Gordon's Great Escape (2010) s02e03 Episode Script
Malaysia
1 GORDON, VOICEOVER: I'm on a great escape.
Shit! I'm pumping the brakes.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I'm getting away from it all.
How are you? GORDON, VOICEOVER: And I'm back to doing what I love best.
MAN: The fried spider.
GORDON: I've been cooking now for 25 years, and I still get so excited about being taught something unique, something new.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: This time on my culinary adventure, I'm country-hopping around South-East Asia, home to some of the world's best cuisines.
That is amazing.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: But it's way off my gastronomic map.
It's like a little white moustache.
Woven bird spit.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Next stop, Malaysia, where there's a dish for every taste.
A bull's penis? WOMAN: Yeah! GORDON, VOICEOVER: The women wield the power in the kitchen.
This is my clitoria bush.
(Laughs) Oh, gee! JEREMY, VOICEOVER: And the prime minister puts my Malaysian cooking to the test.
Please enjoy.
Thank you.
Absolute pleasure.
Thank you very much indeed.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I've just arrived in Malaysia.
First time in Malaysia.
Yeah, really happy.
Place is amazing.
More modern than I expected.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I'm in Penang, where I'm starting my culinary mystery tour to master the art of Malaysian cooking, and I've got a hell of a lot to learn.
What do I know about Malaysian cuisine? Three dishes.
Satay, the most prominent.
Rendang, and laksa.
That's it.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: My home for the week has been a destination for Chinese and Indian immigrants for hundreds of years.
It's a melting pot of people and food, and so Asian fusion is the order of the day.
I'm always excited, not just learning new cuisine, GORDON, VOICEOVER: To set me off on my trip, I've got a dinner date in Penang.
Thank you.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: With one of the country's top chefs, Audee Cheah.
Audee! Hi! GORDON, VOICEOVER: Audee's been cooking in Malaysian top restaurants for 20 years.
Good to see you.
Welcome to Penang.
I'm so happy to be here in Malaysia.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Tonight he's hosting a dinner party at home.
It's a big party tonight.
Uh-huh.
For what? For a pre-wedding party.
Nice! Who's getting married? I am getting married.
What's the lucky lady's name? Her name is Choo Hong.
Choo Hong.
Yes.
You will meet her tonight.
I cannot wait.
The kitchen is behind.
You want to come? Yes, please.
Have a look? GORDON, VOICEOVER: I'm expecting to learn from an executive chef, but there's a surprise awaiting me in Audee's kitchen.
This is the chef behind the kitchen.
Chef.
I thought you were a chef? This is my mum.
Ah, I'm confused now.
Why aren't you cooking for your party? Because all the chefs in Malaysia, their favourite chef is their mum.
So, what kind of things do you cook at work? I cook Western, Mediterranean, Western.
Pastas.
What?! WOMAN: Pastas, yeah.
Western food? Yes.
Mediterranean pasta? Yeah.
(Speaks indistinctly) I'm here to learn Malaysian cuisine.
The best person to learn - from my mum.
You can call her Aunty Cat.
Aunty Cat? Most of the people call me Aunty Cat.
Why do they call you 'aunty'? Well, in Malaysia, everybody would call an elderly 'aunty'.
Everybody who's elderly becomes 'aunty'? Aunty, yeah.
Becomes 'aunty' GORDON, VOICEOVER: Aunty is running the kitchen, and her son is kept firmly in the background.
What is that? Who is that? It's me.
That's what?! Dude, that is not you! (Laughs) It is me.
That is not you.
You've had it shopped.
(Laughs) No.
No.
'The taste even the chefs love.
' Who's that on the fridge? Oh, that's him also.
You want an autograph of that? No, I don't want it autographed.
Aunty's in charge, and your face is everywhere.
OK.
So, let's say GORDON, VOICEOVER: It seems women may be the inspiration behind Malaysia's food, so I'm going to stick with Aunty.
This is my first chance to taste Malaysian fusion.
She wants to show me a Chinese-style pork dish.
OK, that's white soy sauce.
Small dash or large dash.
Large dash.
Yes, Aunty.
A little bit more.
OK! One hour in Malaysia, I've got my first bollocking.
For me, I like oyster sauce.
Right.
So, we're getting very Chinese-y, aren't we? Yeah.
A little bit, little bit.
Marinate it.
So, we marinate that now.
When was the last time Audee cooked this for you? I don't like his taste.
So, you don't like his taste? Yeah.
That's incredible.
And you're supposed to be an executive chef.
So, now throw everything in.
(Meat sizzles) Oooh! That smells amazing.
Right.
This is Smoked garlic.
We're not gonna peel it or No.
All that garlic? Yeah.
Jesus! I take it we don't kiss after dinner.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: My introduction to Malaysia's fusion has been a surprise.
Chinese ingredients, and an executive chef who takes orders from his mum.
Mmm! GORDON, VOICEOVER: I can't wait to meet the lady who's agreed to marry Penang's pasta king.
Hello.
This is my fiancee Choo Hong.
Hello.
Choo Hong.
Hi.
Wow.
Uh, excuse me.
I mean, amazing.
You lucky man.
I am.
What was it that attracted you first to Audee? What was it? Yeah, I believe His food, or His food.
(Laughs) I cook a mean pasta.
Stop mentioning that word 'pasta' in front of your mother! That's delicious.
Really good.
It's so tasty.
When he moves out, can I move in? (Laughter) We'll charge you rent.
Yeah, I'll pay, trust me.
Just in terms of learning.
I'll teach you.
Promise? Promise.
GORDON: What's taking place is a fusion.
They've got a Chinese influence across the Malaysian style, but a little bit spicier than I expected.
But bloody delicious! I mean, really good.
I think the only way to really start peeling back these layers of the authentic Malaysian cooking is to spend more time with the ladies, the aunties, at home, off the beaten track.
Stay out of the restaurants, stay away from groups of chefs, and, yeah, spend more time with the aunties.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I'm heading off, but not before Audee gets his own back for my pasta gags.
He wants to make sure I see for myself how tough Malaysian aunties can get.
Since we've been talking about aunties the whole day.
Yes! There is one competition coming up in KL, Kuala Lumpur, with the aunties.
Oh, really? Are they all as good as your mother? Some are better.
Yeah, yeah, better.
OK, and what's the idea of the competition? It's to cook our national dish.
I love, yeah, competition, clearly.
You want me to go IN that competition? Yes, yes.
Thank you for a real stitch-up! Thank you! Great! GORDON, VOICEOVER: Tomorrow my adventure around Malaysia begins.
Penang, please.
Alright.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: That's if I survive the night.
Is it safe? OK, take your seat.
'Take my seat.
' Yeah.
Well, we're not exactly going to get caught speeding on this.
OK, slow down, slow down.
Wait, wait, wait, watch the bike! OK, no problem.
Watch out.
How long have you been driving? Oh, 50 years, sir.
50 years? Yes.
From 1959.
What?! Yes.
50 years? Yeah, really.
Careful, careful, careful.
No, no, it's OK.
No, no, worry.
I take my hand.
Yeah, we have to signal.
Oh! (Car horn beeps) I can't believe I'm doing this.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: The next day, and I'm heading out of Penang with my head full of authentic Malaysian dishes from last night.
It's a great shame that we don't know the dishes better back home in England.
Think of any other international cuisine, and you can name, you know, specialities, but with Malaysian cooking, it's almost like a hidden agenda.
Food's exciting.
I mean, there's no two ways about that, but it's quite complex.
I'm keen to get on now and search even further.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I'm flying 300km south to Kuala Lumpur, or KL to the locals.
It's the capital city, and it's where I'll find some of the most adventurous Malaysian cooking in the country.
But I'm not relying on the food critics to show me where to go.
I've arranged to meet Malaysia's answer to The Hairy Bikers.
Morning.
Proper motorbikes.
(Laughs) Huh? I've got a Harley at home.
Do you? Yes.
What sort do you have? A Night Rod.
A Night Rod? Yeah, I love it.
Weekends, absolutely perfect.
How are you? Good.
I'm DC.
DC.
Good to see you.
Yeah.
Mila.
Nice to meet you.
Hi, Mila.
How are you? So, did you build this one? I built it for a competition a couple of years ago.
Is this yours? Oh, yes, it is.
Fantastic.
So good to see a glamorous chick on a bike.
As much as we love bikes, we look for food all the time.
So, we love food and bikes.
So, it's something we call, 'Ride to eat and eat to ride.
' Foodie Hell's Angels? Yeah, something like that.
Something like that? Amazing! After you.
Thank you.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: The bikers are taking me on the trail of their favourite foodie pit stops, and inside the market there is a legendary dish that Mila wants me to try.
Torpedo soup? MILA: Yeah! So, what is it? Oh, this is actually soup especially for men, and this is how it looks like.
It's the part of the cow.
What the fuck is that? The bull's, uh, manlihood stuff.
A bull's penis? Yeah! This is what soup torpedo is all about, yes.
Bull penis soup? Do you want to try? This is a bit of a chef's dream come true.
Yeah, you love it.
No, I'm gonna think of every goddamn fucking food critic in the country, and sort of do to them what they've been doing to me for the last ten years.
Yeah, screw them.
So, take this off here, yeah? Be gentle! Be gentle, yeah? (Cleaver thuds) (Gasps) Oh, yeah? Well, yeah.
AA Gill.
(Cleaver thuds) Michael Winner.
Hang on a second.
