♪ ♪ from what i found, this town gets around ♪ you know what i like? i like sichuan. i love the food here. you know what else i like? torturing my friend rick ripert. i don't know why. maybe it's because he's so damn nice. you look high, man. >> i am. i like it. >> you can pretty much tear his toenails out and he would still find something nice to say about you. he's so polite but if down look closely and i do, his discomfort can be exquisite.

>> look at it. ♪ ♪ i took a walk through this beautiful world ♪ ♪ felt the cool rain on my shoulder ♪ ♪ found something good in this beautiful world ♪ ♪ i felt the rain getting colder ♪ ♪ shalala, shalalala, shalalalalala ♪ ♪ ♪ it's the spicy, sen tulest heartland, all the things i love about china. the coalition between very, very

old and very new. exploding middle class, a lot of history and food that could burn you down to a charred smoking little stump. sichuan province located in the southwest of china, over 1,000 miles from beijing. so fertile and lush it's referred to as china's bread basket. and it's capital, despite the ever growing skyline, it hasn't lost it's deep culinary roots and traditions. and i figured, if i'm going back to sichuan, i should bring a friend. someone unused to the level of heat commonly found in the heat here. someone whose never been to china before and is unused to its ways. i'm talking, of course, about chef eric ripert, such

three-star restaurants in new york. sew welcome to china, eric. >> thank you. >> first time to the land? >> yes, there is a prize about what i see in the city here. it's like canada. gigantic china town in new york. >> that's some racist stuff right there. >> very surprising, the streets, very clean, just almost -- >> the air quality, maybe you've noticed that haze. >> yeah, it's like -- >> that's not good. >> but i'm definitely out of my comfort zone. >> really? >> for sure. good. i'm hungry. you hungry? >> yeah. >> noodles. that's where you start around here. sichuan is famous for spots like this named after a beloved noodle snack. >> oh, yeah, now we're talking. >> i've never been good with chopsticks. >> really? >> never.

this is not bad. i can grab it. kind of. >> oh, yeah. that is awesome. >> spicy. the peppers get me. whoa. >> this is just day one, man. >> i'm surprised you don't drink beer with that. >> dude, it's only 11:20 in the morning. what kind of animal do you think i am? . this is a good intro. so we're going to have fun. >> oh, man. >> we're going to eat well, we're going to drink a little more than you like. >> okay. >> and i have to stress this to you now, you cannot refuse. >> don't look at me with eyes like that. >> i'm saying it's drinking culture is very important here and if we go to a formal meal, your ability to drink leads to assumptions about you, your

general manliness, penis size, your worth as a human being. >> i'm comfortable with my size. >> think of yourself as an ambassador not just for america but france, eric. >> i'm an ambassador. >> right. you don't want people on the other side of the world they represent. >> you're scaring the heck out of me now. >> you can't let the team down. >> to me it's insulting to be drunk at the table. >> probably okay to be drunk at the table. that's completely acceptable. it's going to be a wild week. >> yes, i have the sense of that. >> here is something they talk a lot about in sichuan when discussing food. two elements of flavor . the pepper corn known for the flavor and tingling mind arranging mouth-numbing effects.

and the spicy chewy peppers, pure head so if you imagine tormenting you with nipple clamps as the law, the ma provided by the deranging pepper corns would be like the naughty nurse with the ice cubes. ♪ ♪ >> what's your feeling on msg? >> i don't himind msg. >> it's good stuff. >> i don't react to it. >> it's a lie, man. >> you find a lot of natural msg in tomatoes. >> breast milk, parmesan. you know what causes chinese restaurant syndrome? racist. who had a headache, it must have

been the chinese guy. ♪ ♪ >> most of the tradition of very famous dishes of seasoned cuisine are not met from chef. it comes out from the family. so family dishes is the key of sichuan cuisincuisine. arranged dinner with this man. he takes us to a neighborhood favorite, for some typical local dishes like pickled chicken feet, little bits of goodness. >> do you eat this one? >> just bite it and don't eat the bone, though. >> no, no. it's good. >> it's delicious. it's spicy. >> very spicy. >> have some beer. >> the food is really good, but the spices are a challenge, i

have to say. >> oh, yeah, now we're talking. you're going to love this dish my friend. >> let's find the chicken in the pile of chili. >> it literally means spicy chicken but the dish in practical teams is a game of finding bits of chicken in the mountain of ass burning goodness. it's fun for the whole family. is that chicken or a nuclear cluster of seeds? >> it's super important. >> i feel them now. it's all tingling. >> there is a scientific name for the process for what happens. it's the biological agent that causes confusion in your nervous system. confusion. >> it's what i'm feeling now. >> you're going to love this.

