All language subtitles for Tony.Shalhoub.Breaking.Bread.S01E01.10

♪♪

-I'm gonna teach you
how to make bread.

Here's a sourdough.

-And this is starter that you
brought with you from --

-Yeah, this is starter
that I brought from Mexico.

Smuggled in.

[ Chuckles ]

-It feels so good.

I can see why people get
completely hooked on it.

-Into it. Yeah.

We're gonna add a little water.

-When you say
a little more water,

are you eyeballing it
and sensing it?

-I bake to feel.
You know?

Like, I don't bake by numbers.

-You know, it's interesting
because sometimes

in my business,
people talk about acting styles.

And the truth is, it's not
something I could teach,

because I'm pulling from
all these instincts and memories

and emotions,

and it feels like
that's what you're doing --

you're just sensing.

-And from experience,

and the more I do it,

the more I become one with it.

Every day I wake up,
I think about bread, or, like,

I don't know, like,
I'm literally always searching

to make this perfect loaf
of bread, and I love it.

-Few things
are more exciting than this.

Richard Hart,
the Godfather of bread

in my very own Manhattan
apartment.

Ooh.

-Okay. Lovely. Nice color.

This darkness is what
you're generally looking for.

It's not burnt.
It's perfectly colored.

[ Bread crunches ]

-Ooh. It's got a great sound.
-Mm.

-I have to get my wife
to taste this.

Maybe my stock will go up.
Who knows?

Brooke, we're breaking
bread here.

-Oh.

Oh! Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

-We nailed it, right?

-Yeah.
-Yeah. He just nodded.

-Thank you.

[ Laughs ]

-No, this is --

We're gonna turn it
into a drinking game.

Anytime there's anything
on anybody's face,

people get to take a shot.

-[ Laughs ]
-It's gonna be great.

People are gonna love it.

This is a show about bread...

Oh, this is so good.

...and people...

-[ Toasting ]

-I'm Tony Shalhoub,
and I have been an actor

for nearly five decades

I grew up in a big family where

bread was always at the center
of the table.

Ever since, from
family meals to movie sets...

The best thing in the world.

-...I've seen how countless
forms of flour and water

have the power to
bring people together.

I don't know whether
to laugh or cry.

This is amazing.

So now
I'm traveling the world,

connecting with friends,
family, and total strangers

as we bake, break, and chew
our way to the heart

of the most delicious breads
on Earth.

♪♪

There he is.
-Hello.

-Lin, good morning.

-Morning.

-Thanks for joining me.

-Thank you.
Thanks for the invite.

-People come to New York
from all over the world,

blending their traditions
and cultures

and creating dishes
that can only be found here.

It's a place
everyone makes their own.

Maybe no one more so than
my friend, Lin-Manuel Miranda,

who has forged his own path
on stage and off.

I wanted to take you to my
favorite Upper West Side place,

Orwashers' bakery.

I mean, listen,
if Tony Shalhoub calls and says,

"I wanna eat bread,"

what is the answer besides
"Yes"?

-Thank you.
-[ Laughs ]

-Someone said that man
shall not live by bread alone,

but I think they meant
man shall not eat bread alone.

-[ Laughs ]

-Hey, Keith.
-How are you, Tony?

-Lin.
-How you doing?

-Nice to meet you.
-Great, too. Lin.

-You got a lotta pastries,

but the bread is what

we're gonna be after today.
-Great.

-I'll show you some
of these breads in the back.

-Orwashers has been around
for over 100 years

and is a bona fide
Big Apple institution,

started by Abraham Orwasher,
an immigrant from Hungary.

Abe's signature pumpernickel
and classic New York rye

are still being served
here today.

-I already called dibs
on this one.

-Okay, good.
-[ Chuckles ]

-So, what we have here is all

rye-based New York breads.

Different than Europe. Right?

Things changed
when the immigrants came here.

They had to do things
a little bit differently.

So, in Europe,
the rye breads are 100% rye.

Very dense.

But the rye here
uses a combination

of white flour and then rye.

When you think
of New York deli rye...

this is the ultimate of it.

It's loaded with caraway.

And it's also the basis

for New York
or American-style pumpernickel.

Tony's favorite here.

-Super. It's pungent.

Oh, wait. Alright. I gotta --
I'm gonna have --

-Gotta disrobe for this?

-Yeah, yeah.
-[ Laughs ]

-This is gonna require --
-I'm joining you.

-Are we gonna do this together?
-Let's go.

-What you're gonna get here is,

because the addition
of the raisins

and the way it gets fermented,
it's gonna be a denser bread.

A little bit of a tougher
but sweeter eat.

-This is like bordering
on desert.

You have the density
of the bread,

and then you have
these sort of light,

sweet sweetness
of the raisins colliding.

Really good.

-[ Laughing ] I'm so happy.
-Dessert.

-I don't know how you convinced
people to make this a show.

We just get to eat
delicious bread.

[ Laughs ]
It is incredible.