Usually they chopped it in smaller portion, yeah.
That's a bit too long.
(Cleaver thuds) Giles Coren.
So, small, right? Yes.
Are you having fun? Matthew Norman.
Yeah, it's been a long time, trust me.
Matthew Norman.
Honestly, men wouldn't eat this thinking it's gonna make their widget grow bigger.
Apparently it's not just the size.
It makes you stronger, last longer.
That's the reason why they come here.
Penis in the bowl? Yeah.
A few little extra bits for you, Mila, OK? GORDON, VOICEOVER: Mila's favourite soup is flavoured with spices like cloves and cinnamon, but there's no getting away from the main ingredient.
Here goes.
Here we go.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Don't choke on the skin.
(Laughs) Yeah, ride to eat? Let's go.
There you go.
MAN: Quite spicy.
Very spicy.
Mila, come on.
The soup's nice, but it's the crunchy bit in the middle.
Like gristle, and then I'm crossing my legs, because I'm, like, cringing between my ball bag and my bull penis, because I'm like Yeah, muscly, gristly, and very chewy.
Almost like sort of an ox tail, but with a soft bone inside.
Not good, and the size of them? Jesus Christ, huh? Huge! GORDON, VOICEOVER: For our next stop, the bikers have promised to take me somewhere a little tastier.
Not too fast, please.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: But if they eat bull's penis for lunch, Lord knows what we'll be getting for dinner.
Let's go, baby! Whoo-hoo! We're leaving the skyscrapers of Kuala Lumpur behind and riding an hour out of the city in search of pure Malay food.
The bikers are taking me to their favourite traditional Malaysian mecca - a roadside restaurant in the sleeping state of Negeri Sembilan.
Whoo! That was amazing.
That was nice.
Very cool.
OK, so, what kind of place is this? OK, this is where you're gonna eat real Malay Malaysian food.
Really proper Malay? Proper, yes.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: The restaurant is typical of Negeri Sembilan's traditional heritage.
Fewer immigrants from India and China means the food is pure Malay.
So, that is one dish I recognise instantly - satay.
There's beef.
OK.
And this is chicken.
That's delicious.
That's very good.
My God, what a difference.
That's the flavour we don't get, that nice smoky, charcoaled flavour.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: This restaurant has got another aunty in charge, and this one's got a temper as fiery as her barbecue.
Hello.
Hello! What would you like to have for lunch? Our regular, especially the rendang.
OK.
I'd love, if you don't mind, just for ten minutes, to be shown how to make the rendang.
Can I join you? Certainly, if you don't mind me telling you what to do.
No, that's fine.
I'm used to that.
Right.
What an amazing little place.
And that is a rib eye? Yeah.
OK.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Aunt Aini's beef rendang is a classic Malay dish, and I want to get my hands on it.
And where's the recipe from? The recipe is from my mother.
Really? And if you ask me, 'Aini, how much onion do you put inside?' and I'll say, 'Aga-aga.
' 'What's aga-aga?' 'Aga-aga' is, like, 'up to you', you know? They'll be asking me, 'How much this? How much this?' 'I don't know! You just aga-aga!' Aga-aga I know! I can see you don't like giving anything away.
Aga-aga.
So OK, go ahead.
Blend, yes? Blend! (Blender whirrs) (Blender silences) Oh? (Blender whirrs) There we go.
Be patient! I am, I am.
Come on.
You men are impatient.
Just a moment.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I'm not used to getting shoved around like this.
Be gentle.
(Blender whirrs) Be gentle? Be gentle.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I'm beginning to wish I was still sitting outside.
Chillies in? Yes.
Just pour everything.
Yeah, I'm counting in my mind, so I can write the recipe in my mind.
Oh, bit more, bit more, bit more.
Oh, don't be shy, Gordon.
Just pour the damn thing out.
No, I'm not shy, but I'm shitting myself.
Go ahead, go ahead.
You make me nervous.
Ah.
Take it away.
So, how long do we fry this off for? Aga-aga.
You wait.
Aga-aga.
Give me a time, 'cause I'm mentally writing this down in my mind.
OK, but what we want is nice and silky.
You wait, you wait.
Just hang on.
I can't tell you how it is.
She's nuts.
I mean, you wouldn't want to mess with her, would you? I'm just hoping I don't fucking burn this.
Don't burn my rendang.
No, no, I'm not.
On this side.
Scrape this side, Gordon.
Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Yeah.
I won't burn it, trust me.
Right now, it's more than my life's worth.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Aunt Aini wants to take a breather outside, and she's got a glint in her eye.
This is my clitoria bush over here.
Just stop there for two seconds.
Now, I know you're slightly crazy, but that is called a clitoral bush? Yes.
It is! I can't help it if it's called clitoral, 'cause exactly look like one.
Right.
Does your husband ever come and pick your clitoral bush? Not here.
Not (Laughter) Jesus! OK, let's go.
We are going to use this in our rice.
Oh, jeez.
Rice in.
Rice in.
OK, beef rendang.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: To finish our rendang, a pot of dry-roasted coconut and its oil.
And so how much? You put about three spoons.
Thank you.
And it will dry up the rendang.
We're coming to the end of the dish, and you've started to give me the recipe.
That gives it a really nice sort of nutty I'm getting soft on you, Gordon.
You're getting soft on me.
That's because you let me touch your bush.
Well, I suppose you did.
Yeah.
Mmm.
Oh, that's lovely.
That's very nice.
Not too bad, is it? I thought it was gonna be bluer.
Excellent! GORDON, VOICEOVER: My hungry biker buddies are waiting to be fed, along with Aunt Aini's mum.
I hope she's less demanding than her daughter.
This is the matriarch of the family.
Nice to meet you.
She's the best cook around.
So, all whatever recipe I got, I got from my mother.
Amazing.
Aini, thank you so much for really opening my eyes up to proper Malay cooking.
Yes, it's been tough Thank you so much.
I'm an aga-aga cook.
Yes! And you are a precise chef.
So, it really messes up my mind when you ask, 'How much this? How much' Today It's all about aga-aga! I've understood the difference, and you've really helped open my eyes up to proper Malay cooking.
Thank you.
Thank you very much for coming.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: One session in the kitchen with Aini, and I can see I've got to do more than simply learn new recipes if I'm to master Malaysian cooking.
European-style cooking is anal.
It's got this long list of ingredients that's weighed to the finest detail.
Aga-aga, you know, look and learn.
Watch.
Cook with your eyes.
Can you imagine me walking in there with a recipe? 'Right, I need five ounces of ginger, two tablespoons of star anise.
' You know, she'd kick me up the arse.
I boss him around a lot just now, but he loves it.
Men love to be bossed.
Thank you.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Fresh from making Aini's rendang, I'm heading back to the bright lights of Kuala Lumpur.
I've been kicked around the kitchens by Malaysian aunties.
I've tried pure Malay, Chinese Malay, but I'm yet to experience Indian fusion.
So, I'm putting my faith in a Buddhist temple famous for its curries.
One in five Malaysians is a Buddhist, and tomorrow is Wesak - that's Buddha's birthday to you and me.
This place is amazing.
Buddha's birthday tomorrow, so, huge celebration.
10,000 guests arriving.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: The temple staff are preparing a supersized feast, and I've volunteered to help.
I've been summoned to see the chief monk, who wants to make sure that I'm up to the task of cooking for a very important guest of honour.
Welcome to Malaysia.
Good to see you.
Very happy to be here.
Little bit nervous about 10,000 guests arriving tomorrow to celebrate.
Tomorrow our Honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia.
Really? Yes, he's coming to join with us.
Right.
I hope you'll prepare one or two desserts for him.
Yes.
And his wife.
Right.
Are you going to prepare the, like, macaroni or something? Macaroni? Or something? Chief, macaroni? I'm in Malaysia, not East End of London.
No macaroni and cheese, no.
It would mean so much for me to cook a Malaysian-style Indian curry than to bring macaroni and cheese over.
Can I give a blessing for you? Please.
Thank you.
I understand sometimes you get a little bit angry.
Chief, you don't watch television, do you? From here, I can watch.
Oh, you can Oh.
You've heard? I can watch.
Really? OK.
So, you must not do any evil thing, you must try your best to do good things.
You must try your best to think good things.
Right.
Don't go to extremes.
OK.
I will give master's advice - everything in middle path.
Everything middle path.
Middle path.
Nice to meet you.
Thank you.
You try your best not to get angry.
No.
So, I give you some souvenirs.
You can see my photo.
Ah! See? (Gordon laughs) Wow.
There.
That's amazing.
I've got a pen like that, but it's with a nude lady.
You turn it upside down, her bikini comes down - but that's an evil thought and I'll keep that for later.
Excellent.
Chief, pleasure.
The bit that freaked me out was when he asked me to cook macaroni and cheese.
Fucking macaroni and cheese? For the Prime Minister? I'll get shot! (Laughs) Changed my opinion on Buddhism? Er, not as yet, no, although it may be worthwhile doing it one day for these little beauties here.
Pens like that that flag out like that.
I mean, that is just hilarious.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I want to check out the kitchen that I'll be cooking in tomorrow, and it's run by another aunty.
Mrs Rupa.
How are you? Fine, thank you.
Nice to see you.
Likewise.
Oh! (Kisses) Good to see you.
Oh! Happy Wesak to you.
Thank you very much indeed.
When did you guys start tonight? When was it? About eight o'clock.