>> look at that, man. that is some goodness right there. for me the apex of sichuan food, my favorite improbable enough is a tofu dish, or granny tofu. ground pork or beef, cubes of bean curd that intensely satisfying sauce of bean paste, pepper corns and msg. this dish done right has got it all. that's so good. it's a perfect balance of stuff going on in here. i just love, love, love this dish. >> the spiciness makes me already like feeling that i am burnt, kind of. >> really? >> yeah. you high, man, you like high. >> i am. i like it. >> if you ever have a hangover,

you will, my friend, you will -- this will squacare the evil rig out. >> it's prepping me for drinking night. >> the glory of france is on your shoulders. [ laughter ] >> and green pepper corn fish served in a simmering season fish broth laced heavily with fresh and dried green sichuan pepper corns and finished with boiling hot vegetable oil. >> i think this is the most numb you are going to feel. >> that's going to be challenge. >> any second now, that perfect hair is going to burst into flames. >> that's good. yeah. >> i love the food here. >> how did that feel? [ laughter ] >> it change you physically. i feel like my face is changing.

like my eyes are in a different position. >> i got news for you, yeah, you got to look at yourself in am a mirror, man. >> slow down. >> slow down. >> man, those pepper corns are awesome. >> holy cow. whoa. these guys going to survive or what? when i was a little kid, i made a deal with myself that i would never grow up. we met when we were very young... i was 17, he was 18. we made the movie the book of life. we started doing animation. with the surface book, you can actually draw on the screen. so crisp. i love it. it's almost like this super powerful computer and a tablet had the perfect baby. (laughing) it's a typewriter for writing scripts... it's a sketchbook for sketches...

...it's a canvas for painting... you can't do that on a mac. in my gentleman's quarters, we sip champagne and peruse my art collection, which consists of renaissance classics and more avant-garde pieces. yes, i am rich. that's why i drink the champagne of beers. ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ geico motorcycle, great rates for great rides. will your business be ready when growth presents itself? american express open cards can help you take on a new job, or fill a big order or expand your office and take on whatever comes next. find out how american express cards and services can help prepare you for growth at open.com.

thank you, do i have to wear one of those vests? gee. i'll sink like a stone. my friend rick is a buddhist, not a weekend buddhist, a serious long-term practitioner of tibet buddha. he for instance is nice, i'm not

always so nice. >> something greater in chinese. >> maybe if you go this way. [ laughter ] >> check it out, man. >> right on. >> about two hours south with the confluence of the rivers is the giant buddha. cat carved out of the cliff wall. it's the largest stone buddha in the world. >> that was pretty awesome. >> that was beautiful, no? >> me without my selfie stick. >> the by dism comes from the practice here, the site is respected and revered by all buddhists. i am respectful of faiths, not my own and more than happy to let my friend do what he does. it means a lot to him and like i said, i respect that, really.

pretty cool. >> isn't it? >> all right. this is the dispensary? >> is it here? >> yeah, man. that's what you've been waiting for. >> but all this time in a little evil part of my brain, i've been secretly looking forward to this moment, a tasty sichuan snack. i'm talking bunny heads, yo, tasty, tasty bunny heads. >> i think you use the glove like you're doing a prostate exam. the teeth, yank the jaw out. that is good. that is delicious. >> seriously spicy delicious flesh still clinging to little

