JONATHAN PHANG’S GOURMET TRAINS

PROGRAMME INFORMATION

Format: 6 X 60'

Channel: Food Network

Presented by cookery writer and style connoisseur Jonathan Phang, this opulent six-part series follows Jonathan as he boards some of the world's most iconic trains, including the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and the Eastern & Oriental Express, for a series of culinary adventures.

Each of Jonathan’s journeys explores cuisine and culture along routes across Europe and Asia, from Bucharest to Bangkok. While on board, Jonathan also gets to know the people who work on the trains, helping out as they deliver gourmet food from a tiny galley kitchen or serving cocktails at the bar.

This series combines the very best of contemporary food – both traditional cooking and fine dining – with history, entertaining characters and the sheer romance of train travel. As Jonathan proves, it can even be better to travel than to arrive.

PRESS

Jonathan was recently in South Africa discussing the series – read his interview in the South African Citizen here.

LATEST NEWS

Jonathan Phang's Gourmet Trains

4 years ago

Our lovely Executive Producer Richard Hughes has set up a hypnotherapy and mindfulness practice in central London.
Check out what he does here: http://richardhughestherapy.com/ or check out his facebook page Richard Hughes Hypnotherapy.
Richard used to do the photography for the show, so apologies if the posts have been few and far between recently. ... See MoreSee Less

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Jonathan Phang's Gourmet Trains

4 years ago

Good news at last ... Series 2 of Gourmet Trains premieres in the UK and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) on Saturday April 11th! More details to come ... this series is sooo good ... maybe even better than the first!! ... See MoreSee Less

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Canada ... should be July/Aug but we'll keep you updated of course.

I love this series so much! Are currently watching it for the 3rd time on Foxtel here in HObart, Tassie. Jonathan is just fabulous! I said to my hubby he'd be a real hoot to travel with! <3

love the program. watching it now in Thailand.

Hi johnothin, just watched your indian pacific trip I just had to point out that broken hil is in NS

Not yet

Do you need a medic on set ! I've done unit nursing for film and TV 😊

This show makes me so happy. Jonathan is so full of joy, I laugh when he laughs. I love seeing him brighten everyone's day around him. So fantastic!! Then on top of that, wonderful scenery and food! I feel like I'm actually there. :D

I absolutely love your programs Well Done You are my chill out series that lets me escape from work at the hospital and marking. I'm a foodie and this means a lot to me 😍

Woo hooo. Can't wait!

Swedish fans are looking forward to seeing this!

When will it come to Canada?

yipee so cant wait love it xx

:) x

at last........so looking forward to seeing the new series

Thoroughly enjoying the new series. Lots of fun!

Yay! Love this show, cannot wait till Saturday! Jonathan is fabulous! Love from South Africa!

Yayyyyyyyyy.....can't wait. Love Johnathan.....and love the show :)

whoop whoop...awesome

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Jonathan Phang's Gourmet Trains

5 years ago

Is January over yet? Forget the diet, when can we get back to eating some normal food!! ... See MoreSee Less

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Ha ha ha ha.

Enjoy life, forget about any diet

Ohh my god just love the look of those gorgeous cakes yummyy

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EPISODE GUIDE

VENICE TO LONDON on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express Jonathan boards this historic train at Venice train station and travels via Innsbruck to Paris and then on to London. On board he meets other guests and gets ready for a black tie dinner.

In Venice he explores the Rialto food market and cooks scampi which he buys there with chef Ivan Cantenacci. He visits the Palazzo Lezze, home of Marie Bagnasco, on the Grand Canal, and finds out how Venetians live and entertain in these palatial houses.

Jonathan cooks with chef Maurizio Adamo at a local fried fish eaterie, Paradiso Perduto, and enjoys a bellini and a Venetian sunset at the Hotel Cipriani.
In Paris Jonathan is invited to the laboratory of chocolate master Patrick Roger where truffle making doesn’t go quite to plan… and he does retro dining at the art nouveau restaurant, La Fermette Marbeuf.

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BUCHAREST TO ISTANBUL on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

Jonathan retraces Queen of crime Agatha Christie’s footsteps in a journey which inspired her most famous novel – Murder On The Orient Express.
This sees him travelling from Bucharest to Istanbul through the Carpathian Mountains to the former royal resort of Sinaia – where he cooks a wild venison dinner if a hunting lodge.In Bucharest Jonathan explores the emerging food scene and cooks with Mircea Dinescu, a poet and political revolutionary turned restaurateur and rustic food enthusiast.
In Istanbul Jonathan explores both the traditional and more cutting edge food scene. He meets Istanbul’s ‘spice girl’, the only female shop owner in the historic spice market, and he attempts to cook traditional Turkish cuisine with local cookery school owner Selin Rozanes.