Eight o'clock.
And you're gonna be working throughout the night? Yes, through the night.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Mrs Rupa's been cooking here for 25 years, and she's used to catering for big crowds.
So, where's the where's the big kitchen? This is the big kitchen.
This is it?! Yes.
For 10,000 guests.
Yes.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Because it's Buddha's birthday, everything on the menu has to be vegetarian.
And that's not a prospect I relish.
Say, 'Yes, you're going to love it.
' It's not fantastic, but it's not bad.
(Laughs) Oh, my darling.
(Kisses) GORDON, VOICEOVER: Maybe the monk's macaroni wasn't such a bonkers idea after all.
You've gotta respect what they're doing, however, you know, it's vegetarian food, and it's not the most glamorous at the best of times, so gotta make it into something magical with the help of Mrs Rupa.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I'm midway through my great escape to Malaysia, and I've discovered a cuisine that's one of the most complex I've ever encountered.
Today it's Buddha's birthday, and I've been given the great honour of cooking a Malaysian-style vegie curry for the Prime Minister.
There's gonna be thousands of people visiting this temple this morning.
So, in order to get there on time, they've very kindly given me a police escort.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I've had no time to prepare, so anything could happen.
I suppose my biggest worry is that I haven't tested this dish yet.
I'm gonna be cooking on the fly.
Aga-aga.
On the spur of the moment.
That's the danger zone.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: All the ingredients used by the temple's army of cooks are donated, so I'm going to have to make do with whatever's left over.
Hello.
(Kisses) Happy anniversary.
Are you good? Did you sleep? Yes.
Oh, no, no, I didn't sleep.
You didn't sleep at all? I didn't sleep at all.
And is that the vegetables they've got left over? Aubergine, cauliflower, tomatoes.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Alongside the leftover veg, kitchen boss Mrs Rupa's laid out the dried spices that form the basis of all her curries.
Teaspoon of turmeric.
Curry powder, and then red chilli.
Star anise, cinnamon, and some coriander seeds.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: To give this curry a Malaysian fusion twist, I'm adding a good, thick slug of coconut milk.
It's a hard balance to perfect, because the Malaysian tradition has got a strong Indian influence and a Chinese influence.
So, they've got the spicy, with the sweetness as well.
So, I'm hoping the tamarind and the coconut will sort of help take some of that heat out of the curry.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: But things are about to get a lot hotter in here.
The Prime Minister's aides are in the building, and they seem worried that I might be about to poison the PM.
WOMAN: Just we want to make sure the food is safe.
Safe? Trust me.
Uh It's safe, definitely.
Yeah.
You'd like to taste it? No, you will taste it.
Me? Certainly.
It's like the food police.
OK.
Do you like that? Yeah, very nice.
What about grumpy bollocks there, does he like it? Yeah.
He liked it? Yeah, very nice.
Mmm.
Thank you.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I can honestly say that's a first for me.
Hopefully Mrs Rupa will be more enthusiastic.
Can I taste it? Please! So, the food police have been in.
Yes.
They've had a taste.
Smelling very nice.
Let's hope it tastes very nice.
Oh! I think a bit more salt.
A bit more salt? It'll taste better.
Wow.
She's king around here, so if she says more salt, it means more salt.
You sure? Yeah.
Thank God for that! Two seconds, we'll start plating up! Mrs Rupa, close your eyes! Whoo-hoo! GORDON, VOICEOVER: With the PM and his wife in place in the grand hall, his elite bodyguard is standing by to take us through.
Up to the top? WOMAN: Yeah.
Right, who are we serving first - Prime Minister or the monk? Monk.
So, let's go.
Lead the way.
Mrs Rupa, when we go in, I'm gonna give you the tray and I'll serve it.
MRS RUPA: I'll hold it for you! Watch the stairs.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Mrs Rupa's never met the PM, so I want her in there with me.
Mrs Rupa? Coming, coming.
Mrs Rupa! Coming, coming! Come on, baby! I'm coming, I'm coming.
Come on! The Prime Minister's waiting for us! Let's go.
Quickly! Mrs Rupa, let's go, baby.
Alright, Gordon.
Hi.
Good afternoon.
Sir, ladies and gentlemen, welcome.
Prime Minister, absolute pleasure.
Really good to see you.
Yeah, looking forward to trying your Madame, absolute pleasure.
Good to see you.
Good to see you.
Thank you very much for cooking.
Chief, good to see you.
This is an Indian-style Malaysian vegetable curry.
Sir.
Thank you.
Are you happy? Yes, very, very good.
Thank you.
Excellent.
I'm dying to see what you think.
Yes.
Mmm.
Very good curry.
Are you happy? Best wishes! Please enjoy.
Thank you.
Thank you very much indeed.
(Puffs) It's crazy out there.
No? She's happy.
That's the most important.
The prime minister's very happy.
Yeah, I'll be 30 seconds.
Thank you.
I love the way everyone's pushing around.
No macaroni! No fish and chips! We're in Malaysia, for God's sake.
Extraordinary.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: It's been a buzz cooking for the PM and his wife, it's yet another Malaysian aunty who has helped me nail it.
Yes, I'll do that.
(Kisses) Yes? Alright, take care, my darling.
Congratulations.
Thank you, my darling.
All the best to you! GORDON, VOICEOVER: Each Malaysian aunty I've met has had a unique approach, and it's given me much food for thought.
GORDON: A true Malaysian style, it's built with lots of complex layers, and it's hard to get your head around, because it could be completely Indian, yet Malaysian, or yet it could be completely Chinese, yet Malaysian, which is so frustrating, because Malaysian cooking at its best is delicious.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I've got one more stop before I pit my new skills against Malaysia's aunties in the cooking competition in Kuala Lumpur.
I'm flying 1,000 miles to Malaysian Borneo to get my first taste of the region's most famous and extraordinary delicacy.
I feel slightly frustrated that I've been cooking for over 20 years, I've never had a real taste of a proper bird's nest.
Lots of fake sort of glass noodle bird's nest soup, but I can't wait to really sort of understand what it tastes of fresh.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: An hour's drive from the airport, I'm meeting my guide to get me to the nests.
Are you good? Hey.
I am fine.
How about your trip? It's bloody hot and humid.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Elen is a member of the remote Ida'an tribe, who harvest the nests.
Yeah.
Yeah, thank you.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Most of the tribe, including Elen, have moved away from the area, returning for the harvest for a few weeks each year after the birds have flown the nest.
For the harvest season, we come from our first village, and then we're coming here to harvest the bird nests.
So, you have two homes? Yes.
A bit like a lot of people do in England.
They have one in Central London and one on the south coast.
Oh, I see.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Elen's tribe began flogging nests to rich Chinese traders 500 years ago, collecting them from the limestone caves just outside their village.
Today, Malaysia's exports of bird's nest to China are worth ã5 million a year, and I can't wait to see what all the fuss is about.
Just hold on the rock.
Incredible how slippy it is.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: But my journey to the caves is about to get a lot rougher.
Just step on the rock.
Mm-hm.
Alright.
So Whoa, shit! Bloody hell.
OK? What's that smell? The guano.
Guano? What's 'guano'? Guano is bat shit.
Bat shit? Yes.
Oh, my God, look at that in there.
Is that it in there? Yes.
Look at that.
Do these things taste delicious? No, I never eat it.
What? I never eat the bat shit, the guano.
No! Not the bat shit, you doughnut.
I'm talking You're talking about the bird nest? The bird's nests, of course! Oh, I see! My God, look at this.
It's good.
It's nice.
Bloody hell.
Hello! GORDON, VOICEOVER: This is turning into my worst nightmare.
(Bats squeak) Oh, my God! Watch out for the bat shit, OK? Watch out for the bat shit? Don't open your mouth while you're looking at OK, here we go.
We have to crawl through the tunnel.
Shit! Watch me.
This is insane.
I've gone to great extremes for some fantastic produce before, but I'm telling you now, I hope this tastes fucking amazing.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Crawling out of the tunnel, we arrived at the 100ft-high cave at the heart of the rock.
That's crazy.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: And right at the top, Elen's mates are walking the high wire to collect nests made from swift saliva.
Has anyone ever fallen? Just once, yes.
And died? And died, because he is falling on the rock.
Shit! Up there is your bird nests.
That's it there? My God! GORDON, VOICEOVER: And now Elen wants me to have a go on a ladder made of bamboo.
I hope it can hold 15st.
Jesus.
Elen? Yes? Yeah, I can't believe you're down there.
I'm still here.
And I'm clinging onto a piece of fucking bamboo.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I'm beginning to think no ingredient can be worth this.
It's getting wetter and wetter.
Come on.
Shit.
Can you see the nests already? No.
I can't see any nests.
All I can see is bat shit.
Shit, there's a massive spider up here as well.
Oh, yes! Bingo.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Now I'm up here, I've got to get my hands on it.
That means taking 'em off this ladder.
It's so slippy.
Whoa, shit! Bloody hell.
Come on! Whoa, shit.
It's incredible! Like a little ball of wool.
OK, into my bag.
My God! OK, you can come down now.
Jesus! I've never trusted bamboo so much in my entire life.
A makeshift bamboo ladder.
Yes.
Unbelievable.
At last you made it, man.
Right, let's have a look at this little baby.
It's like a little white sort of moustache.
My goodness me! And so that's the bird's saliva? Yes, saliva.
With the feathers in there, do we take the feathers out? Yeah, we must remove the feathers.