-Like I've been saying
for 40-odd years,

"Fooled them again."

-[ Laughs ]

For years,
we were able to convince my kids

that pumpernickel
was chocolate bread.

-Really? You did?
-Oh, yeah.

That's how we'd get them
to eat it.

[ Laughs ]

-Again,
it's a hearty bread

when you think about
soups and stews

and other things
that would accompany this.

-So, the idea
is that this bread,

and really all of these breads,

came from the immigrant kitchen.

-Coming from Sicily
or Poland or Russia,

they were bakers.

They were tradesmen.

And these breads
they brought over with them,

and people here adopted that
food as part of their culture.

-It's New York culture now.

-It's New York culture.
-For real.

-Really good.
Thank you, Keith.

-It's the best, isn't it?

-Of course, we couldn't leave
the bakery empty handed,

so with sandwiches in tow,

we head to one of my
favorite spots in Central Park.

I know you're from New York.

-Born in Roosevelt Hospital,
a few blocks away.

-Really? Yeah.
-Yeah.

-And I'm more of a transplant.

Lived here for the first time
in the '80s,

And now I'm back here.

I'm so happy to be back.

What is it about this place,
I mean, for you?

-I think it's the fact that
there are so many New Yorks.

There's the New York City
we live in.

There's the New York City
you remember living in.

I mean, as I'm walking
down this road with you,

I'm having memories
from childhood,

from walking around here with
my girlfriend from high school

and reading each other poetry
outside the Delacorte,

to scouting
for "Tick Tick Boom,"

the first movie I directed.

-Yeah. For me, New York,

it's mostly about, you know,
transformation.

This place is
in a constant state of flux,

always redefining itself.

-And you can never get
your head all the way around it,

because by the time
you've come back around,

this neighborhood has changed.

-It's moved on, yeah.
-It's moved on.

-I could eat.
-Oh, my God.

See, when you think of New York,

this is what the [no audio]
I'm talking about.

-That's right.
-But look at that delicious

everything bagel,
just cream cheese and jam.

Life doesn't get simpler
or better than this.

-God, this sandwich is good.
-Great.

-It looks a little sloppy.
-Yeah. It looks amazing.

-I promise
it's not the sandwich.

It's me.
-[ Laughs ]

-[ Laughs ]

It's this gorgeous pumpernickel.

And it's got avocado and sprouts
and cucumber and some turkey.

-I am gonna taste this.
-You gotta taste it.

-It's the aioli, baby.

-It is outrageous.

-Yeah.
-And the bread is so soft.

Oh, my God,
and the aftertaste.

-That's how you make brilliant
bread somehow more brilliant.

-It's really delicious.

-So, how do you feel
like the discoveries

you made in the city in general

has inspired you
into this creative zone?

-I think growing up

in a historically
immigrant neighborhood

probably shaped me
as much as anything.

My parents were both born
in Puerto Rico and met here,

and I'm in awe of people
who start a new life here.

I think that's just
the most radical and courageous

and incredible thing,

because I think every
immigrant is a storyteller,

'cause you have to come here
from somewhere else

and start from scratch
and decide who you are

and decide
what you bring with you.

The fact that we were just
talking about bagels and bread,

but we're really talking
about culture

and what we pass on
and what we uphold.

-And we're really
talking, too, about

the people
that brought these things.

-Yeah.
-And now in the present day,

the people that have taken
that stuff and reformed it,

reshaped it,
and made it their own.

-Yeah.

-Only in New York.
-Only in New York.

♪♪

-Immigrant stories
have baked themselves

into every corner of New York.

So I'm in the East Village
this morning to meet a woman

whose own story
of survival and resilience

has been shared worldwide.

And at the center of it all?

You guessed it --
bread.

Hi.

Mary O's Irish Soda Bread Shop

is the neighborhood's
worst kept secret.

The instant I walk in,

I'm drawn to the flour-dusted
proprietor herself.

-Welcome to Mary O's.
-Thank you.

I have to admit,
I've never had Irish --

-Don't tell me you've
never had Irish soda bread?

Is that what you're gonna
tell me?

-I am gonna tell you that.
-Shame on you.

-I think I might have
heard about it,

but, you know, as in sort of
like in a far off galaxy.

-It's not the far off galaxy.

It's from Ireland.
You know?

You hear him?
Come look.

-You won't find pages
of menu options here.

It's either the loaf
or the scone.

I love simplicity.

So, there's a difference
between Irish soda bread

and Irish soda bread scones?
-Right.

-So, you're giving me
a scone, too?

-Yeah.
-So they're not --

So they're more
like a muffin shape.

Not a traditional scone.
-Don't use the word "muffin."

They're not a muffin.
-I never said the word "muffin."

-They're a scone.
-We're just gonna edit that out.

-Yeah.
[ Laughs ]

-Scones I usually think of it

as a different shape, though.

-Yeah.
So it's the exact recipe,

-like, that my mother would use.
-[ Oven timer buzzes ]

But it's in a cupcake tray.

