Original subtitles

You know, people are asking me all the time,

"Hey, Guy, that one joint you checked out

in that one city when you were doing Triple D,

how are they doing?"

You know, I don't know.

We should check it out.

[theme music playing]

[Guy] Over the years,

I've seen and tasted it all.

This is ridiculous, dude.

But it turns out it was only the beginning,

'cause Triple-D joints have been blowing up,

and we're going back to see what's cooking.

Like on this trip.

We've got far-flung flavors.

It is like a international love story.

[Guy] And homemade meals...

Tastes like it came out of your mother's kitchen.

[Guy] ...that'll get you hooked.

Yeah, that's it.

There's an Asian-inspired quesadilla

in Atlanta.

Rub-a-dub-dub, we got kimchi in the tub.

Top-notch Thai in Dallas, Texas.

Mm. I could eat this by the truckload.

-And in Phoenix, Arizona... -Ha!

...start-from-scratch Italian...

Oh, those look so good raw.

...that'll take you way back.

That's about as old school

-as you get. -Old school.

Bolognese up.

[Guy] Familiar faces,

new places,

and more off-the-hook flavors.

This is Triple-D Nation.

So I'm here in the West Midtown area

of Atlanta.

I'm here to check out a joint that's doing tacos.

Well, they're not really even tacos.

They're doing Korean food.

Well, it's not even really Korean.

It's more like Korean tacos.

It's unconventional flavor fusion

that's been on my radar since 2018.

And these days, there's a whole lot more of them.

This is Hankook Taqueria.

-[waitress] Crispy shrimp tacos. -Thank you.

It's one of our go-to places in the neighborhood, for sure.

Something different every time.

Working three quesadillas all day.

The flavors bounce in your mouth. They pop.

[Tomas] Beef Bibim-Bop almost ready.

[patron] It's exciting to have Guy in Atlanta visiting

some of our hot spots.

And to pick this place, he's got good taste.

[Guy] And it was a taste for Korean meats and spices,

with Mexican tacos as the vessel,

that Tomas and Mackenzie Lee turned into a local favorite.

-[crew member] We're rolling. -Your wife didn't show?

No, she's taking care of the restaurant.

Is your wife still picking out your pants?

[laughing] Yeah.

And he said, "I wear the pants in the family."

That's right.

But I get to pick it out in the morning.

[Guy laughs] And?

Those are not the ones that I chose--

picked out this morning.

Still one of the funniest lines.

There's things out of Triple D that I remember.

Definitely funky restaurants are one of them.

And you have one of the most creative,

funky restaurants

-with a loyal following. -For sure.

Bul Gogi kimchi fries.

[patron 2] The kimchi with the fries has a good balance.

The greasiness kind of captures

with that Korean kimchi. It is awesome.

You say kimchi, my mouth waters.

-It's like Pavlov and the dog. -Yeah, I love it.

Take Napa cabbage, natural sea salt.

Pull all the moisture out of it.

That's going to go

-for 24 hours like this? -Absolutely.

We have our rice flour slurry,

Korean chili flakes,

chopped garlic,

salted shrimp.

And that's what gives it the funk.

[Tomas] Right. Then our ginger juice.

Grated ginger that you squeeze out there.

[Tomas] Toasted sesame seeds,

carrots, green onions.

-[Guy] And this will go for another 24 hours? -Correct.

Rub-a-dub-dub, we got kimchi in the tub.

[Tomas] We're going to marinate the sliced ribeye.

Soy sauce.

I like to use the pineapple juice.

It helps to break down the proteins.

Okay.

[Tomas] Sugar, sesame oil,

garlic, onions.

And we'll take our sliced ribeye.

[Guy] Marinates for 24 hours,

-then we'll put the fries together. -Absolutely.

Season them first with sesame oil.

And then we have our seasoned salt.

-[Guy] Which is salt-- -Salt--

[Guy] ...and a little bit of Korean chili flakes.

-Korean chili flakes. Absolutely. -Okay.

[Tomas] Now that our meats are marinated,

add a little bit more sesame oil,

and then fresh kimchi inside.

-[Guy] And this all comes together? -Right.

Queso sauce.

Hold on.

The kimchi in the fries is enough,

-and now we're putting cheese sauce on top of it? -Queso. That's it.

[Guy] Which is just American cheese,

heavy cream, and?

Half and half.

Our gochujang, scallions, and there you go.

Mm.

Fries are the perfect medium.

Crunchy.

There is nothing more potent than kimchi,

gochujang on top,

and a little bit gogi to go side by side with it.

Thank goodness the queso is there,

'cause it kind of balances it out.