Mm-hm.
Doesn't look that appetising, does it? But there again, nor does a truffle when it's six foot under.
A lot of people sitting at home now will be going, 'Eugh, it looks disgusting!' But I mean, there's got to be something unique in the flavour, and think what they go through to get that there, that little bit of phlegm, woven bird's spit.
Jesus Christ.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: The nests are worth so much to the village that they don't eat them themselves.
Come.
Let's go meet my aunty.
Thankfully, like most Malaysians, Elen's got an aunty, and she's agreed to show me bird's nest soup the Chinese way.
How are you? (Speaks foreign language) Malaysia's full of talented aunties.
So, this is the real bird's nest soup.
Yes.
What have you put in there? Sugar.
Sugar? (Speaks foreign language) With some water.
Just sugar and water? Yes.
No! And that's it? No chillies? No, no, no, no.
(Speaks foreign language) Here we go.
Mmm.
So, how does it taste? Mmm! It's very sweet.
Would you have this as a dessert? Dessert, yeah.
May I have some more? Yes.
Another ten quid's worth on the spoon.
And it's like a sweet jelly, like a warm jelly.
I didn't expect it to be a dessert.
Erm, yeah, different.
I honestly expected a hot, spicy, seafood soup.
Damn! To go to that extreme, to endanger your life to go and get it, to go and drop it in water seasoned with sugar.
Doesn't make sense.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I've had an extraordinary time here, but now I need to head back to the big city.
(Laughs) Oh, it's pissing it down.
Yeah.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Tomorrow I'm in Kuala Lumpur for a competition against Malaysia's best aunty cooks.
That's if I ever make it out of Borneo.
The boat's filling up with water.
(Laughs) Oh, shit.
(Laughs) It's beautiful.
Elen, we don't need this any more.
Fuck it! (Laughter) Any chance of a skinny latte? (Laughter) GORDON, VOICEOVER: After an 1,800km flight, I'm back in Kuala Lumpur for the final day of my Malaysian great escape.
The executive chef I met at the beginning of my trip has entered me into a national cooking competition.
This will be a very public test.
Today's the first time when I'll have a chance to sort of bring all that experience across the week together onto one plate.
I've got to grips with the fragmented style it holds.
Strong Chinese influence, strong Indian influence, and of course, at the core a traditional Malaysian style.
So, very tough, because there's textures, heat, sour, sweetness.
Gotta get it all right - all three balances.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: The competition's taking place in one of KL's most prestigious hotels, and that's also home to one of the country's leading catering schools.
Today's winning recipe will be taught to the next generation of professional chefs.
My last cooking competition? God! It was back in 1992 for National Chef of the Year.
Yeah, I definitely don't want to come last, but I wouldn't mind winning.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I spent the last week playing sous-chef to some of Malaysia's toughest aunties.
Hello, ladies.
Nice to see you.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: But today I'm cooking my own Malaysian recipes head-to-head against five of the countries best female cooks.
How are you? Yeah? So, you're frying off the onions first? GORDON, VOICEOVER: They're each famous for a different style of Malaysian fusion cuisine.
That's lovely.
That smells amazing.
Oh, what are they? Pods.
I'm cooking rendang.
Rendang.
Rendang.
Wow.
I'll be watching you very closely.
Oh, yes.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: We've got three hours to deliver a meal that represents Malaysia and all its influences under the watchful eye of one of the competition judges.
So, today you have to prepare the coconut rice.
At the same time, you can prepare three side dishes.
Today we have four dishes for your event, and then I will be take care for the kitchen operations.
Good luck.
WOMAN: Thank you.
May the best aunty win.
Thank you.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: We need to prepare traditional Malaysian coconut rice and three side dishes of our choice.
I'm starting with a Chinese chicken dish inspired by the executive chef's mum that I met at the beginning of the week.
So, I marinate the chicken first.
This is the Chinese influence chicken kapitan.
Soy sauce.
Chicken kapitan's on its way.
Seared off the chicken and let it sit in that soy sauce.
Flavours it inside, which is nice.
It's cooked on the bone, so it should be more tender.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I've noticed that the aunties are paying special attention to one dish in particular.
You're starting to cook your rice now? Why so early? You're not telling me.
OK.
What I am amazed is that everyone's starting to steam their rice.
There's over 2.
5 hours to go and they're putting their rice on.
It only takes 20 minutes to cook.
The rice is going on that early for a reason, so, can't beat them, join them.
In about three minutes time, I'll be putting my rice on.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: But first I need to get my second dish started - my take on the traditional Malaysian slow-cooked beef rendang I was taught by Aunt Aini.
It's the rendang.
I've just cubed it so it's got texture when you bite through it.
At Aunty Aini's restaurant, she sliced it a little bit too thin, so it lost that texture.
I want a nice, mmm, chunk.
I'll cook that out now.
I want a nice dry rendang.
Alright, finally, fucking rice.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: This fragrant coconut rice should be the easy bit.
Coconut milk in and some lemongrass.
Slice the tops and smash the bottoms.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I've never used a rice cooker before, but all the aunties are using them - I'm following their lead.
And on.
Push the button and hope for the fucking best.
OK.
Rendang's reducing.
Chicken's fine.
Rice is on.
He is busy.
(Laughs) But I don't see anything like, you know, the Malaysian Asian.
Is he doing something, like, Western? Right, rendang has come down now.
That's much better.
That's exactly the way I wanted it.
There's so many things on the go.
It's like breastfeeding five babies at the same time.
Chicken, beef, rice.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: But the one thing that should be a doddle could prove to be my undoing.
That's fucked.
That's shit.
Did you wash your rice? WOMAN: Yes.
You did wash it? How long did you steam it for? It's just automatic.
You just leave it on, it'll cook by itself.
Mine's gone overcooked.
You put the coconut milk in yours as well? Yes, yes.
(Laughs) But I think I might've spotted the aunties' secret.
She's got herself the Ferrari of rice cookers.
Excuse me, sir.
MAN: Yes? My rice steamer cooked too quickly.
Do you have another one, in case that's faulty? I want one like that, with a digital front on it.
I'm not blaming my tools, but it's just, you know.
It cooked too fast.
It's mushy at the bottom and raw at the top.
Thank you very much.
Now you give me the posh one.
Fucking rice steamer.
Down.
Not taking any chances now.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: This time I'm going belt and braces, doing a back-up batch in my flashy new rice cooker.
With minutes to go, I'm racing to get finished.
My final dish is an Indian-inspired prawn curry like the vegie meal I cooked for the Prime Minister.
The shrimps fried really quickly, and then finished inside the light coconut curry.
Now I've got to hope these dishes work together.
Rice.
Oh, fucking hell.
Five more minutes.
Aga-aga.
I got two minutes to serve this thing, otherwise I'm fucked.
I'm serving my rice wrapped in a banana leaf, alongside traditional Malaysian garnishes.
Malaysians love their food spicy, so I'm just hoping that it's spicy enough.
And to go with the rice, my three side dishes, every plate individually numbered so the judges can't tell who's cooked what.
If you drop this tray, I'll hang you upside down by your balls from the Petronas Towers.
Off you go.
Don't sneeze.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: The food's going out to a restaurant packed with Kuala Lumpur's leading restaurateurs and food critics.
But the people who really matter tonight are the judges - five Malaysian chefs from some of the country's leading restaurants.
They'll be judging each of my recipes on texture and taste, and they'll expect all of the dishes to come together to create a balance of flavours and a harmonious meal.
So, this is number two.
Wow! That one really spicy.
WOMAN: Which one? The sambal.
The rice is OK.
Vegetable is OK.
For me, it's not OK.
It has got very, very No, it's got very mild flavour, not subtle, but then together with this, it complements each other.
I think the first one is the most complete.
Time to find out if I've managed to beat the Malaysian aunties at their own game.
WOMAN: We now have the third prize.
It's number five.
(Applause) And the second prize goes to the man, Mr Gordon Ramsay.
(Applause) Second? That's amazing! Thank you very much! Wow! Excellent! Thank you very much indeed.
(Applause) Wow! Thank you very much! And the winner is number one, Miss Lian.
Well done, well done, well done! (Applause) Whoo-hoo! What was the secret? I'm a housewife.
I always cook for my family.
It's with love, with the heart, for your family that I Nice! Well done! (Applause) Number one aunty! I have one more question.
I'm gonna come back next year to take your crown, Aunty! (Laughter) Yes, OK? GORDON, VOICEOVER: A week ago, I had only ever tried a couple of Malaysian dishes, but I'm leaving with a new understanding of one of the world's most unusual fusion cuisines.
And it was quite awkward to begin with, 'cause I was struggling to get my head around it, 'cause I couldn't understand that strong Chinese influence, and then the Indian influence, and then so what is Malaysian cooking, then? And there was a combination of all three.
So, that's what I've been struggling with, and it took me to the end of the week to come to terms with that.
'Cause when you taste it for the first time, wow, the penny drops.
You think, 'Jesus, that is extraordinary.
' Stay close to your aunty, 'cause that's where the secret lies.
Fucking amazing.
There's better than just pad thai here.
I have a bad reputation for getting angry.
Inside meditation would be perfect for you.
This is absolutely fucking mental.
(All exclaim) We promised no secrets.
Can you just say, for me, 'cause I'm feeling a little bit homesick, 'Ready, steady, cook'? Ready, steady, cook! If I'm gonna go down, I'm gonna go down in style.