So here's the loaf.

-Irish soda bread was born
out of a yeast shortage

during the Irish famine
of the early 1800s,

so many households turned
to the more readily available

baking soda as an alternative
leavening agent,

resulting in a much denser
yet equally delicious loaf.

-Would you like
to pick your own scone?

-I get to pick one?
-You get to pick one.

-Okay, great.
Okay, should I just grab it?

-Grab it. There you go.

When you have your first scone
at Mary O's, make a wish.

-Okay. I have to make a wish.

-Close your eyes
when you're eating it.

Make that wish.

So, this is Irish butter.
-Oh, my.

-And it's homemade
blackberry jam, right?

And it's the same
blackberry jam that like

we would have had
when we were kids, right?

That my mother would
have made for us.

Really, really simple,
but tastes delicious.

There you go.

I'm gonna get you a cup of
Irish tea or something with it.

-Irish tea. That sounds...
-It's so good. Yeah.

It's amazing.
-...brilliant.

-I'm serious.
Make that wish.

♪♪

♪♪

-It is magical.

You discover a place like this,

and you just know
you'll be back.

Mary? Excuse me.
-Yes, darling?

-It's perfection.

-Is it?
-I don't know how to --

-Did you feel it in here
when you ate it?

I did, and I made a wish.
-You did? Good man.

-But it involves
us running away together.

But I know I'm not supposed
to talk about it.

-That was the wrong wish.

For God's sake.
-[ Laughs ]

-You shouldn't be wishing
like that.

-No.

-You're too charming.
You know that?

You're turning it on now
I can tell.

Right?
-Maybe -- Maybe a little.

-Yeah.
You are, you are, you are.

-I'm able to bounce back from
the rejection rather quickly,

and I'm delighted to spend
the rest of the afternoon

alongside Mary at her pub
around the corner.

Wow. Here it is.
-Here we are.

[ Up-tempo folk music playing ]

-Mary O's pub
was a local institution

long before she opened
the soda bread shop.

For more than ten years,

Thursday nights at Mary O's

meant gathering for live music,

a cold pint,
and one of Mary's scones,

a slice of home
for the local Irish community.

That is until COVID forced
Mary to shut the pub down,

leaving the musicians no place
to perform

and threatening the livelihood
of Mary and her six children.

-The music session,
they started to play online.

Caitlin, who runs it,
she's amazing.

She did all of this.
It was fantastic.

-All on Zoom?
-Yeah.

Anyway,
she used to say to me,

"You should sell
your scones online.

You should put them out to the
people on the music session."

And people started to order.

It was amazing.
It was absolutely amazing.

-Eventually, word of Mary's
ridiculously delicious bread

and the fight to save
her business went viral.

People around the globe
rallied in support,

ordering more than $1,000,000
worth of scones

all baked by Mary,

ultimately allowing her pub
to survive the pandemic.

-Every single night

it was people for scones,
scones, scones.

I used to be here,
and I used to think,

like, I'd get these letters
from people

because of the scones
and like...

[tearfully] some of the letters,
like, you just...

[ Crying ]

...I would just spend
my time, like,

looking at them and like,
I'd cry, and I'd be like,

these people, like, they made
such a connection with it.

And they would tell me like,
"Oh, my God,

I got your scones in the mail."

And, you know, it reminded me
of, like, you know,

my grandma or my mother
or whatever it would be.

-I mean, you, obviously,
your food,

your scones were connecting
on such a deep level

when people
absolutely needed that,

needed that kind of
soul connection.

-Mm-hmm. Yeah.

-With her scones flying
out the door,

Mary went all in,

opening her soda bread shop

just a few blocks away
from the pub,

and the community
showed up in droves.

Oh, my.

-Girls, you'll have a piece,
too, right?

-Oh, yes.

-Then I'll cut it up
for whoever wants them.

-Oh, beautiful.

-Kate, do you wanna take
a slice of soda bread with you?

-No, no, no.
-Are you sure?

-I'm down to 110 pounds.
-Take one.

-Was that like,
a comment about my weight?

Because I'm jamming
soda bread in my mouth.

-He's very cute, isn't he?
-He's gorgeous.

-I know.
-He's amazing.

-Let's not go overboard.

-He is.
-Okay. You're not.

You're handsome.

-Wow. Wow!

-[ Laughs ]

-♪ Oh, the session,
the Thursday session ♪

-Around these parts,

Mary has become
a patron saint of sorts,

and her warm loaves and scones
have helped to carve out

another little corner
of Ireland

right here in the city.

-♪ Oh, the session at Mary O's ♪

[ Cheers and applause ]

♪♪

[ Horns honking ]

-New York has plenty
of famous foods,

bagels, pretzels, cheesecake.

But perhaps the most iconic
of them all is pizza.

New Yorkers love a friendly,

or not so friendly debate,
over who does it best.

So, for the real scoop,
I turned to my friend

and New York City food critic,
Adam Platt.