thumper's skull. look at the little teeth and the best part after you rip the jaw and slit the skull, the little brain. >> that's a lot of meat. >> suck that brain right out. >> i'm not a fan of brains but i'm going to try. >> you haven't had these brains. rabbit brains are different. they are like little. here comes peter cotton tail, hopping down the bunny trail right into my mouth. >> the crack of that. >> you get the sauce, crack that in and pry it apart. yeah. [ laughter ] >> oh, geez. or pound it on the curb. you crack it. you broke open the brain with its own jawbone. there is a certain country justice. i'm going to make these next easter. [ laughter ] >> the whole easter egg hunt, what does that have to do with bunnies? bunnies don't lay eggs but they

do have heads. look deep, deep into the mirky depths of that most glorious and iconic of sichuan dishes. it burns, it burns you down to your soul. >> cheers. >> cheers. >> local friend and musician friend sevenling enjoy a good hot pot. almost everybody here around here. eric, however, seems apprehensive. >> so this is eric's first time for sichuan hot pot. i think you're really going to enjoy this. this is particularly good, right? >> this is known for being spicy. >> not. >> i feel it in my eyes already. yeah. >> the way it works is you order a bunch of ingredients,

vegetables, noodles, fish, whatever you like, a lot of different ingredients and feed them into the pot. >> throw them in first. >> because that will take a long time. >> throw the tripe in. >> like 1,000 layer stomach. >> it's all going in there. >> the inner ring is a more neutral broth. the out earring is the good stuff, the hard stuff. >> oh, that's good, man. that's good. >> that was eric's first bite of hot pot. >> awesome, right? >> yes. >> it only gets better my friend. >> this is nice. >> oh, yeah, tofu. >> this is tofu? >> yeah. >> common ingredients like tofu and seaweed are stirred in and are shall we say less familiar to the western palate. >> they reach inside and grab

the intestines and yank them out of the live duck. >> yeah, supposedly that's give you the most fresh. it's creole, right? >> you want them fresh, eric. >> i think we should drink some beer. >> i think so. >> cheers. >> cheers. >> how are you doing there, eric? >> amazingly well. >> hanging in there? >> my sinuses are -- >> open. >> so open you have no idea. the best part of hot pot is share. >> to share. >> to share. >> yes, i like that, too. >> sometimes we have like hot pot for four hours. >> as it cooks down, it gets stronger and stronger and the heat more intense, a delicious spice gathering at the bottom of the river of hot lava.

>> whoa. >> if you dig deep into the s settlement there, the river bed, it is spicy. look how the colors change in the broth. ♪ ♪ >> you kind of expect it? hot pot? >> yes, it is exactly what i expected it. [ laughter ] >> more beers, guys? >> yeah. >> i cannot think anymore. so i'm going to eat and drink. >> comes out and everything is fine again, for me. i'm not so sure about eric. >> you're on. it's all good, though. it's all good. >> okay. >> don't say okay. it's just beginning. >> evening you had is appetizer. appetizer. >> look at this.

>> all right, eric, yeah, getting in the spirit of things. >> on the street. >> yeah. >> to kill me slowly. >> that's what friend does to another friend. that's what good friends do. drinking culture of china, enjoy torturing your friends. [ laughter ] >> let's drink to friendship. [ laughter ] >> to friendship. >> to friendship. >> i like that. to friendship. if you have a typical airline credit card, you only earn double miles when you buy stuff from that airline. wait...is this where you typically shop? you should be getting double miles on every purchase! switch...to the capital one venture card. with venture, you earn unlimited double miles on every purchase, everywhere, every day.

not just ...(dismissively) airline purchases. seriously... double miles... everywhere. what's in your wallet?

i've never been #1 in anything until i put these babies on. now we're on a winning streak and i'm never taking them off. do i know where i'm going? absolutely. we're going to the playoff. allstate guarantees your rates won't go up just because of an accident. starting the day you sign up. so get accident forgiveness from allstate. and be better protected from mayhem, like me.

morning and my restless pilgrim friend is up early, sucking up knowledge, nibbling at the edges of celebrity, due no doubt to the fact most people think he's richard gear. me, i don't know the glitter or recognition and screw wisdom, give me noodles. >> i don't have to taste that. just look at it.

get in my mouth. [speaking foreign language]. >> nothing from eric. >> they think i'm anthony bourdain. i'm going to play the son of a -- >> his phone is off. >> thank you. >> he was up last night doing sichuan karaoke. >> good, thank you. thank you. >> could be, i don't know, riding the porcelain bus, as they say. >> this is very sweet and sticky but i like it a lot. i don't even know what i'm eating, but why not?