Mm.

[Tomas] Bul Gogi kimchi fries.

The American French fry,

the queso,

the Korean spices,

and kimchi, it is like

a international love story.

Kimchi going in the pan.

All right, what are we eating?

[Tomas] Our roasted pork

and kimchi quesadillas.

[patron 3] This is one of my favorites.

It's not barbecue,

it's not Mexican.

It's special.

[Tomas] It's filled with pulled pork.

Pulled pork,

-the old Korean specialty. -Korean specialty.

First, season our pork.

We got salt-pepper mix here.

And then we're going to cover it

and cook it for 12 to 14 hours

at a low temperature.

And we'll just pull it apart

and combine it

with our Korean barbecue sauce,

which is the Seoul sauce.

Gochujang, sugar,

vinegar, sesame oil.

Ready to go for our quesadilla.

We use sesame oil

to brown the outside of it.

So you give that little sesame oil note

-that's so important-- -Yup.

...in Asian cuisine and culture.

Absolutely.

It's got the jack cheese,

pulled pork,

and then our house-made kimchi.

[Guy] And the kimchi,

such great tang.

Thank you.

Pork and kimchi quesadilla on the way.

It's really tender and juicy.

It's not overly spicy.

It's kind of a smokiness to it. It's really good.

And who doesn't love a quesadilla?

I love quesadillas.

-It was kind of a rhetorical question, -[Tomas laughs]

but I appreciate your chiming in

that you love them also.

[Tomas] Bibim-Bop for Kristen.

[Kristen] Thank you.

-So give me the update. -[Tomas] We started

partnering up with a company out of Florida

that are taking us nationally.

-Get out! -And now we have

three locations.

-There's already three franchises open? -Yes.

How long on the Korean fried chicken?

It's like a American success story.

You have a small business owner

who's now branching out

and has more locations, and he's just growing.

And it's what you come to America to do.

[Guy] But no matter how many places pop up--

I'd drive an hour to get that.

...the funky flavor fusion staying the same.

[Guy] We just put cheese on the taco.

That's what the people want.

Two crispy shrimp tacos right here.

It's one of my go-tos.

Mm.

I give up.

I'm waving the flag, bro.

Welcome back. Triple D hanging out

in the West Midtown area of Atlanta

-at the... -Hankook Taqueria.

-[Guy] Hankook meaning? -[Tomas] Korean.

-In? -Korean.

-Pretty good, isn't it? -Yeah.

He's really doing good with this.

[Tomas] Bul Gogi beef tacos are ready.

I like Korean food,

and I also love tacos.

Where else can you go?

I'm going to get the Bibim-Bop.

-You're doing cultural fusion. -Correct.

Which is so fun.

It is so fun,

because I'm doing what I want to do.

[waitress] Korean fried chicken tacos.

So what are we going to make today?

Tong Dak fried chicken tacos.

Tong Dak means Korean fried chicken.

We're going to make vinaigrette to start with.

Soy sauce, our white vinegar,

sugar, Korean chili flakes,

pure sesame oil.

[Guy] And this is the salad

-that goes on the taco? -Yes, sir.

And then we also add

onions, cilantro.

-Next step? -So we're going to make

the marinade for the chicken tenders.

-The tenders tend to-- -Be more tender?

[chuckles]

We'll add our buttermilk, salt-pepper mix.

Let these marinate overnight, and then what are we going to batter them in?

[Tomas] All-purpose flour, rice flour.

-For the crunchification. -Right.

Cornstarch, garlic powder,

onion powder, salt-pepper mix.

-[Guy] Let's fry some chicken. -All right.

Here's our warm tortillas.

Tong Dak fried chicken,

chipotle aioli,

soy sesame salad on top,

jack cheese.

Not Mexican or Korean,

we're American

because we just put cheese on the taco.

It's what the people want.

Mm.

Great crunch from the chicken.

It's delicious.

[Tomas] Korean fried chicken is ready.

When you bite into it, it's got that Korean flavor,

and it has a little bit of a spice.

Crispy shrimp tacos on the way.

I order the chicken all the time,

but today I had the shrimp.

It was so delicious.

-Fried shrimp taco? -Yes.

This is our dredge.

All-purpose flour,

rice flour,

garlic powder,

onion powder,

sea salt, fresh cracked pepper.

Add our water to it.

Marinate for two hours.

Seasoned flour,

drop it in our fryer.

Three shrimp on each taco.

Seoul sauce. It comes with a hoisin tartar.

Top it off with soy sesame salad.

[Guy] That's outstanding.

Thank you.

Wrapped in a local [chuckling] tortilla.