The bolder, more sarcastic
version of his brother,

actor Oliver Platt.

Adam.
-Tony, my friend.

Good to see you, sir.
Welcome to Jersey City,

home of the finest pizza
in New York.

♪♪

-We're supposed to be doing
a thing about New York.

And yet we're in New Jersey.
-I know.

It's one of the strange wonders
of the world.

We're on Grove Street.

This is downtown
New Jersey City,

home of the great Dan Ricker.

He's been chasing
elusive pizza perfection,

basically on his own
in the shadows,

until he was discovered first
by The New York Times,

then by pizza lovers
all over the place.

And now it's become a place
of pilgrimage.

And it's a wonderful combination
of Jersey style,

New York style,
Neapolitan style.

And in his madness,

he's created something
that is his very own.

-Amazing. I am ready.
-Alright. Enter the sanctum.

-Hello.
-How you doing, Dan?

-Lovely to see you.

-Dan, I'm Tony.
-Thanks for being here.

-The question is, are you a
baker or are you a pizza maker?

-I'm a pizza maker first,
but to be a good pizza maker,

we have to understand
bread making.

-And for the last
20-plus years,

Dan has been doing just that,

obsessing over timing...

-We mark.
We measure.

-...temperature...

-Thermometer here.

We got one over here.

-...and technique.

-Smelling it every day
throughout the day.

-He's an original.

You're basically talking

to the Aristotle
of canned tomatoes, okay?

-The devil is in
Dan's attention to detail,

so I need to watch
his every move.

-I like to do hands
at ten and two,

and we're just gonna
push down and out.

There you go.

Touched it a lot more
than I did.

-Don't over touch the pizza,
Tony.

-It's about the amount
of pressure

that you would give
somebody a pat on the back,

or a high five with,
assertive, but --

-But not assaultive.

Yeah, not assaultive.
-Exactly.

The way I teach my kids
to stretch

is just the gravity stretch.

-Oh. Oh.
-Let gravity do its thing.

It's not gonna stretch
when it's on the ground.

-[ Adam laughs ]

-Now I know
why you became a critic.

-[ Laughing ]
-[ Dan laughs ]

-You were born
to that profession.

-Can we eat?
It's time to eat.

-Let's start simple
with a margherita.

-Ooh, look at that.
So, glistening.

-It's a lot less tomato
than you think.

-Less than a ladle.
-Yep. Right there.

-Okay.

-Don't get too close
to the edge.

-[ Adam gasps ]
-Oh, too close to the edge.

-Oh, boy. Oh, boy.
-It's alright.

I'm just gonna lick
that one off.

-And then we have two
different types of mozzarella.

This one we make here
in the restaurant.

I'm just gonna tear exactly

90 grams of mozzarella cheese.
-[ Chuckles ] Alright.

-That one is from
a small artisan

cheese maker in Pennsylvania.

-And 90 grams, you said?
So, I've got that perfect.

No, wait, that's 92.

-Yeah.
-Okay, there we go.

-You got enough cheese.
-That's enough?

-Yeah.
-Okay.

-This one is yours.
-And then that's it.

-So, I'm gonna lift this
up just a touch.

And then...

-[ Exhales heavily ]
-[ Adam chuckles ]

-Yeah.
-Almost.

-Yep, yep. Do it, do it.

-Ahh!
-It's so close.

-Okay.
Now can I do the little stretch?

-I'll do the re-stretch.
-Alright.

So you basically wanna
get it the size of the pad.

-Peel.
-It's a peel?

-Yeah. A pizza peel.

You're up...

Further in.
Further in.

Pretty good!

So now we're gonna switch.

We switch
to our turning peel.

So now I'm gonna
lift mine up

because the bottom
is fully baked.

-So you're pulling the heat
from the top, right?

-Because heat rises.
-Like a broiler situation.

-So, pizza in Italy
is completely different.

-In what sense?

-The textures that they're
looking for are not crispy.

-Should I do the top
and keep it off the floor?

-Yes, sir.

So hold it up
for like two seconds.

Now put it down.
Give it a spin.

I think you're done.
-I think I'm done.

-Yeah.
Let's get it out.

-Oh.
-Not bad.

-Got a little dark
on the top there.

-Okay.
You wanna taste?

-Yes, but it's hot.

So good.

Watch the structure.
No tip sag.

-Not floppy.
-Nope.

Mm...

A little charcoaly.

-Not half bad.
-A little charred.

-I'm not really tasting
the burnt crust so much.

Are you tasting it?
-Yeah.

-Leave that to the
professionals, my friend.

-With pleasure, my friend.

So, I gladly sit back
as Dan spoils us rotten.

Amazing.

This is outstanding.
-It's delicious.

-Bread served with three
different house-made butters.

Kale Caesar
with homemade croutons,

pork and beef
meatballs topped with ricotta,

and so many different kinds
of pizza I've lost count.

-Oh, my goodness.