spicy. thank you. >> i just know this soup is awesome. you can rule the world after this. still no word from eric. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> the chinese invented being

obsessed with food. they invented, you know, being obsessed with the providence of ingredients and going to a particular place for a particular dish, so they had that tradition for 800 years. >> an extraordinary relationship with china and sichuan since she first arrived as a student in 1984. she was the first foreigner to study at the higher institute of cuisine and wrote books about experiences and sichuan food which are considered ground breaking and definitive. to say she's way ahead of her time is an understatement. she's brought us to chef june's restaurant. >> what he's trying to do is sort of raise the level of sichuaneze food to sort of very refine banquet cookery. >> is what he's doing unusual for china?

>> it's really unusual because i think in the west, we're used to the idea of celebrity chef and individual chef as artist but in china people look down on chefs this is new. there are very few chefs that like the creative vision behind the food and doing the work in the kitchen. >> the meal begins, a large array of cold dishes are laid out. delicate flavors like lily buds scented with rose peddles presented alongside assesstive tastes like beef shank and tea tree mushrooms with chinese stem lettuce. >> i'm used to starting with the -- >> yeah, start with the lily because they are nice and wild, yeah. >> it's nice texture. >> yeah. >> those stuffed mushrooms are amazing. >> i love them. >> also pron served cold dressed with natural vegetable extracts.

>> probably been having amazing flavors because it's not just about chili but layered flavors and there is one of them, strange flavor. >> strange flavor. >> yeah. because it's a mixture of sweet, sour, salty, spicy, numbing and nutty together and this is strange flavor noodles, so just like a real traditional dish but done in a very refined way. >> some soup, a rich slow simmered chicken and pork stock and meat floats on top to clarify the broth. a small bundle of thin, hand cut noodles with duck egg yolks, a specialty. [speaking foreign language]. >> he's saying first have a smell of this and then a taste of the broth.

>> that's beautiful. >> and just, just gently press the noodles. and then left them up and eat them. ♪ ♪ >> some of these dishes, the character is very similar to what you get on the street but done so beautifully. >> we were talking other day, so many of the dishes we were eating in the restaurant these were not invented by chefs or cooks but farmers and hungry people. that's certainly the story of much of french cooking, correct me if i'm wrong. >> for sure. what you can achieve, refinements and you keep the sole food in the process, you don't delve on the pretty food, you have amazing food. ♪ ♪ >> wow, beautiful. >> really amazing dish.

i specially requested this dish, one of his specialties. so sea cucumber off the northeastern coast. so that's a very expensive rarefied ingredient and done with a typical sichuan hot dressing and seasonings. like on the street you get just these seasonings with sweet potatoes. this say banquet version. >> that's going to be a challenge for me. i'm still battling with my skills. >> i would hold your bowl a little closer like this. >> thank you. >> was having so much fun. >> so that resistance, that rubberiness, actually, last

'tis'tis frontier. >> the cartilage, where there is crunch. >> this makes no sense of western at all because in the west there is no concept of eat something for the pleasure of texture. >> delicious. really good. >> so you're single handily making the argument people should go against natural instincts and open up to what is really an entirely new spectrum of initially difficult and extremely flavors. >> chinese is the most underrated cuisine because everyone loves chinese food but until recently, people mainly in the west is something very familiar and good to eat, but cheap and light. a bit junky, honestly and i

think that now people can see that it has so much more to offer. ♪ ♪ >> it's got everything from the most elevated banquet food imperial cooking, party food, it's really what you call a culture. something new has arrived. uniquely designed for the driven. introducing the first-ever infiniti qx30 crossover. visit your local infiniti retailer today. infiniti. empower the drive.

how do we measure greatness in america? it's measured by what we do for our children. it's why as president i'll invest in our schools. in college that leads to opportunities... not debt. and an economy where every young american can find a job that let's them start a family of their own. i've spent my life fighting for kids and families. i want our success to be measured by theirs. i'm hillary clinton and i approve this message.

with another new flavor you never saw coming... grilled, glazed korean bbq shrimp. and try as much as you want of flavors like new parmesan peppercorn shrimp. just come in before it ends.

in the high stress world of the professional kitchen, the job of the executive chef is much like an air traffic controller. one misheard order and garbled communication could lead to disaster. it's with this i arrange for eric to receive the attentions of a specialist in the maintaining of perfect hearing and related health. >> is he like a doctor. >> you can do it. who needs a doctor, bro? >> here we go. my man needs a cleaning. yes, yes, yes. [ laughter ] >> look at him.

