] Look at this old wood in these cabinets.

These look like they were in pirate ships.

(Daisuke) They are beautiful, but wait till you see what's inside.

(Rudy) Well, hello.

(Daisuke) Ha, ha, ha, ha.

There you have it.

(Rudy) Oh, I know what this is, snake soup.

(Daisuke) That's right, well this is essentially a snake wholesaler, and all the restaurants come here and buy their snake for their soup.

(Rudy) I see, so all these boxes are full of snakes.

And why does this snake have its mouth open looking at me like this?

I mean I don't mind snakes.

I think it likes you.

Are these poisonous?

Yes, they are, You see all those red marks, they all say poisonous snake, poisonous snake.

(Rudy) Can't make snake soup with like, garden snake or something?

(Daisuke) They say the more poisonous they are, the more potent.

(Rudy) They would say that wouldn't they, they would say that?

Okay, this guy seems very familiar with handling snakes.

How many, is that one snake or...?

(Daisuke) It looks like 2, I count 2 heads.

He handles them very gracefully.

(Rudy) He's the snake whisperer, yes.

(Daisuke) We're gonna have some snake soup here, the source of it.

(Rudy) A-ha!

Thank you very much.

I've actually had snake soup in Hong Kong before and really liked it, I've just never been this close to the snakes or the production process.

You notice that there's not a single drop of fat in this.

It's very lean, and this is why they give you this, this is fried noodles, and you add that for a bit of fat.

A little fat?

It turns out our host, Mr. Mack is 88 years old and he's been working here for some 60 years.

His predecessor, the shop's founder, stares down from the wall.

Mr. Mack's shop attracts a loyal lunchtime following.

May I ask you if you come here often?

Yeah, 3 times a week.

(Rudy) Three times a week for lunch?

No, in between snacks.

(Rudy) In between snacks, for health reasons or you love?

I just simply love it, been having this for decades.

(Rudy) I see you have 2 bowls.

Make my trip worthwhile!

Well, you're right, Daisuke, that snake really got my blood flowing.

I feel great!

Oh this is stunning... just to think the restaurant is only half an hour away.

(Rudy) Oh, my goodness!

The Dragon's Back Trail is one of many ways to enjoy the outdoors in Hong Kong.

And it's a great way to admire the dramatic geography, the mountains, spires, and many islands.

You can hike this trail, considered the best urban hike in Asia, in about 2-1/2 hour's time.

Hong Kong Island is surrounded by more than 230 smaller islands, many dramatically steep and rugged.

The geology of Hong Kong developed over millions of years, marked by violent volcanic eruptions.

We emerge on the other side of Hong Kong Island at Big Wave Beach near the Village of Shek O, a quiet stretch of sand with waves that surfers like to ride.

The first time I came here, I couldn't believe the contrast with Hong Kong's urban side.

(Daisuke) You know, being by the sea reminds me have you ever heard of Teochew people?

I have not.

Well, they have excellent cuisine and there's a great restaurant that I know of.

Should we go there?

I'm game.

Alright.

Daisuke has brought me to a Teochew restaurant.

The Teochew people were seafarers and they lived along the coast of Guangdong.

Many emigrated to Southeast Asia, particularly Singapore and Thailand.

Their food is light and delicate, but with strong flavors.

Might have you toast in the Teochew language.

[uttering a toast in the Teochew language] (woman) Hello!

(all) Hello!

(woman) How are you?

What are we having for dinner It's my first Teochew dinner?

Well, at least I want to have the oyster omelet and this beef ball that's pounded with ham, and oh, those crispy noodles, you want the crispy noodles?

(Rudy) Ah beautiful, what do we have here Michael?

(Michael) Very simple, just a beef ball soup.

(Daisuke) It's pounded, sort of like mortadella.

[speaking Chinese] Eat.

(Rudy) Okay To me what's really beautiful about this dish is, when you bring it to your nose first, you get that beautiful light sea and especially this seaweed, we call this nori in Japan, and then when you bite the beef ball, it's really the earth, it's almost like a surf and turf.

You know?

but in a very fine way.

I love this!

(Michael) Normally, Teochew people, they eat at home, they cook noodle, is this one, anyone want to try?

(Rudy) Everybody loves noodles.

Teochew people are very hardworking and they will not waste any single piece.

So therefore what happened is they tend to use more preservation methods and seasonings, rather than a traditional Cantonese cuisine.

(Daisuke) But also preserve makes sense, because they're seafaring people-- on the boat, they didn't have refrigerators so you got to salt things and then eventually they took a bite and oh, this is good!

They're the best navigators of this water, and legend has it that they can even sail in the thick of fog.

I have to hand it to you Daisuke, I would not have found this place, by myself, without you.

Well, you would have, you know Denny.

Yeah, you know me.

Maybe I would have, I don't know if Denny would have brought me here.

That's true!

[all laugh] (Rudy) From family restaurants to glitzy rooftop bars, Hong Kong mixes it up and always keeps you on your toes.

I thought I knew Hong Kong inside out, but this trip peeled back another layer.

Night is descending on the city, and it's my favorite time here.

Double-decker trams fly the streets, the neon lights up, and everybody is out for a good time.

My Hong Kong exclamation point is a watery farewell to this beguiling city.

Nothing can prepare you for the drama of Hong Kong's harbor at night.

Hong Kong's skyscrapers melt into pools of color, and the Star Ferry chugs by.

But then the skyline starts a show of lights and lasers and it's as if even the buildings themselves feel the energy, passion, and drive of the people.

Rudy, I gotta hand it to you, this is a coup, this ending.

All genuine Hong Kong.

Yeah, and I know Hong Kong too.

We both know Hong Kong.

Actually, I don't think anybody really knows Hong Kong because Hong Kong keeps reinventing itself.

It just gives us a reason to come back again and again.

Yeah, you know what?

I know this great street food stall, they're open all night.

(Rudy) Always hungry.

(Daisuke) Yeah, but so is Hong Kong!

(Rudy) So is Hong Kong.

(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]