-It's delicious.
-You've outdone yourself.

Maestro, brava, maestro!
Brava!

-You really have outdone
yourself.

How did this all
get started for you?

I mean, really,
what drew you into this

amazing artistry?

-So, I went to Italy
for the first time.

Right after I got home,

my mom actually passed away
of breast cancer.

And because I was cooking,
it brought people to me.

And I needed people
at that moment.

-Oh, I see.

-And friends and family
would come if I cooked.

And that's the best part
about owning a restaurant --

people come.

-Dan continues
to draw his community together

in all kinds
of imaginative ways.

-I had a dream one night, and I
came up with the clam calzone.

-No.
-Yeah.

-The reveal.
-Adam and Tony: Oh!

-Think of it
as a bowl of steamed clams.

[ Tony whistles ]

My two favorite things
in the world,

clams and bread.

It's actually my
three favorite things.

-Lemons.
-'Cause leeks.

-You like leeks?

-I'm a leek freak.
Okay. I'm just gonna --

-A lotta clams in Green Bay?

-No.

[ Laughs ]

-I'm just asking.
-What are you waiting for?

-Let's go. Come on.

Oh, it's nice and salty.

From the salination
of the clams.

Look at that.
Mmm. Come on.

-Come on, man.

-Welcome to our world, Tony.

It's not gonna get better
than this.

-No. Mmm...

-Thank you. It's delicious.
-Thank you.

♪♪

-Both Italian
and Chinese immigrants

have shaped New York City
for over a century.

And Manhattan's Chinatown

is one of the largest
in the United States,

home to 150,000 residents

all living within
just 2 square miles.

Maestro.

-Adam.
-Welcome to Chinatown.

-Thank you, sir.
-How are you, sir?

-Today, I'm meeting back up
with Adam.

He actually grew up
in Taiwan and Hong Kong,

so he's pretty knowledgeable
about East Asian cuisine,

but not as knowledgeable
as Cory Ng.

-Cory.
-Welcome, welcome.

-Cory. What a pleasure.
-An honor, an honor.

-Nice to meet you.
-Sir, sir, sir.

So, Cory is a Chinatown native.

-Yes, yes, yes.
-Born and bred.

-Went to elementary school
at P.S. 124,

literally two blocks
down that way.

This is our community.
This is where we grew up.

-Cory is a first-generation
Chinese-American

who co-owns two restaurants
in Chinatown,

both known for blending
Cantonese cuisine

with New York's bold,
diverse flavors.

-Lotta people come to Chinatown
for dinner late nights.

But yeah, I think
today we're gonna explore some

really great Chinese
breakfast items

that people may not be used to
or accustomed to.

-It's funny,
I don't think of breakfast

when I think of Chinatown.

I know, I think of nighttime.
-Yeah.

-Right.
-Yeah, we have to move.

-[ Woman speaks indistinctly ]
-Yeah.

-Chinatown, baby.
-[ Laughs ]

-Hey, they're not
playing games out here.

-Chinatown, baby.
-No, you gotta pay attention.

-Alright, let's go.
-Alright, let's do it.

-So, we're gonna come in here,
Deluxe Market.

It's a one-stop shop.

They have a butcher shop
in there,

fresh seafood, cooked food.

It's almost like walking
into a Whole Foods,

but a real authentic
Chinese version.

This is what we're looking for.

So, this is the youtiao, yes.

-So, Cory,
this is just fried dough, right?

-Yeah, it's fried dough.

-Oh, my goodness.

-Those are the sweet ones.

-Crispy fried dough.

-Can we just tear into it?

-Sure, sure, sure.

So, this is a warm soy milk.

And this is a kanji.

So, it's almost like
a rice porridge.

Yeah, this is --
-You dunk it in.

♪♪

-Different shape,
different name,

and from a different country,
but the same warm,

familiar feeling I get every
time I take a bite of bread.

Like the ultimate comfort food.

-Come on.
Golden. Crunchy. Salty.

-I could easily become addicted.

-You can't eat too many of 'em.
-Why not?

-'Cause you'll pass out.

-[ Laughs ]

-That's the beauty
of that market.

It's like one-stop shopping.

-One stop.
-I could go in there, get...

-Barbecue chicken feet.
-...14 different things.

And then I'm out.

-And this is why
you come down to Chinatown,

'cause it's real.

-It's a community.
You know what I'm saying?

Some of the Chinatowns
in America,

they're kind of just like
strip malls with Asian food,

maybe one Asian supermarket.

This is a community.
You see what's around here.

-But Chinatown is shrinking.

With gentrification

and real estate development
booming,

this community is fighting
to hold on to its identity.

-You know, all these buildings,
they're tenement apartments,

very, very small shoe
box apartments,

some with a bathtub
in the kitchen,

a toilet in the hallway.

A lot of the millennial kids

that grew up like that
got the chance

to get educated
in this country.

College degree, corporate jobs.

When you make that type
of money,

you're not looking at the
bathtub in the kitchen anymore.