>> enjoy your therapy. you might want to put that down. if he hits the sweet spot. just relax, dude. keep your head forward. >> what is he doing? >> there is a number of devices. >> he's using those devices on everybody else here? >> no, no, no, they are thoroughly sanitized after every customer. stay in place. if you move, you know. >> don't try this at home, folks. one wrong move to the right or left and the patient could lose all memory of life after 1985 and could be a good deal but i digress. >> here comes the good part. >> oh, yeah, that's a rush, right? >> that's like -- >> the roads to enlightment there. >> and you might as well straighten out ericest neck while you're at it. >> don't do that. >> oops. that didn't sound good. >> so you ready for the butt

cleaner? [ laughter ] >> he'll be right over. same tools as the ear cleaner, by the way. ♪ ♪ >> as i explained to eric, a true artist must never stop learning. the japanese have a name for this principle and the pursuit of knowledge and enlightenment. [speaking foreign language]. >> today we'll learn of a fish dish. >> it was with this in mind and the classic work of mr. rodney dangerfield i decided to go back to school to make the ultimate sacrifice for my friend, to return to that place of childhood torment. >> stop trying to suck up to the teacher. apple polisher. >> so my friend might learn, might just maybe better himself and hopefully bring some of that knowledge to the hungry and the

needy people. ♪ ♪ >> doing good. >> a little thick, man. >> okay. >> in order to get to the top in the harsh competitive world of professional cooking, sometimes sharp elbows. >> get your own, man. >> it's a cold world out there. better he learns here than the street. >> hands up. ♪ ♪ >> the walk is intensely hot, things cook quickly in there. a few seconds too slow and things swiftly turn from the subline to the ridiculous.

>> okay. hey. >> wala cheese eater. ♪ ♪ [speaking foreign language]. >> and what about this guy? [speaking foreign language]. >> the same problem. a little over cooked. and you cut the meat a little thick. >> this is flinstone work.

>> you throw off the balance of the dish. you see here, you feel the consistency of the meat. >> feel the consistency of the meat is something you're well used to, my friend. will your business be ready when growth presents itself? american express open cards can help you take on a new job, or fill a big order

or expand your office and take on whatever comes next. find out how american express cards and services can help prepare you for growth at open.com. findthat's why this control enthusiast rents from national. where i can skip the counter... ...and choose any car in the aisle. on average, four out of every five rentals at national is a free upgrade. getting a full-size and paying for a mid-size? ♪ whoa, oh, whoa, whoa, lovin' every minute of it... ♪ as the boys from loverboy so eloquently noted... i'm lovin' every minute of it. go national. go like a pro.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ almost everywhere i've been, it seems there is a terrifyingly

powerful, yet much loved alcohol beverage at the very center of the culture, one whose consumption is observed in ritual and tradition. ♪ ♪ >> whether it's a sinister moon shine in a 55 gallon drum or spirit in the jungles, the mountains of the caucuses or more refined concoction is here, you must drink it. ladies and gentlemen, i give you bishau. it's been around for a long time and the distillery has been making this stuff for over 500 years. >> normally chinese people drink premium being the occasional of entertaining, important guests. so in china, it means a lot.

>> at a business dinner, a banquet, one can reasonably expect to drink quite a lot of the stuff especially when you're house is in the business of making it and my french friend has concerns. >> do you want to know how we drink? >> yes, of course. [ laughter ] >> yes. that's very important. >> chinese tradition, we start three cups. so we drink together. after three cups, everyone will with each other one by one. [speaking foreign language]. >> i have told him what might be expected of him in the futility of resisting. >> very distinctive, very special. >> there will be food i told him, a lot of food and one must not under any circumstances bring shame on our house. the next round is one by one.