I give up.

I'm waving the flag, bro.

That might be

-one of my favorites. -Appreciate that.

[Guy] When I bite into that,

I'm just like, "Yeah! That's it."

I think it's the balance of flavors, don't you?

This makes the average taco very boring.

Mm.

[Tomas] Shrimp is ready.

The crispy shrimp is great 'cause it's so light.

I love the creamy sauce

that comes with it as well.

[patron 3] It's just got

a really nice balance of flavor

and you get a little spice with it.

[waitress] Two roasted pork kimchi quesadillas.

When it comes to making delicious food

and putting cultures together

and keeping it right on the line

of interesting and unique,

-you crushed it. Congratulations. -Thank you. Appreciate it.

-I'd drive an hour to get that. -Thank you.

I mean, I flew 4,500 miles to come get it.

-Awesome, brother. Thank you. -Appreciate it.

[Guy] And coming up, in Dallas, Texas,

a melody of Thai taste.

What are you making over there?

From papaya

to pork.

-You want to just work through the menu? -[guffaws]

Okay, pickup, Khao Man Gai.

If you've been watching Triple D

for any period of time,

you know I love ethnic food.

So I'm here in the uptown neighborhood

of Dallas, Texas,

where an immigrant from Thailand is

living the American dream

and crushing it.

And back when I first met him in 2018,

he was serving up scratch-made Thai recipes

inspired by his mom's cooking.

It was such a hit, he needed a new space

and a new partner to feed his new fans.

This is CrushCraft Thai.

Khao Soi up on the window.

CrushCraft is some of the best Thai food in Dallas, for sure.

[name] Thai crispy chicken salad.

I actually just happened to be here

when they were filming the last episode

when Guy had stopped in.

This restaurant definitely makes me feel

like I am in Thailand.

We're just here eating, and Guy shows up.

There's nothing like this.

I absolutely love it.

I've traveled to Thailand,

and the food here,

it feels like I'm back there.

[Guy] That's because owner Jack Nuchkasem brought

the recipes from Thailand

when he started this place in 2014.

And these days, he's running it

with a business partner, Kay Ridgway.

And why "CrushCraft"?

Everything we do in Thailand,

in a Thai kitchen,

you have to smash it and crush it.

Making the paste, making the curry.

[Jack] And basically, it became

every time when they like the food,

they said, "You crush it."

Oh.

Papaya salad up.

Anything you get on the menu, you're going to be happy with.

[waitress] Papaya salad.

We're going to have a papaya salad.

-[Guy] Green papaya? -Green papaya.

That's one of my favorites.

Let me see it, brother.

[Jack] We peel it first.

Get all the green off.

Just going around.

[Jack] I like to do this.

[Guy] Nice and thin.

Now we're going to make a papaya salad.

-Garlic. -Okay.

[Jack] We're going to have to smash that.

It's like the culinary version of whack-a-mole.

[Jack] Thai chili.

-[Guy] Green beans going to get muddled? -Yes.

Fresh papaya in there.

Palm sugar and fish sauce.

[Guy] Palm sugar and fish sauce.

[Jack] Fresh lime juice.

Then you mash it.

Put your hand right there.

That can go into your eyes pretty easy.

[Guy] What is this, a safety video, Jack,

-or a cooking demonstration? -[Jack chuckles]

What are you making over there?

[Jack laughs]

[crew laughs]

-[Jack] Tomato. -[Guy] Okay.

And crushed roasted peanuts?

-[Jack] Put it in a bowl right here. -Oh.

[Jack] Okay.

[softly] Oh, man.

I could eat this by the truckload.

[waitress] Your papaya salad.

After Triple D came in for the papaya salad,

[Jack speaking]

It's a very popular and very known dish

in most Thai restaurants.

It's one of the best.

You want to just work through the menu?

[guffaws]

[patron] I got some new menu items

that I was really excited to try.

Okay, pick up, Khao Man Gai.

[patron 2] Khao Man Gai, it's poached chicken

with a beautiful ginger spice sauce on top.

Really makes for a great bite.

Today, we're gonna make the Khao Man Gai.

First of all, we're gonna use the chicken fat.

Cut them off and basically save that

to cook the rice.

Now, we're gonna

split this bird four way.

All this boiling water right there.

Salt. Add a little bit sugar in there.

Four garlic clove, ginger,

cilantro, daikon,

four pieces of bird.

We're gonna let this poach 30, 35 minutes.

After we poach it,

we're gonna have to get the bone out

and cut it.

Now we're going to make the jasmine rice.

Here is the fat from the chicken.