You move you, yourself, and
your whole entire family out.

But within that,
you lose all the culture.

You lose everyone living here.

You lose the youth
who are willing to build.

-So, we need 100,000 more
of you.

You may not guess it
from his tough-guy exterior,

but Cory has a huge heart

and is deeply invested
in the community that remains.

He and his partners give out
hot meals and groceries

every month to hundreds
of neighborhood seniors.

-Next stop is we're gonna
take you to my place

I opened up with five of my
best friends since we were kids.

It's called Phoenix Palace.

-In a changing Chinatown,

Phoenix Palace stands
as both a tribute to tradition

and a blueprint for the future.

Because you're doing what you
call Cantonese-American food,

so you're getting a much younger
clientele, mostly?

-Oh, yeah.

The older generation,

they're not used to even coming
into a space like this.

It's maybe a little intimidating
for them.

-The older generation holds on
to time-honored recipes

while the younger
generation blends those roots

with the city's energy

to create something
all their own.

At Phoenix Palace,
you get both tradition

and reinvention
on the same table.

-This is not your classic
youtiao what we had at Deluxe.

-This almost
looks like it's like

whole wheat
or something crazy.

Is it whole wheat?
-He hasn't even tried it.

And his dinosaur thinking,
he's not gonna like it.

You sound like every other
old person in Chinatown.

-There you go.
-[ Laughs ]

-When they walk in here
and they're like,

"This ain't Chinese food."
-It ain't.

It's Disneyland.
-[ Laughs ]

-Where's this chef?

He's gonna tell us
his crazy influences.

-Zan, get over here.

-Give us the elevator pitch
on this madness.

-Okay, so these are olive
youtiaos.

For us, we wanted to introduce
it in a different way.

-Olives add a sharp,
savory twist

and this version is served with
sausage jam, and fig mustard.

That jam is damn fine.

-Well, I gotta give you
points for moxie.

It's a delicious thing.
-Thank you.

-You come up with the idea
to put these olives in this.

Where did that come from?
How did you get to this?

-We are so close
to Little Italy,

and that influence is not lost.

Also, I've been in New York
my whole life

being influenced by --

-Yeah, you're a New York chef.
-Yes.

-We're happy you are.
-Yeah.

-Thanks.

-What's your favorite food?

-My favorite food?
This.

[ All laugh ]

-From the duck breast

with hoisin romesco sauce
and spicy cucumber

served with delicate
little spring pancakes...

-All good.

-...to some
of the most delicious tofu

I've ever tasted,
chilled and served

with a spicy sesame dressing

and soy pickled
shiitake mushrooms...

How can you not love this?

...Phoenix Palace captures the
spirit of a changing Chinatown,

blending tradition
with fresh ideas

to reflect
a younger generation.

It's a distinctly
New York kind of fusion,

where old and new
come together

to create something
truly original.

-This is delicious.
-Thank you.

-Can I have some more?
-Have it all.

♪♪

-I'm jumping over to an area
in East Flatbush, Brooklyn,

known as Little Caribbean,
where since the 1960s,

immigrants have been settling
en masse,

making it home to the largest
Caribbean American community

outside of the West Indies.

I'm here to meet one of
the most dynamic young talents

in the New York pastry scene.

-Hi.
-Camari Mick.

-[ Laughs ]
-Wow.

-Have you ever been
to Flatbush before?

-Oh, yeah, but this,

this is new to me, really.

Shall we stroll?
-Yes.

-Alright, I'm ready.
-Yeah.

-Camari is a three-time
James Beard Award nominee

and was named
as one of Food & Wine's

best new chefs in 2024.

She's worked her way through

some of Manhattan's
most revered kitchens,

and now is the executive
pastry chef and a partner

in some of the city's
most acclaimed eateries.

-There's little pockets of each
part of the Caribbean down here.

Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad,

like, every island
has a little something here.

-No kidding?
-Yes.

-And your whole connection
to this place?

-My family is Jamaican,
and as I, like,

was really trying
to find my voice as a chef,

I decided that the first place

I should come to
is Little Caribbean.

And Allan's had a little bit
of everything

that the traditional bakeries
in the Caribbean would have.

-Hi.
-Hi, Christian.

-How are you?
-Good. How are you?

-Good. Nice to see you.
-Hey there, Christian.

I'm Tony.
-Nice to meet you.

-Thank you for having us.

-Your place smells...so good.

-Thank you, thank you.
-Yes.

[ Indistinct chatter ]

-Everything here is delicious.

The black cake,
oh, my gosh.

It's like one
of the most phenomenal pieces

of cake that
I've ever had in my life.

I don't even think I could make.
-So, what is it? Chocolate?

Or what is it?
-No, it's not chocolate.

So, mostly molasses.

-And dried fruits.
-Mm-hmm.

And then you soak it in...?

-Rum and wine.
-Uh-huh.

Look at that crumb on this.

Like, it is so soft.