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SINGAPORE TO GEORGE TOWN on the Eastern & Oriental

In Singapore Jonathan meets executive chef Christopher Christie who is in charge of 30 restaurants at the $8bn ‘wonder of the world’ that is the Marina Bay Sands.
He takes on a chilli crab challenge and cooks with young British chef Ryan Clift who is making a name for himself with his molecular approach to gourmet cuisine at the award-winning Tippling Club.Jonathan then boards the Eastern and Oriental train from the world famous Raffles Hotel, and travels through the night to Penang in Malaysia. On board he enjoys a dinner so much he goes back for seconds.

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GEORGE TOWN TO BANGKOK on the Eastern & Oriental

In George Town, the historic capital of the Malaysian state of Penang, Jonathan explores a Sunday morning market and ends up buying a 100-year-old egg which he eats back on the train with chef Yannis Martineau.
The train stops off at the infamous bridge over the River Kwai and Jonathan pays his respects at the war graves there.Then on to Bangkok, with its markets, temples and food on every street corner, where Jonathan gets the ultimate lesson in making Thai green curry from one of Thailand’s most popular celebrity chefs, Vichit Mukura.
He then explores Chinatown and puts two restaurants, which are old rivals, to the test to see which one makes the best Tom Yum soup.

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BUDAPEST TO VIENNA on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

Jonathan’s journey starts in Budapest, where he tackles an ancient dish inspired by blood sucking leeches at the influential Bock Bizstro. He meets TV chef Zsofia Mautner who’s pioneering a fresh approach to traditional Hungarian food and gets behind the scenes at one of the city’s most famous coffee houses – Gerbaud.
Since Budapest is all about spas, Jonathan strips off to enjoy these healing waters.The Venice Simplon Orient-Express takes Jonathan to Vienna, where he takes part in a cook-off at Figlmuller, the city’s most famous schnitzel restaurant, and is let in on the secrets of a legendary Viennese lobster dish at the Opera House restaurant Vestibuel. He also finds out how a city vineyard in the centre of Vienna is producing award-winning wine.

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ENGLISH JOURNEYS on the Northern Belle & British Pullman Jonathan takes the British Pullman to Whitstable in Kent where he faces his phobia of oysters. He goes foraging on the beach with ‘fine food forager’ Lucia and cooks a gourmet dinner with his finds.

His Northern Belle journey takes him to Rutland, the smallest historic county in England, where he has an early morning start making artisan bread. He then uses this bread to embark on a bread and butter pudding cook-off with Mark Beastall the chef of the Michelin starred country house hotel, Hambleton Hall.

Back in London, Jonathan is invited to the Orient-Express depot to see how the iconic trains are restored.

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ABOUT JONATHAN

A self-confessed bon viveur, Jonathan Phang is a leading food writer and style consultant.

Growing up in a Chinese-Caribbean household in London, Jonathan Phang had early experience of the sights and smells of international fusion cuisine. He began his career as a photography agent and soon became a much coveted fashion industry expert, launching the careers of such iconic fashion personalities as Naomi Campbell and Jodie Kidd.

This expertise landed Jonathan the role of judge on Britain’s Next Top Model, where his personable charm won him an army of fans amongst viewers and contestants alike, for three series of the hit show. Following this, Jonathan was invited to reprise the role on the critically-acclaimed Britain’s Missing Top Model for the BBC, featuring eight women with disabilities competing for a modeling contract.

Jonathan’s growing status as a television personality has allowed him to showcase his life-long passion for cookery and cuisine on TV, and since 2008, he has featured in a smorgasbord of Good Food and Food Network programmes, broadcast around the world. Recently, touring the Caribbean for Jonathan Phang’s Caribbean Cookbook, he embarked on a gastronomic journey through his parents’ homeland, exploring the melting pot of European, Asian and African influences. Following the success of the series, Jonathan released his first book: The Pepperpot Club, a collection of Caribbean recipes and stories from his childhood.

Now, Jonathan uses his experience and passion to guide us across a world of food, in Jonathan Phang’s Gourmet Trains.