And then garlic,

ginger, galangal.

We cook it, and then we put the rice on it.

Let it brown

before we put it in the pot and cook it.

This is the chicken broth

from when we boil the chicken,

and it's ready to go 35 minutes.

Now we get ready to plate it up.

Little bit of banana leaf in there.

And this is the ginger garlic sauce.

Ginger, Thai chili pepper,

the garlic fermented soy beans,

sweet soy sauce, sugar,

and also the vinegar.

Blend it together.

We put this on the side.

Here is the chicken broth.

We cook it earlier.

Then the rice.

Now we're going to put the chicken on the top.

Cucumber.

And here we go,

Khao Man Gai from Thailand.

[waiter] Khao Man Gai.

[patron 3] The broth just pops.

It has that rich flavor.

This garlic-ginger sauce is absolutely delicious.

I wanted to bathe my whole meal in it.

I'm so glad I don't live by you,

'cause this would be a place I would be at

at least five times a day.

[waitress] Khao Soi.

They pretty much crush it every single time.

[Jack] Drunken Noodles.

I'm definitely a sucker for the Drunken Noodles.

Now, why do they call it Drunken Noodle?

Well, a couple of guys get drunk,

can't find anything to eat,

-and they just-- -Wait, wait, wait, wait.

Why do I resemble that remark?

Get it, Jack!

That's like a ballet in Flavortown.

Drunken Noodles.

[Guy] The chicken is really nice and tender.

The veggies are crisp.

Everything is just done right.

It's the balance.

Pick up, Kra Pao for Triple D Nation.

My favorite is probably the Kra Pao,

pork over rice with some vegetables

with a fried egg on top.

First thing, the garlic and chili.

Put it in and smash it.

Now we're going to start cooking.

Add the oil and the chili and garlic.

The pork,

[Kay speaking]

Put the onion.

Going to add the bell pepper and basil.

After we're done, we're gonna fry our egg.

Now we add the Kra Pao to our rice.

Finish with the fried egg on top.

Here is our Kra Pao.

[patron 2] This Kra Pao,

you get a wok-fire taste

with the sweet, spicy pork.

There's a good balance of heat and sweet.

[Jack] Order up, Phat Thai.

[patron] Since CrushCraft recently moved

to their new location, it's even better now.

[patron 4] It's big. It's open.

You get to see the kitchen

when they're making the food.

And it feels very much like a family environment.

You're offering something great to people.

One of my favorite things now to come back to Dallas is

going to be come see you.

You are the real deal.

Thank you, sir.

Nice to meet you.

[Guy] And coming up in Phoenix...

[Richard] There we go. Beautiful.

[Guy] ...Italian...

You're just going to stick some chicken legs in there?

...just the way I like it.

Nothing I like more than a little wine

and some ground up meat.

Ah, that smells great.

Scampi Sauté for Guy.

-Chin chin. -[patron] Chin chin.

My great-grandfather's name was Giuseppe Fieri.

And of course, I love Italian food.

Now, I'm down here in Phoenix, Arizona,

where most people would expect,

well, Southwestern or Mexican food.

But back in 2009,

I found this Italian joint.

Ho-ho!

And don't let

the strip mall location fool you, folks.

It is the real deal.

At Giuseppe's On 28th.

[Richard] Puttanesca in the window.

I spent a lot of time in Italy.

And this is for real.

It is authentic.

Scampi Sauté for Guy.

I saw that Guy was here, and I had to come try it out.

Very old school Italian, for sure.

[Richard] There we go. Beautiful.

Tastes like it came out of your mother's kitchen.

[Guy] But it didn't!

It came out of Richard Bock's,

who learned from the source.

So you get to Italy. How long were you in Italy?

I get to Italy, I was there almost nine years and change.

-Really? -Yeah.

-So your Italian's on point. -So-- On point.

Rami, I need a Bolognese.

His Bolognese, that's his signature dish.

-Get it on. -[Richard] Hot pot,

we throw in the beef.

Here's five pounds of sausage.

And ground turkey.

Just break this up, let it brown a little bit,

sweat out some bacon.

-Render out the fat. -Yep.

And then I take the bacon out,

I put the bacon in here.

And then use this to sweat those veggies.

[Richard] That's right. Add a little olive oil

to the bacon fat. Red onion.

Celery, carrots.

[Richard] And the vegetables have softened a little bit.

Put in some chopped garlic, a little salt,

a little pepper, cabernet.

[Guy] Nothing I like more than a little wine

in some ground up meat.

Ah, that smells great.

-[Richard] Tomato paste in. -You got to cook that down.