Tradition, for me and, you know,
Jamaicans

and, I imagine,
Trinidadians,

that it's at a wedding,
it's at a funeral.

-Okay, but let me just get
one thing straight.

This is a dessert.
-Mm-hmm.

-We're not having this with eggs
in the morning

or something, right?
-I mean, no, not me.

-Okay. I just wanna be clear
about that...

because I haven't had
my dessert yet.

-[ Laughs ]

Like, that is a cake
that you have with a cup of tea.

Because if you have it
with a glass of wine,

you're gonna be passed out.

[ Laughter ]

-So it's basically
a cocktail in cake form?

-Yes. Yes. [ Laughs ]
-Exactly.

-I also have some bread
and currant rolls

going on in the back.
Would you like to take a look?

-Let's do it.
-I would love to.

-In the Caribbean,
bakeries aren't just places

to grab something sweet,

they're community cornerstones.

And their pastries blend
African,

European,
and Asian influences,

turning everyday ingredients
into stories of heritage,

resilience and community.

So, my understanding is that
you're the third generation

of this family, this bakery.

-My grandparents started
the bakery in 1958,

technically out of their car.

My grandpa is still going at it
every single day,

lifting up bread,
lifting up flour,

at 90 years old.

-It's so moving to hear that.

And over 60 years later,

the most popular item sold
at Allan's is the currant roll,

puff pastry filled with
currants, sugar, and spices.

So unbelievably good.

The recipe was developed by

Christian's Caribbean-born
grandparents,

who must have done something
right because on any given day,

Allan's sells
more than 1,000 of them.

-I think we did a good job.
-Yes.

-I know I did.
-[ Laughs ]

-You guys are hired.

-Good.
'Cause I happen to be available.

-Yes.
-[ Laughs ]

Nice, fresh,
hot currant rolls.

-Wow. Those are beautiful.
-Wow.

[ Bread crunching ]
I mean, listen to that.

-That's bread.

It sounds like bread.
-That's bread. [ Laughs ]

-Oh, boy.

[ Bread crunches ]

-It's like Christmas morning.

-Yeah. Snow falling.
-Mm-hmm.

-You know what's
really incredible?

The baked currant
has become like this jam.

You know what I mean?
-Yes.

-It's like a preserve
or something.

And I'm not sure what
you've put in that sugar.

The mixture.
[ Both laugh ]

-Whatever it is,
it should be illegal.

-Thank you.
-So good.

-Also extremely popular
at Allan's -- the beef patty.

Every culture seems
to have their own

handheld savory pastry,

and in the Caribbean,
it's the beef patty,

filled with a mixture of beef,
herbs, spices, and breadcrumbs.

It's close-cousins
to the empanada, the samosa...

Oh, my God.

...and the Lebanese fatayer
that I grew up on.

You're not gonna tell
me what's in that meat mixture.

But...damn.
-Mm-hmm.

-So, how did meat patties,
beef patties

spread all over New York?

-We actually started selling
our beef patties

in around the '70s.

And then eventually it
kind of grew

throughout New York through
the help of local pizzerias.

And they would add
their cheese to it

and put it in the oven
with their slices of pizza,

and that's said to be how
it kind of spread

throughout New York.

-As delicious and filling
as they are,

I know these beef patties
are so much more than food.

They're a living tradition.

-[ Laughs ]

-Definitely bread.
-Mm. Mm-hmm.

-I could live on these.
-Yeah.

And you can make a sandwich
out of this.

-Mm-hmm. Yeah.
-Take two patties,

and put more patty meat
in the middle.

-Ooh.
-Like, that's a sandwich.

-Let's do that.
-[ Laughs ]

-Alright.
[ Laughter ]

♪♪

-Our bread window.
-This is you, right?

-Yeah.
-Wow.

Camari and I cross
the river back to Manhattan

and head into her kitchen
for a masterclass of sorts.

-I'm putting you to work.
-Yay.

She's re-imagined
the classic beef patty,

like the one
we tried at Allan's,

with her own flavor and flair.

-We're gonna do a beef
patty croissant today.

So, I have the croissant
dough ready for you.

This is the turmeric
in the curry.

-Oh!
-Yes.

-Heavy on the curry.
I love that.

-Heavy on the curry.
-Yeah.

-So, we're going to shape
some croissants.

I've made the beef
patty filling.

-Oh... [ Laughs ]

Oh, my.

Allspice, turmeric, and garlic

are defining spices
from the Caribbean.

And I love what
Camari has dreamed up,

blending her island roots

with her French
and Italian training

to create something
so unmistakably her own.

Is there anything about this
that's unique to New York?

-I would say, like,
the idea of crossing cultures

itself is uniquely New York.

-It is.
It's the melting pot

of all melting pots.
-It is. It's the melting pot.

So, bringing two cultures
together and being able to,

like, have this new flaky pastry
baby is New York in itself.

-Exactly right.
-Are you ready?

-Let's do it.
-Alright.