Closed Captions by CSI
Shit! I'm pumping the brakes.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I'm getting away from it all.
How are you? GORDON, VOICEOVER: And I'm back to doing what I love best.
MAN: The fried spider.
GORDON: I've been cooking now for 25 years, and I still get so excited about being taught something unique, something new.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: This time on my culinary adventure, I'm country-hopping around South-East Asia, home to some of the world's best cuisines.
That is amazing.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: But it's way off my gastronomic map.
It's like a little white moustache.
Woven bird spit.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Next stop, Malaysia, where there's a dish for every taste.
A bull's penis? WOMAN: Yeah! GORDON, VOICEOVER: The women wield the power in the kitchen.
This is my clitoria bush.
(Laughs) Oh, gee! JEREMY, VOICEOVER: And the prime minister puts my Malaysian cooking to the test.
Please enjoy.
Thank you.
Absolute pleasure.
Thank you very much indeed.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I've just arrived in Malaysia.
First time in Malaysia.
Yeah, really happy.
Place is amazing.
More modern than I expected.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I'm in Penang, where I'm starting my culinary mystery tour to master the art of Malaysian cooking, and I've got a hell of a lot to learn.
What do I know about Malaysian cuisine? Three dishes.
Satay, the most prominent.
Rendang, and laksa.
That's it.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: My home for the week has been a destination for Chinese and Indian immigrants for hundreds of years.
It's a melting pot of people and food, and so Asian fusion is the order of the day.
I'm always excited, not just learning new cuisine, GORDON, VOICEOVER: To set me off on my trip, I've got a dinner date in Penang.
Thank you.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: With one of the country's top chefs, Audee Cheah.
Audee! Hi! GORDON, VOICEOVER: Audee's been cooking in Malaysian top restaurants for 20 years.
Good to see you.
Welcome to Penang.
I'm so happy to be here in Malaysia.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Tonight he's hosting a dinner party at home.
It's a big party tonight.
Uh-huh.
For what? For a pre-wedding party.
Nice! Who's getting married? I am getting married.
What's the lucky lady's name? Her name is Choo Hong.
Choo Hong.
Yes.
You will meet her tonight.
I cannot wait.
The kitchen is behind.
You want to come? Yes, please.
Have a look? GORDON, VOICEOVER: I'm expecting to learn from an executive chef, but there's a surprise awaiting me in Audee's kitchen.
This is the chef behind the kitchen.
Chef.
I thought you were a chef? This is my mum.
Ah, I'm confused now.
Why aren't you cooking for your party? Because all the chefs in Malaysia, their favourite chef is their mum.
So, what kind of things do you cook at work? I cook Western, Mediterranean, Western.
Pastas.
What?! WOMAN: Pastas, yeah.
Western food? Yes.
Mediterranean pasta? Yeah.
(Speaks indistinctly) I'm here to learn Malaysian cuisine.
The best person to learn - from my mum.
You can call her Aunty Cat.
Aunty Cat? Most of the people call me Aunty Cat.
Why do they call you 'aunty'? Well, in Malaysia, everybody would call an elderly 'aunty'.
Everybody who's elderly becomes 'aunty'? Aunty, yeah.
Becomes 'aunty' GORDON, VOICEOVER: Aunty is running the kitchen, and her son is kept firmly in the background.
What is that? Who is that? It's me.
That's what?! Dude, that is not you! (Laughs) It is me.
That is not you.
You've had it shopped.
(Laughs) No.
No.
'The taste even the chefs love.
' Who's that on the fridge? Oh, that's him also.
You want an autograph of that? No, I don't want it autographed.
Aunty's in charge, and your face is everywhere.
OK.
So, let's say GORDON, VOICEOVER: It seems women may be the inspiration behind Malaysia's food, so I'm going to stick with Aunty.
This is my first chance to taste Malaysian fusion.
She wants to show me a Chinese-style pork dish.
OK, that's white soy sauce.
Small dash or large dash.
Large dash.
Yes, Aunty.
A little bit more.
OK! One hour in Malaysia, I've got my first bollocking.
For me, I like oyster sauce.
Right.
So, we're getting very Chinese-y, aren't we? Yeah.
A little bit, little bit.
Marinate it.
So, we marinate that now.
When was the last time Audee cooked this for you? I don't like his taste.
So, you don't like his taste? Yeah.
That's incredible.
And you're supposed to be an executive chef.
So, now throw everything in.
(Meat sizzles) Oooh! That smells amazing.
Right.
This is Smoked garlic.
We're not gonna peel it or No.
All that garlic? Yeah.
Jesus! I take it we don't kiss after dinner.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: My introduction to Malaysia's fusion has been a surprise.
Chinese ingredients, and an executive chef who takes orders from his mum.
Mmm! GORDON, VOICEOVER: I can't wait to meet the lady who's agreed to marry Penang's pasta king.
Hello.
This is my fiancee Choo Hong.
Hello.
Choo Hong.
Hi.
Wow.
Uh, excuse me.
I mean, amazing.
You lucky man.
I am.
What was it that attracted you first to Audee? What was it? Yeah, I believe His food, or His food.
(Laughs) I cook a mean pasta.
Stop mentioning that word 'pasta' in front of your mother! That's delicious.
Really good.
It's so tasty.
When he moves out, can I move in? (Laughter) We'll charge you rent.
Yeah, I'll pay, trust me.
Just in terms of learning.
I'll teach you.
Promise? Promise.
GORDON: What's taking place is a fusion.
They've got a Chinese influence across the Malaysian style, but a little bit spicier than I expected.
But bloody delicious! I mean, really good.
I think the only way to really start peeling back these layers of the authentic Malaysian cooking is to spend more time with the ladies, the aunties, at home, off the beaten track.
Stay out of the restaurants, stay away from groups of chefs, and, yeah, spend more time with the aunties.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I'm heading off, but not before Audee gets his own back for my pasta gags.
He wants to make sure I see for myself how tough Malaysian aunties can get.
Since we've been talking about aunties the whole day.
Yes! There is one competition coming up in KL, Kuala Lumpur, with the aunties.
Oh, really? Are they all as good as your mother? Some are better.
Yeah, yeah, better.
OK, and what's the idea of the competition? It's to cook our national dish.
I love, yeah, competition, clearly.
You want me to go IN that competition? Yes, yes.
Thank you for a real stitch-up! Thank you! Great! GORDON, VOICEOVER: Tomorrow my adventure around Malaysia begins.
Penang, please.
Alright.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: That's if I survive the night.
Is it safe? OK, take your seat.
'Take my seat.
' Yeah.
Well, we're not exactly going to get caught speeding on this.
OK, slow down, slow down.
Wait, wait, wait, watch the bike! OK, no problem.
Watch out.
How long have you been driving? Oh, 50 years, sir.
50 years? Yes.
From 1959.
What?! Yes.
50 years? Yeah, really.
Careful, careful, careful.
No, no, it's OK.
No, no, worry.
I take my hand.
Yeah, we have to signal.
Oh! (Car horn beeps) I can't believe I'm doing this.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: The next day, and I'm heading out of Penang with my head full of authentic Malaysian dishes from last night.
It's a great shame that we don't know the dishes better back home in England.
Think of any other international cuisine, and you can name, you know, specialities, but with Malaysian cooking, it's almost like a hidden agenda.
Food's exciting.
I mean, there's no two ways about that, but it's quite complex.
I'm keen to get on now and search even further.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I'm flying 300km south to Kuala Lumpur, or KL to the locals.
It's the capital city, and it's where I'll find some of the most adventurous Malaysian cooking in the country.
But I'm not relying on the food critics to show me where to go.
I've arranged to meet Malaysia's answer to The Hairy Bikers.
Morning.
Proper motorbikes.
(Laughs) Huh? I've got a Harley at home.
Do you? Yes.
What sort do you have? A Night Rod.
A Night Rod? Yeah, I love it.
Weekends, absolutely perfect.
How are you? Good.
I'm DC.
DC.
Good to see you.
Yeah.
Mila.
Nice to meet you.
Hi, Mila.
How are you? So, did you build this one? I built it for a competition a couple of years ago.
Is this yours? Oh, yes, it is.
Fantastic.
So good to see a glamorous chick on a bike.
As much as we love bikes, we look for food all the time.
So, we love food and bikes.
So, it's something we call, 'Ride to eat and eat to ride.
' Foodie Hell's Angels? Yeah, something like that.
Something like that? Amazing! After you.
Thank you.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: The bikers are taking me on the trail of their favourite foodie pit stops, and inside the market there is a legendary dish that Mila wants me to try.
Torpedo soup? MILA: Yeah! So, what is it? Oh, this is actually soup especially for men, and this is how it looks like.
It's the part of the cow.
What the fuck is that? The bull's, uh, manlihood stuff.
A bull's penis? Yeah! This is what soup torpedo is all about, yes.
Bull penis soup? Do you want to try? This is a bit of a chef's dream come true.
Yeah, you love it.
No, I'm gonna think of every goddamn fucking food critic in the country, and sort of do to them what they've been doing to me for the last ten years.
Yeah, screw them.
So, take this off here, yeah? Be gentle! Be gentle, yeah? (Cleaver thuds) (Gasps) Oh, yeah? Well, yeah.
AA Gill.
(Cleaver thuds) Michael Winner.
Hang on a second.
Usually they chopped it in smaller portion, yeah.
That's a bit too long.
