Eddie Huang, best known for his memoir "Fresh Off the Boat," may soon rival Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern as TV's most engaging food ambassador. He just needs to maintain the level of spices sprinkled throughout the premiere of "Huang's World," the most promising of the new point-of-view series on the fledging Viceland channel.
To be honest, I didn't expect much going in. Huang made headlines last year when he dissed the ABC sitcom based on his book for not being authentic enough to the Chinese-American experience, a valid stance overshadowed by his public insults directed toward showrunner Nahnatchka Khan. In person, he can come across as a hothead who learned social etiquette from the Soup Nazi. That this foodie adventure would launch from Orlando, a city not exactly known for its culinary delights beyond Epcot Center food courts, only added to my skepticism.
But Huang, who first defied the odds with his hole-in-the-wall Asian street food restaurant in New York's East Village, does it again in this opening adventure, blending family history, colorful characters and a deep appreciation for meals that aren't served on white tablecloths.
"Fresh Off the Boat" may poke fun at his family, but in reality, there's a loving bond between Huang and his parents, exemplified in the way Huang digs into his mother's leftovers moments after arriving home for Chinese New Year. Later, he and his dad revisit the site of the latter's former restaurant, Cattleman's Ranch Steak House, now a Hooters restaurant, where the two gamely sample chicken wings as the son thanks his pop for laying the groundwork that allowed the next generation to take bold chances. Cue "Cat's in the Cradle" and pass the shacha sauce.
His good-natured relationship with his mom is well on display during their visit to an organic duck farm, where he playfully chides her for not having the courage to watch their future dinner be slaughtered in front of their eyes. PETA supporters will be horrified. Mothers who enjoy quality time with their kids might still find the moment kind of endearing.
Huang also turns out to be pretty amiable with his neighbors. There's a hilarious and yet melancholy visit to the Siegels, subject of the documentary "The Queen of Versailles," who give him a tour of their Wal-Mart-size pipe-dream project that is clearly never going to be habitable. Huang may want to giggle, but he keeps it to himself.
Restraint goes out the window, though, when he and his pot-smoking brother are guests at the Sausage Castle, a low-rent Playboy Mansion where the main attraction is a nearly naked, obese guy who treats the site's gun collection with more respect than the scantily dressed female guests.
At first, it's just another wacky slice of life, but Huang finally loses his cool when his redneck guests serve up sexism at a dinner party, a scene far uglier than anything the cameras captured down on the farm.
You may have noticed I haven't said much about the food. Don't worry. There's a mouthwatering visit to Matt's Latin BBQ that will have you craving mofongo, the Puerto Rican dish that revolves around fried plantains. I'm sure I'll be more interested in the menu in future episodes shot in Burgundy, Sicily, Jamaica and Mexico.
But for now, the most tantalizing dish in this promising series is Huang himself. That's filling enough.
612-673-7431
njustin@startribune.com
Twitter: @nealjustin
