All language subtitles for Diners.Drive-Ins.and.Dives.S49E12.1080p.WEB.h264-FREQUENCY[EZTVx.to]

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.