(Cleaver thuds) Giles Coren.
So, small, right? Yes.
Are you having fun? Matthew Norman.
Yeah, it's been a long time, trust me.
Matthew Norman.
Honestly, men wouldn't eat this thinking it's gonna make their widget grow bigger.
Apparently it's not just the size.
It makes you stronger, last longer.
That's the reason why they come here.
Penis in the bowl? Yeah.
A few little extra bits for you, Mila, OK? GORDON, VOICEOVER: Mila's favourite soup is flavoured with spices like cloves and cinnamon, but there's no getting away from the main ingredient.
Here goes.
Here we go.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Don't choke on the skin.
(Laughs) Yeah, ride to eat? Let's go.
There you go.
MAN: Quite spicy.
Very spicy.
Mila, come on.
The soup's nice, but it's the crunchy bit in the middle.
Like gristle, and then I'm crossing my legs, because I'm, like, cringing between my ball bag and my bull penis, because I'm like Yeah, muscly, gristly, and very chewy.
Almost like sort of an ox tail, but with a soft bone inside.
Not good, and the size of them? Jesus Christ, huh? Huge! GORDON, VOICEOVER: For our next stop, the bikers have promised to take me somewhere a little tastier.
Not too fast, please.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: But if they eat bull's penis for lunch, Lord knows what we'll be getting for dinner.
Let's go, baby! Whoo-hoo! We're leaving the skyscrapers of Kuala Lumpur behind and riding an hour out of the city in search of pure Malay food.
The bikers are taking me to their favourite traditional Malaysian mecca - a roadside restaurant in the sleeping state of Negeri Sembilan.
Whoo! That was amazing.
That was nice.
Very cool.
OK, so, what kind of place is this? OK, this is where you're gonna eat real Malay Malaysian food.
Really proper Malay? Proper, yes.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: The restaurant is typical of Negeri Sembilan's traditional heritage.
Fewer immigrants from India and China means the food is pure Malay.
So, that is one dish I recognise instantly - satay.
There's beef.
OK.
And this is chicken.
That's delicious.
That's very good.
My God, what a difference.
That's the flavour we don't get, that nice smoky, charcoaled flavour.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: This restaurant has got another aunty in charge, and this one's got a temper as fiery as her barbecue.
Hello.
Hello! What would you like to have for lunch? Our regular, especially the rendang.
OK.
I'd love, if you don't mind, just for ten minutes, to be shown how to make the rendang.
Can I join you? Certainly, if you don't mind me telling you what to do.
No, that's fine.
I'm used to that.
Right.
What an amazing little place.
And that is a rib eye? Yeah.
OK.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Aunt Aini's beef rendang is a classic Malay dish, and I want to get my hands on it.
And where's the recipe from? The recipe is from my mother.
Really? And if you ask me, 'Aini, how much onion do you put inside?' and I'll say, 'Aga-aga.
' 'What's aga-aga?' 'Aga-aga' is, like, 'up to you', you know? They'll be asking me, 'How much this? How much this?' 'I don't know! You just aga-aga!' Aga-aga I know! I can see you don't like giving anything away.
Aga-aga.
So OK, go ahead.
Blend, yes? Blend! (Blender whirrs) (Blender silences) Oh? (Blender whirrs) There we go.
Be patient! I am, I am.
Come on.
You men are impatient.
Just a moment.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I'm not used to getting shoved around like this.
Be gentle.
(Blender whirrs) Be gentle? Be gentle.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I'm beginning to wish I was still sitting outside.
Chillies in? Yes.
Just pour everything.
Yeah, I'm counting in my mind, so I can write the recipe in my mind.
Oh, bit more, bit more, bit more.
Oh, don't be shy, Gordon.
Just pour the damn thing out.
No, I'm not shy, but I'm shitting myself.
Go ahead, go ahead.
You make me nervous.
Ah.
Take it away.
So, how long do we fry this off for? Aga-aga.
You wait.
Aga-aga.
Give me a time, 'cause I'm mentally writing this down in my mind.
OK, but what we want is nice and silky.
You wait, you wait.
Just hang on.
I can't tell you how it is.
She's nuts.
I mean, you wouldn't want to mess with her, would you? I'm just hoping I don't fucking burn this.
Don't burn my rendang.
No, no, I'm not.
On this side.
Scrape this side, Gordon.
Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Yeah.
I won't burn it, trust me.
Right now, it's more than my life's worth.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Aunt Aini wants to take a breather outside, and she's got a glint in her eye.
This is my clitoria bush over here.
Just stop there for two seconds.
Now, I know you're slightly crazy, but that is called a clitoral bush? Yes.
It is! I can't help it if it's called clitoral, 'cause exactly look like one.
Right.
Does your husband ever come and pick your clitoral bush? Not here.
Not (Laughter) Jesus! OK, let's go.
We are going to use this in our rice.
Oh, jeez.
Rice in.
Rice in.
OK, beef rendang.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: To finish our rendang, a pot of dry-roasted coconut and its oil.
And so how much? You put about three spoons.
Thank you.
And it will dry up the rendang.
We're coming to the end of the dish, and you've started to give me the recipe.
That gives it a really nice sort of nutty I'm getting soft on you, Gordon.
You're getting soft on me.
That's because you let me touch your bush.
Well, I suppose you did.
Yeah.
Mmm.
Oh, that's lovely.
That's very nice.
Not too bad, is it? I thought it was gonna be bluer.
Excellent! GORDON, VOICEOVER: My hungry biker buddies are waiting to be fed, along with Aunt Aini's mum.
I hope she's less demanding than her daughter.
This is the matriarch of the family.
Nice to meet you.
She's the best cook around.
So, all whatever recipe I got, I got from my mother.
Amazing.
Aini, thank you so much for really opening my eyes up to proper Malay cooking.
Yes, it's been tough Thank you so much.
I'm an aga-aga cook.
Yes! And you are a precise chef.
So, it really messes up my mind when you ask, 'How much this? How much' Today It's all about aga-aga! I've understood the difference, and you've really helped open my eyes up to proper Malay cooking.
Thank you.
Thank you very much for coming.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: One session in the kitchen with Aini, and I can see I've got to do more than simply learn new recipes if I'm to master Malaysian cooking.
European-style cooking is anal.
It's got this long list of ingredients that's weighed to the finest detail.
Aga-aga, you know, look and learn.
Watch.
Cook with your eyes.
Can you imagine me walking in there with a recipe? 'Right, I need five ounces of ginger, two tablespoons of star anise.
' You know, she'd kick me up the arse.
I boss him around a lot just now, but he loves it.
Men love to be bossed.
Thank you.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Fresh from making Aini's rendang, I'm heading back to the bright lights of Kuala Lumpur.
I've been kicked around the kitchens by Malaysian aunties.
I've tried pure Malay, Chinese Malay, but I'm yet to experience Indian fusion.
So, I'm putting my faith in a Buddhist temple famous for its curries.
One in five Malaysians is a Buddhist, and tomorrow is Wesak - that's Buddha's birthday to you and me.
This place is amazing.
Buddha's birthday tomorrow, so, huge celebration.
10,000 guests arriving.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: The temple staff are preparing a supersized feast, and I've volunteered to help.
I've been summoned to see the chief monk, who wants to make sure that I'm up to the task of cooking for a very important guest of honour.
Welcome to Malaysia.
Good to see you.
Very happy to be here.
Little bit nervous about 10,000 guests arriving tomorrow to celebrate.
Tomorrow our Honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia.
Really? Yes, he's coming to join with us.
Right.
I hope you'll prepare one or two desserts for him.
Yes.
And his wife.
Right.
Are you going to prepare the, like, macaroni or something? Macaroni? Or something? Chief, macaroni? I'm in Malaysia, not East End of London.
No macaroni and cheese, no.
It would mean so much for me to cook a Malaysian-style Indian curry than to bring macaroni and cheese over.
Can I give a blessing for you? Please.
Thank you.
I understand sometimes you get a little bit angry.
Chief, you don't watch television, do you? From here, I can watch.
Oh, you can Oh.
You've heard? I can watch.
Really? OK.
So, you must not do any evil thing, you must try your best to do good things.
You must try your best to think good things.
Right.
Don't go to extremes.
OK.
I will give master's advice - everything in middle path.
Everything middle path.
Middle path.
Nice to meet you.
Thank you.
You try your best not to get angry.
No.
So, I give you some souvenirs.
You can see my photo.
Ah! See? (Gordon laughs) Wow.
There.
That's amazing.
I've got a pen like that, but it's with a nude lady.
You turn it upside down, her bikini comes down - but that's an evil thought and I'll keep that for later.
Excellent.
Chief, pleasure.
The bit that freaked me out was when he asked me to cook macaroni and cheese.
Fucking macaroni and cheese? For the Prime Minister? I'll get shot! (Laughs) Changed my opinion on Buddhism? Er, not as yet, no, although it may be worthwhile doing it one day for these little beauties here.
Pens like that that flag out like that.
I mean, that is just hilarious.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I want to check out the kitchen that I'll be cooking in tomorrow, and it's run by another aunty.
Mrs Rupa.
How are you? Fine, thank you.
Nice to see you.
Likewise.
Oh! (Kisses) Good to see you.
Oh! Happy Wesak to you.
Thank you very much indeed.
When did you guys start tonight? When was it? About eight o'clock.
Eight o'clock.