[Richard] Some Timo, thyme and rosemary combination.

Let that do its thing for 5, 10 minutes.

Now I'm going to put all the tomato paste mixture

in with the meat.

I throw in some water.

Raw chicken legs.

You're just going to stick some chicken legs in there?

After two hours, I take them out.

I take the meat off, chop it up,

throw the meat back in, and that's it.

So now I put the chicken livers in.

Oh, those look so good raw.

[Richard] This would go for another hour now.

We make these tagliatelle,

put it on our new-age rack.

This is instead of the back of your grandmother's chair.

Now, we cut these up, and we're rocking.

[Guy] That's some nice, fresh-made pasta.

[Richard] Salted water.

I'm barely able to talk right now

'cause of the drool.

So that's hot and ready to go.

Look at how that broke down.

-In? -Yes, in we go.

Parmigiano-Reggiano, add a little parsley.

Okay, we're good to go.

Signore, porchetta.

-Yes, I will not forget you either. -Yes.

[Guy] Look at this.

Hold me.

-Ah, delicious. -Isn't that great?

Mmm. The meat is so nice and tender.

And the pasta, wow, that's good.

-That's about as old school as you get. -Old school.

[patron 1] Bolognese is delicious.

It's a good traditional party dish.

And it's fresh pasta,

which is spectacular.

[Richard] One Bolognese up.

Pasta Neri in the window.

He makes something called Pasta Neri,

which is pasta with squid ink.

It's whatever seafood he has

that's the freshest thing that he got.

When Guy was here, we made the fresh pasta for him,

homemade egg pasta.

We start?

-Well, if it'll jump in the bowl by itself-- -Okay. All right.

-...that's a whole another show. -So we do, I don't know--

-[Guy] A couple cups of flour? -Two and a half,

two and a half, something like that.

A little salt.

I throw in a little semolina.

There we go.

Not as fast as that other guy on your show.

You see that?

That was the most incredible thing I ever saw.

I actually got some eggs out,

and I said, "Let's give this a go."

That dude, I'm not kidding you.

Go.

180 eggs in 180 seconds.

-[bell dings] -3 minutes and 10 seconds.

That was crazy.

A little splash of olive oil.

Here we go.

Pulse this a little bit.

[Guy] Chug it, Rocky. Chug it.

-Here it comes. -[Richard] Here we go.

-Here you go. -Come on, baby.

Ha.

Okay, wrap it up,

and then let it set in the fridge for--

I'll let it sit for a half hour.

[Guy] Cut some slices off of it.

-[Richard] And then just run it through. -And then run it through.

-[Richard] That's exactly right. -And we're going to do it

as a tagliatelle,

so a little bit bigger than a fettuccine,

-but smaller than a pappardelle. -Yes. Exactly right.

-Dig it. -Exactly right.

It's black because we add the squid ink to the dough.

A little extra-virgin olive oil.

Here we have fresh mussels,

and these are fresh manila clams.

Hot peppers, oregano,

fresh garlic, the calamari,

a little white wine.

Cover this up, let these open. They open pretty quickly.

Put the shrimp in, peas in,

a little tomato sauce.

Pasta goes in the water.

All right, beautiful.

Let this reduce a little more.

There we go. This is beautiful.

Just a little parsley on top.

We're good to go.

Spaghetti neri.

[patron 3] The pasta is black,

but it has a really umami kind of flavor.

Completely fresh, like eating, you know, right from the dock.

My kind of dish.

[Richard] After Triple D,

there was a 40-minute wait all night long.

And that went on for two full years.

Barbabietola in the window.

We knew we were going to need more space,

so we just added the patio.

We added another 16, 18 seats out there.

And for a little place like ours,

that's all I ever wanted it to be.

Beautiful.

When guests come here,

what kind of experience do you want them to have?

What should they say?

[Richard] They say,

"It's so much better than I expected it to be."

-Chin-chin. -Chin-chin.

It's Kra pao with ground pork.

[Tomas] Shrimp is ready.

Now that's it for these food flashbacks, but don't worry...

Puttanesca for Guy.

Triple D Nation.

...'cause I'm gassing up the Camaro

and heading out for more.

-[woman] Beautiful. -Scampi Sauté.

-You enjoy. -[man and woman] Thank you.

See you next time on Triple D Nation.

So two tacos?

You get one taco. Everything is a la carte.

Everything is one taco. Why are you making me two then?

'Cause we're going to eat it together, aren't we?

-Oh, we're eating it together. -Yeah.

Oh, so we're those kind of friends now.

How do you say "Those kind of friends" in Korean?

-Uh, that's not what you say. -Good talk.