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Rachel’s Australian food odyssey begins! Kicking off her eight week journey in one of the world’s most liveable cities, Rachel wanders around Melbourne's European-designed streets and samples coffee at the city’s oldest establishment. Rachel explores the oldest Chinatown in the Southern Hemisphere and discovers the importance early settlers had on Melbourne’s food scene. On her travels, Rachel also visits a new breed of restaurants with a 'back to basics' food philosophy and appreciation of fresh, seasonal ingredients.
Everything old is cool again in Melbourne's retro heartland, with food and fashion leading the vintage charge. Rachel visits a century-old milk bar and samples a curious combination of Aussie classics at one of the city's trendy Melbourne bars. Later, Rachel prepares a dish with Kate Gibbs, the grand-daughter of legendary Aussie cook Margaret Fulton.
Rachel explores some of the city’s suburban pockets and discovers an open-hearted food community. First up she meets a kindred spirit and discovers some of the tastiest croissants outside of Paris. Rachel cooks with expat and seasonal cooking advocate Matt Wilkinson, before discovering a not-for-profit restaurant.
Rachel takes a break from city life and spreads her wings on a road trip to the Bellarine Peninsula - a region emerging as the new ‘it’ area for foodies seeking local produce. Meeting up with a mussel trawler, winery owner and cheese maker, Rachel is treated to inspiring food stories and sensational fresh produce. Along the way, Rachel even has a go at milking a goat!
Melbourne prides itself on being the sporting capital of Australia. Rachel discovers what fuels the city's weekend warriors and shines a spotlight on sport fanatics' favourite gourmet fast food. She cooks with the city’s original food truck proprietor, samples the best Southern fried chicken Melbourne has to offer, and visits a cutting edge craft beer brewery.
Immigration has played a massive role in shaping Melbourne's food scene. Keen to explore this melting pot of cuisines, Rachel explores a Vietnamese food market, tracks down a suburban hot bed of Greek eats, and learns how to make passata from an Italian-Australian nonna.
Rachel uncovers one of Melbourne’s lesser-known day trips when she heads for the hills and explores the Dandenongs region. She meets up with passionate Argentinian chef Mauro Callegari from The Independent restaurant and together the pair cook locally caught golden trout. Later, Rachel uncovers the secret behind Melbourne's delicious mushrooms and finds an orchard full of seasonal fruits.
Rachel wraps up her Melbourne immersion with a look at the city’s current and future food trends. She meets a Thai couple who have crafted their passion for Asian-fusion food into a unique all day breakfast. Rachel cooks with a local who represents the growing breed of mixed heritage chefs, and checks out a Texan-inspired smokehouse restaurant. Culminating her time in Australia, Rachel invites the series' guests to a barbecue party at her Melbourne apartment.