So, all we're gonna do
right now,

I'm gonna have you help
me cut some.

-Sure.
-We can switch spots.

Just right along the edge
of the ruler.

-This is Adrian Monk's dream --

to be making food
with an actual ruler.

-[ Laughing ] Right.

-I'm gonna try
not to slice my fingers.

-Perfecto.

-Ooh. Love that.
Look at that.

-Okay.
We're going to stretch it out.

And then we're also gonna
stretch out the dough,

like so, okay?

-Camari's technique,
the precision,

I'm just trying to keep up
and not make a mess of it.

Tell me how all this
got started for you.

-Growing up,
nobody in my family

was a sweet-toothed person
except for myself.

So, I got my mom to start
baking with me a little bit,

and we would just bake and
we would talk about our days.

-How cool is that?
-Yeah.

So it was a really lovely
bonding moment.

-I'm from a big family, and when
all my older siblings were,

you know, off to school,
I had that.

I had that time at home
with my --

just with my mother cooking
and preparing food.

-Were you the favorite?
-I was -- [ Laughs ]

-[ Laughs ]
-I actually was, but --

[ Both laugh ]

And what drew you
to the profession?

-To the profession?

You know, when it came time
to really decide

what I wanted to do
with my life,

my dad sat me down,
and he's like,

"Listen, you clearly have
a love for this.

You can make a career
out of it."

And I had never
really thought about that.

Especially, like,
as a first-generation Jamaican,

being pushed
into the culinary arts

is very rare due
to the fact of slavery.

Essentially, like, it's looked
as a domesticated job,

which our people have fought
to not be seen as that.

-How great that he gave
you that vote of confidence.

-Yeah.

-This is what led you
into mentoring

other young chefs coming along,
especially black.

-Yeah, that's why
it's really important to me

to continue to uplift

the newer generation
and follow suit.

-Beautiful.
-So, these look gorgeous.

You're gonna do 375.
We'll do 9 minutes, rotate.

-Just keep an eye on 'em.

-We keep an eye on 'em.
-Yeah.

-So, you can even see
already this one over here,

you see it's kinda, like,
oozing the butter a little bit.

-This is the thing about bread
and about baking.

For me,
it's all about transformation.

You know,
you're starting with one thing,

you mold it into another shape,

and then heat is like
a birthing almost.

-Mm.

-Oh...

[ Laughing ] Ooh.

Oh, yeah.
-Oh.

-Ooh, look at that beautiful
thing.

-This is just like the beauty
of lamination.

-It looks like
some kind of beautiful

geological strata
of rock or something.

-[ Laughs ] Right, right.
-Shall we?

♪♪

[ Bread crunches ]

-[ Camari laughs ]

Look at the flakiness.
-Buttery and warm and soft.

Spicy.
-Mm-hmm.

-You know, it's heating up
as I'm eating it.

In a good way.
In the best possible way.

-That's the Scotch bonnet.

And then in the curry
there's also a bit of cayenne.

So, there's definitely
layers of heat.

-Do I have food
all over my face?

-[ Laughs ]

-We're changing the name of the
show to "The Crumb Catcher."

-"The Crumb Catcher."
[ Laughs ]

-Okay.

Camari's beef patty croissant
may be a bold reinvention,

but at its heart, it's the same
comforting classic,

a bite-sized invitation
to share and connect.

So it makes perfect sense

to gather friends
for dinner at Raf's,

Camari's restaurant upstairs.

Thank you, Camari,
for hosting us here.

-Let's dig in.
-That sounds amazing.

-It's amazing, yeah.
It looks beautiful.

-I'm joined
by some fellow bread lovers

for a spectacular dinner.

We're passing milk bread rolls,
sourdough,

and focaccia topped
with an olive tapenade,

sharing and tasting
the many ways

the city brings people
together.

Oh, my God.

I really just want
to share some food,

talk about the good stuff.

-Do you find that people order
the bread basket a lot, yeah?

-Yes.
This is our number-one seller.

We make about 30 loaves a day.

-Okay, that's super nice
to know.

-If my behavior with bread
is a little weird and neurotic.

-No.
-I can be too much of a --

-Bread nerd?
-Yeah.

-That's alright.

-I've had similar experiences.

I've had people tell me

they've never seen
someone sit down

and eat so much bread
at the beginning of a meal,

and that it's distracting.

-That it's distracting?
-Yes.

-Bread binds us across boroughs
and backgrounds,

from pumpernickel to pizza,

each bite telling a story
of who we are,

where we've been,
and where we're going.

In this city
of endless reinvention,

bread isn't just food.

It's a bridge between cultures,
generations,

and strangers turned friends.

And maybe that's the secret
to New York's magic,

not just the bread we bake,

but the bonds we make
breaking it.

-Don't overthink it.
Just whatever comes first.

Butter or olive oil?
-Bread and butter.

-Butter.
-Butter.

-Olive oil.

-You're overthinking it.
[ Laughs ]

[ All laughing ]