And you're gonna be working throughout the night? Yes, through the night.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Mrs Rupa's been cooking here for 25 years, and she's used to catering for big crowds.
So, where's the where's the big kitchen? This is the big kitchen.
This is it?! Yes.
For 10,000 guests.
Yes.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Because it's Buddha's birthday, everything on the menu has to be vegetarian.
And that's not a prospect I relish.
Say, 'Yes, you're going to love it.
' It's not fantastic, but it's not bad.
(Laughs) Oh, my darling.
(Kisses) GORDON, VOICEOVER: Maybe the monk's macaroni wasn't such a bonkers idea after all.
You've gotta respect what they're doing, however, you know, it's vegetarian food, and it's not the most glamorous at the best of times, so gotta make it into something magical with the help of Mrs Rupa.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I'm midway through my great escape to Malaysia, and I've discovered a cuisine that's one of the most complex I've ever encountered.
Today it's Buddha's birthday, and I've been given the great honour of cooking a Malaysian-style vegie curry for the Prime Minister.
There's gonna be thousands of people visiting this temple this morning.
So, in order to get there on time, they've very kindly given me a police escort.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I've had no time to prepare, so anything could happen.
I suppose my biggest worry is that I haven't tested this dish yet.
I'm gonna be cooking on the fly.
Aga-aga.
On the spur of the moment.
That's the danger zone.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: All the ingredients used by the temple's army of cooks are donated, so I'm going to have to make do with whatever's left over.
Hello.
(Kisses) Happy anniversary.
Are you good? Did you sleep? Yes.
Oh, no, no, I didn't sleep.
You didn't sleep at all? I didn't sleep at all.
And is that the vegetables they've got left over? Aubergine, cauliflower, tomatoes.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Alongside the leftover veg, kitchen boss Mrs Rupa's laid out the dried spices that form the basis of all her curries.
Teaspoon of turmeric.
Curry powder, and then red chilli.
Star anise, cinnamon, and some coriander seeds.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: To give this curry a Malaysian fusion twist, I'm adding a good, thick slug of coconut milk.
It's a hard balance to perfect, because the Malaysian tradition has got a strong Indian influence and a Chinese influence.
So, they've got the spicy, with the sweetness as well.
So, I'm hoping the tamarind and the coconut will sort of help take some of that heat out of the curry.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: But things are about to get a lot hotter in here.
The Prime Minister's aides are in the building, and they seem worried that I might be about to poison the PM.
WOMAN: Just we want to make sure the food is safe.
Safe? Trust me.
Uh It's safe, definitely.
Yeah.
You'd like to taste it? No, you will taste it.
Me? Certainly.
It's like the food police.
OK.
Do you like that? Yeah, very nice.
What about grumpy bollocks there, does he like it? Yeah.
He liked it? Yeah, very nice.
Mmm.
Thank you.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I can honestly say that's a first for me.
Hopefully Mrs Rupa will be more enthusiastic.
Can I taste it? Please! So, the food police have been in.
Yes.
They've had a taste.
Smelling very nice.
Let's hope it tastes very nice.
Oh! I think a bit more salt.
A bit more salt? It'll taste better.
Wow.
She's king around here, so if she says more salt, it means more salt.
You sure? Yeah.
Thank God for that! Two seconds, we'll start plating up! Mrs Rupa, close your eyes! Whoo-hoo! GORDON, VOICEOVER: With the PM and his wife in place in the grand hall, his elite bodyguard is standing by to take us through.
Up to the top? WOMAN: Yeah.
Right, who are we serving first - Prime Minister or the monk? Monk.
So, let's go.
Lead the way.
Mrs Rupa, when we go in, I'm gonna give you the tray and I'll serve it.
MRS RUPA: I'll hold it for you! Watch the stairs.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Mrs Rupa's never met the PM, so I want her in there with me.
Mrs Rupa? Coming, coming.
Mrs Rupa! Coming, coming! Come on, baby! I'm coming, I'm coming.
Come on! The Prime Minister's waiting for us! Let's go.
Quickly! Mrs Rupa, let's go, baby.
Alright, Gordon.
Hi.
Good afternoon.
Sir, ladies and gentlemen, welcome.
Prime Minister, absolute pleasure.
Really good to see you.
Yeah, looking forward to trying your Madame, absolute pleasure.
Good to see you.
Good to see you.
Thank you very much for cooking.
Chief, good to see you.
This is an Indian-style Malaysian vegetable curry.
Sir.
Thank you.
Are you happy? Yes, very, very good.
Thank you.
Excellent.
I'm dying to see what you think.
Yes.
Mmm.
Very good curry.
Are you happy? Best wishes! Please enjoy.
Thank you.
Thank you very much indeed.
(Puffs) It's crazy out there.
No? She's happy.
That's the most important.
The prime minister's very happy.
Yeah, I'll be 30 seconds.
Thank you.
I love the way everyone's pushing around.
No macaroni! No fish and chips! We're in Malaysia, for God's sake.
Extraordinary.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: It's been a buzz cooking for the PM and his wife, it's yet another Malaysian aunty who has helped me nail it.
Yes, I'll do that.
(Kisses) Yes? Alright, take care, my darling.
Congratulations.
Thank you, my darling.
All the best to you! GORDON, VOICEOVER: Each Malaysian aunty I've met has had a unique approach, and it's given me much food for thought.
GORDON: A true Malaysian style, it's built with lots of complex layers, and it's hard to get your head around, because it could be completely Indian, yet Malaysian, or yet it could be completely Chinese, yet Malaysian, which is so frustrating, because Malaysian cooking at its best is delicious.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I've got one more stop before I pit my new skills against Malaysia's aunties in the cooking competition in Kuala Lumpur.
I'm flying 1,000 miles to Malaysian Borneo to get my first taste of the region's most famous and extraordinary delicacy.
I feel slightly frustrated that I've been cooking for over 20 years, I've never had a real taste of a proper bird's nest.
Lots of fake sort of glass noodle bird's nest soup, but I can't wait to really sort of understand what it tastes of fresh.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: An hour's drive from the airport, I'm meeting my guide to get me to the nests.
Are you good? Hey.
I am fine.
How about your trip? It's bloody hot and humid.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Elen is a member of the remote Ida'an tribe, who harvest the nests.
Yeah.
Yeah, thank you.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Most of the tribe, including Elen, have moved away from the area, returning for the harvest for a few weeks each year after the birds have flown the nest.
For the harvest season, we come from our first village, and then we're coming here to harvest the bird nests.
So, you have two homes? Yes.
A bit like a lot of people do in England.
They have one in Central London and one on the south coast.
Oh, I see.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Elen's tribe began flogging nests to rich Chinese traders 500 years ago, collecting them from the limestone caves just outside their village.
Today, Malaysia's exports of bird's nest to China are worth ã5 million a year, and I can't wait to see what all the fuss is about.
Just hold on the rock.
Incredible how slippy it is.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: But my journey to the caves is about to get a lot rougher.
Just step on the rock.
Mm-hm.
Alright.
So Whoa, shit! Bloody hell.
OK? What's that smell? The guano.
Guano? What's 'guano'? Guano is bat shit.
Bat shit? Yes.
Oh, my God, look at that in there.
Is that it in there? Yes.
Look at that.
Do these things taste delicious? No, I never eat it.
What? I never eat the bat shit, the guano.
No! Not the bat shit, you doughnut.
I'm talking You're talking about the bird nest? The bird's nests, of course! Oh, I see! My God, look at this.
It's good.
It's nice.
Bloody hell.
Hello! GORDON, VOICEOVER: This is turning into my worst nightmare.
(Bats squeak) Oh, my God! Watch out for the bat shit, OK? Watch out for the bat shit? Don't open your mouth while you're looking at OK, here we go.
We have to crawl through the tunnel.
Shit! Watch me.
This is insane.
I've gone to great extremes for some fantastic produce before, but I'm telling you now, I hope this tastes fucking amazing.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Crawling out of the tunnel, we arrived at the 100ft-high cave at the heart of the rock.
That's crazy.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: And right at the top, Elen's mates are walking the high wire to collect nests made from swift saliva.
Has anyone ever fallen? Just once, yes.
And died? And died, because he is falling on the rock.
Shit! Up there is your bird nests.
That's it there? My God! GORDON, VOICEOVER: And now Elen wants me to have a go on a ladder made of bamboo.
I hope it can hold 15st.
Jesus.
Elen? Yes? Yeah, I can't believe you're down there.
I'm still here.
And I'm clinging onto a piece of fucking bamboo.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I'm beginning to think no ingredient can be worth this.
It's getting wetter and wetter.
Come on.
Shit.
Can you see the nests already? No.
I can't see any nests.
All I can see is bat shit.
Shit, there's a massive spider up here as well.
Oh, yes! Bingo.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Now I'm up here, I've got to get my hands on it.
That means taking 'em off this ladder.
It's so slippy.
Whoa, shit! Bloody hell.
Come on! Whoa, shit.
It's incredible! Like a little ball of wool.
OK, into my bag.
My God! OK, you can come down now.
Jesus! I've never trusted bamboo so much in my entire life.
A makeshift bamboo ladder.
Yes.
Unbelievable.
At last you made it, man.
Right, let's have a look at this little baby.
It's like a little white sort of moustache.
My goodness me! And so that's the bird's saliva? Yes, saliva.
With the feathers in there, do we take the feathers out? Yeah, we must remove the feathers.
Mm-hm.