>> yeah. >> so how does that work? ♪ ♪ [ laughter ] >> oh, we may as well get started. ♪ ♪ >> thank you very much. hope you enjoy it. >> >> in business how often do you entertain like this? >> two, three days a week. >> two, three days. >> and sometimes in one day for three times. >> three times. >> yeah. >>. >> oh, wait. eric -- >> yes, tony. my dear friend thank you so much for taking me here.

i will remember forever. >> okay. good. ♪ ♪

turn the trips you have to take, into one you'll never forget. expedia plus rewards. earn points on over one million hotels, flights, and packages. sureor put themhave ston a rack.e tires. but the specialists at ford like to show off their strengths: 13 name brands. all backed by our low price tire guarantee.

yeah, we're strong when it comes to tires. right now during the big tire event, get a $140 rebate by mail on four select tires. ♪ stage four cancer. and i was shocked. the plan at that point was to start chemo. every three weeks i would get my chemo infusion.

it would work for a few months then would quit working again. my oncologist ordered the genomic testing. if they've exhausted all of our standard agents, then we offer advanced genomic testing. in lynn's case, the result of that testing showed that her cancer had two actionable mutations. an actionable mutation is a genetic abnormality in that particular patient's cancer cell for which we have a targeted therapy. i feel great, i've just basically put cancer in the back of my mind. i think it was the best decision of my life to go to cancer treatment centers of america. it feels good to get your life back. the evolution of cancer care is here. learn how advanced genomic testing is changing the way we fight cancer at cancercenter.com/genomics appointments available now.

i thought my bladder leakage meant my social life was over. wearing depend underwear has allowed me to fully engage in my life and i'm meeting people. unlike the bargain brand, depend fit-flex underwear is more flexible to move with you. reconnect with the life you've been missing. get a free sample at depend.com. ♪

like many residents of the city we head to the country for the weekend. get in touch with nature, man. >> potentially lethal mistake this morning. i did something i never do. i ate a western breakfast at the hotel. always bad news. >> why? >> just something you shouldn't do never eat the western breakfast. >> that ai agree. >> i feel it already. not good. >> good news we are next to the bathrooms. >> on a train never a good thing. >> you have -- taste, i noticed. kind of an elitist taste. >> i don't like to roll around in my own moving bathroom.

that's elitist? >> embrace the experience. >> about 115 kilometers away from the city. >> a film maker from beijing often returns to the place of his birth to enjoy the laid back pace. on the weekends, everybody comes out to -- what's it called? >> it's a term to describe a place like this. it means that,er you know. >> agricultural family happiness. >> rural. >> rural family happiness. restaurant, entertainment plays for people to come over and eat, enjoy the view, fish and may

majong. >> do you like to go to france over the weekend, help somebody pick grapes, help agricultural work? you lived on a farm for a while? >> yeah. >> could you if you had to. >> yeah. >> you know how to do it? >> how hard can it be? >> it's not easy. you have to have a special, special touch. i'm telling you. >> how long does it take to learn? >> it depends how good you are with your fingers. >> oh, i'm good. >> almost every city in sichuan has a representative dishes. in this area, very famous for sbensen. >> oh, yeah, not bad. ♪ if you were on a beach.

>> okay. >> you are hanging out, drinking a nice bottle of chilled rose', having foie gras snacks, as one does. who would you rather see in a speedo, wolf blitzer, dr. sanjay gupta or wolf blitzer? >> that's a tough one. >> actually there's an easy answer. >> none of them. >> really? in a speedo? you know what is a speedo? >> a banana hammock. >> it is a french style -- if someone is running in slow motion down a beach in a speedo anderson cooper. he's a good looking man. >> you disappoint me, eric, you really do.

>> cheers. >> cheers. >>. >> cheers. >> wow, you took it seriously. you become more and more chinese now. it's 7 p.m. on a wednesday night. i'm in a busy city emergency room. we have been here maybe ten minutes and already there's heroin doses come in. a woman has been brought in unresponsive. she's overdosed on heroin. this is happening all