Doesn't look that appetising, does it? But there again, nor does a truffle when it's six foot under.
A lot of people sitting at home now will be going, 'Eugh, it looks disgusting!' But I mean, there's got to be something unique in the flavour, and think what they go through to get that there, that little bit of phlegm, woven bird's spit.
Jesus Christ.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: The nests are worth so much to the village that they don't eat them themselves.
Come.
Let's go meet my aunty.
Thankfully, like most Malaysians, Elen's got an aunty, and she's agreed to show me bird's nest soup the Chinese way.
How are you? (Speaks foreign language) Malaysia's full of talented aunties.
So, this is the real bird's nest soup.
Yes.
What have you put in there? Sugar.
Sugar? (Speaks foreign language) With some water.
Just sugar and water? Yes.
No! And that's it? No chillies? No, no, no, no.
(Speaks foreign language) Here we go.
Mmm.
So, how does it taste? Mmm! It's very sweet.
Would you have this as a dessert? Dessert, yeah.
May I have some more? Yes.
Another ten quid's worth on the spoon.
And it's like a sweet jelly, like a warm jelly.
I didn't expect it to be a dessert.
Erm, yeah, different.
I honestly expected a hot, spicy, seafood soup.
Damn! To go to that extreme, to endanger your life to go and get it, to go and drop it in water seasoned with sugar.
Doesn't make sense.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I've had an extraordinary time here, but now I need to head back to the big city.
(Laughs) Oh, it's pissing it down.
Yeah.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: Tomorrow I'm in Kuala Lumpur for a competition against Malaysia's best aunty cooks.
That's if I ever make it out of Borneo.
The boat's filling up with water.
(Laughs) Oh, shit.
(Laughs) It's beautiful.
Elen, we don't need this any more.
Fuck it! (Laughter) Any chance of a skinny latte? (Laughter) GORDON, VOICEOVER: After an 1,800km flight, I'm back in Kuala Lumpur for the final day of my Malaysian great escape.
The executive chef I met at the beginning of my trip has entered me into a national cooking competition.
This will be a very public test.
Today's the first time when I'll have a chance to sort of bring all that experience across the week together onto one plate.
I've got to grips with the fragmented style it holds.
Strong Chinese influence, strong Indian influence, and of course, at the core a traditional Malaysian style.
So, very tough, because there's textures, heat, sour, sweetness.
Gotta get it all right - all three balances.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: The competition's taking place in one of KL's most prestigious hotels, and that's also home to one of the country's leading catering schools.
Today's winning recipe will be taught to the next generation of professional chefs.
My last cooking competition? God! It was back in 1992 for National Chef of the Year.
Yeah, I definitely don't want to come last, but I wouldn't mind winning.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I spent the last week playing sous-chef to some of Malaysia's toughest aunties.
Hello, ladies.
Nice to see you.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: But today I'm cooking my own Malaysian recipes head-to-head against five of the countries best female cooks.
How are you? Yeah? So, you're frying off the onions first? GORDON, VOICEOVER: They're each famous for a different style of Malaysian fusion cuisine.
That's lovely.
That smells amazing.
Oh, what are they? Pods.
I'm cooking rendang.
Rendang.
Rendang.
Wow.
I'll be watching you very closely.
Oh, yes.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: We've got three hours to deliver a meal that represents Malaysia and all its influences under the watchful eye of one of the competition judges.
So, today you have to prepare the coconut rice.
At the same time, you can prepare three side dishes.
Today we have four dishes for your event, and then I will be take care for the kitchen operations.
Good luck.
WOMAN: Thank you.
May the best aunty win.
Thank you.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: We need to prepare traditional Malaysian coconut rice and three side dishes of our choice.
I'm starting with a Chinese chicken dish inspired by the executive chef's mum that I met at the beginning of the week.
So, I marinate the chicken first.
This is the Chinese influence chicken kapitan.
Soy sauce.
Chicken kapitan's on its way.
Seared off the chicken and let it sit in that soy sauce.
Flavours it inside, which is nice.
It's cooked on the bone, so it should be more tender.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I've noticed that the aunties are paying special attention to one dish in particular.
You're starting to cook your rice now? Why so early? You're not telling me.
OK.
What I am amazed is that everyone's starting to steam their rice.
There's over 2.
5 hours to go and they're putting their rice on.
It only takes 20 minutes to cook.
The rice is going on that early for a reason, so, can't beat them, join them.
In about three minutes time, I'll be putting my rice on.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: But first I need to get my second dish started - my take on the traditional Malaysian slow-cooked beef rendang I was taught by Aunt Aini.
It's the rendang.
I've just cubed it so it's got texture when you bite through it.
At Aunty Aini's restaurant, she sliced it a little bit too thin, so it lost that texture.
I want a nice, mmm, chunk.
I'll cook that out now.
I want a nice dry rendang.
Alright, finally, fucking rice.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: This fragrant coconut rice should be the easy bit.
Coconut milk in and some lemongrass.
Slice the tops and smash the bottoms.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: I've never used a rice cooker before, but all the aunties are using them - I'm following their lead.
And on.
Push the button and hope for the fucking best.
OK.
Rendang's reducing.
Chicken's fine.
Rice is on.
He is busy.
(Laughs) But I don't see anything like, you know, the Malaysian Asian.
Is he doing something, like, Western? Right, rendang has come down now.
That's much better.
That's exactly the way I wanted it.
There's so many things on the go.
It's like breastfeeding five babies at the same time.
Chicken, beef, rice.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: But the one thing that should be a doddle could prove to be my undoing.
That's fucked.
That's shit.
Did you wash your rice? WOMAN: Yes.
You did wash it? How long did you steam it for? It's just automatic.
You just leave it on, it'll cook by itself.
Mine's gone overcooked.
You put the coconut milk in yours as well? Yes, yes.
(Laughs) But I think I might've spotted the aunties' secret.
She's got herself the Ferrari of rice cookers.
Excuse me, sir.
MAN: Yes? My rice steamer cooked too quickly.
Do you have another one, in case that's faulty? I want one like that, with a digital front on it.
I'm not blaming my tools, but it's just, you know.
It cooked too fast.
It's mushy at the bottom and raw at the top.
Thank you very much.
Now you give me the posh one.
Fucking rice steamer.
Down.
Not taking any chances now.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: This time I'm going belt and braces, doing a back-up batch in my flashy new rice cooker.
With minutes to go, I'm racing to get finished.
My final dish is an Indian-inspired prawn curry like the vegie meal I cooked for the Prime Minister.
The shrimps fried really quickly, and then finished inside the light coconut curry.
Now I've got to hope these dishes work together.
Rice.
Oh, fucking hell.
Five more minutes.
Aga-aga.
I got two minutes to serve this thing, otherwise I'm fucked.
I'm serving my rice wrapped in a banana leaf, alongside traditional Malaysian garnishes.
Malaysians love their food spicy, so I'm just hoping that it's spicy enough.
And to go with the rice, my three side dishes, every plate individually numbered so the judges can't tell who's cooked what.
If you drop this tray, I'll hang you upside down by your balls from the Petronas Towers.
Off you go.
Don't sneeze.
GORDON, VOICEOVER: The food's going out to a restaurant packed with Kuala Lumpur's leading restaurateurs and food critics.
But the people who really matter tonight are the judges - five Malaysian chefs from some of the country's leading restaurants.
They'll be judging each of my recipes on texture and taste, and they'll expect all of the dishes to come together to create a balance of flavours and a harmonious meal.
So, this is number two.
Wow! That one really spicy.
WOMAN: Which one? The sambal.
The rice is OK.
Vegetable is OK.
For me, it's not OK.
It has got very, very No, it's got very mild flavour, not subtle, but then together with this, it complements each other.
I think the first one is the most complete.
Time to find out if I've managed to beat the Malaysian aunties at their own game.
WOMAN: We now have the third prize.
It's number five.
(Applause) And the second prize goes to the man, Mr Gordon Ramsay.
(Applause) Second? That's amazing! Thank you very much! Wow! Excellent! Thank you very much indeed.
(Applause) Wow! Thank you very much! And the winner is number one, Miss Lian.
Well done, well done, well done! (Applause) Whoo-hoo! What was the secret? I'm a housewife.
I always cook for my family.
It's with love, with the heart, for your family that I Nice! Well done! (Applause) Number one aunty! I have one more question.
I'm gonna come back next year to take your crown, Aunty! (Laughter) Yes, OK? GORDON, VOICEOVER: A week ago, I had only ever tried a couple of Malaysian dishes, but I'm leaving with a new understanding of one of the world's most unusual fusion cuisines.
And it was quite awkward to begin with, 'cause I was struggling to get my head around it, 'cause I couldn't understand that strong Chinese influence, and then the Indian influence, and then so what is Malaysian cooking, then? And there was a combination of all three.
So, that's what I've been struggling with, and it took me to the end of the week to come to terms with that.
'Cause when you taste it for the first time, wow, the penny drops.
You think, 'Jesus, that is extraordinary.
' Stay close to your aunty, 'cause that's where the secret lies.
Fucking amazing.
There's better than just pad thai here.
I have a bad reputation for getting angry.
Inside meditation would be perfect for you.
This is absolutely fucking mental.
(All exclaim) We promised no secrets.
Can you just say, for me, 'cause I'm feeling a little bit homesick, 'Ready, steady, cook'? Ready, steady, cook! If I'm gonna go down, I'm gonna go down in style.
Closed Captions by CSI