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After nearly a year of surveying, scouting, and filming at various locations across Vietnam, the reality TV show "Robert Danhi - Taste of Vietnam" has officially completed its filming.
The film crew had four filming trips in more than 10 provinces and cities, from Ca Mau Cape to Ha Giang, across all three regions of the country and in stunning coastal and island areas. In particular, Cat Ba, Phu Quoc, Ly Son, and Con Dao were wonderful destinations to visit.
The production team of "Explore Vietnam" with Robert Danhi at the press conference before airing.
At the press conference before the show aired, the most important figure in the program – photographer and chef Robert Danhi – couldn't hide his emotion. While not yet a household name like in the first season with celebrity chef Martin Yan, Robert has made a strong impression with his friendly and enthusiastic demeanor throughout the journey.
Sharing his thoughts at the meeting, the chef from the United States said:When I first arrived, I was stunned, I was amazed, I was captivated by Vietnamese culture. Vietnam is very different from the countries I've visited, and your culinary culture is so vibrant and full of life.The lifestyle was simple and peaceful. I felt so welcome – from the warm and friendly smiles of the Vietnamese people."
That's also why, since his first trip 15 years ago, he has returned to Vietnam 12 times, and this time he's hosting the most elaborately produced reality TV show about cuisine.
Robert Danhi at Ong Dung Beach, Con Dao
Robert also shared that, during his journey, he was fortunate to experience the authentic Vietnamese cuisine in every region and every corner of the country.I love Vietnam, I am proud to host this show, honored to be a member of the program, and I love every person and every place I have visited... I am very happy to introduce and explore Vietnam.in line with the whole world"
When asked about the dishes he had cooked, tasted, and the places he had traveled to, Robert said he had 90 recipes but had tasted even more, in the hundreds. He also particularly loved his stops in Bac Ninh, Thanh Hoa, and Con Dao, and promised to return there in the near future.
At the meeting, one of the most discussed issues was the investment and production costs for the program. Mr. Do Van Buu Dien, representing the copyright holder and production organizer, said that the plan for "Exploring Vietnam with Robert Danhi" had been conceived two years ago.
Immediately after the conclusion of Part 1 of this series, the entire team began planning Part 2 with a very large investment. Mr. Buu Dien also revealed that the production cost of each episode is estimated at over 1 billion VND, and the total program is expected to cost around 1.5 million USD (equivalent to 30 billion VND).
And we excitedly cooked right in the middle of the mangrove forest at Ca Mau National Park.
One of the issues that the production team carefully considered was the need to always prioritize quality. Every day, the team would start filming around 4 a.m. and sometimes continue until 11 p.m. for extended periods.
Mr. Dien also revealed:In Part 1, we lacked negotiation experience, so the amount of money spent was quite large, around $1.5 million. In Part 2, we proactively reduced the workforce but invested more in locations spanning across Vietnam."
Two pieces of good news were revealed by the producers at the meeting: a recipe book for the dishes from both seasons of the show will be released soon. In addition, the first season of "Exploring Vietnam" has been licensed by TBS in the US for broadcast on approximately 300 television stations in North America. Countries in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East are also in negotiations to purchase the rights to the program.
At recent film fairs in the US, many foreign distributors were particularly interested in the second season of this engaging reality TV series. Many international partners even considered the show's quality comparable to shows like Discovery or National Geographic…
"Exploring Vietnam with Robert Danhi" will officially air at 9:00 PM every Friday on HTV7 channel starting from July 18, 2014.
A brief profile of American celebrity chef Robert Danhi
Robert Danhi is world-renowned for writing, photographing, and publishing the book *Southeast Asian Flavors*, chronicling his culinary research on Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore. This book won the award for Best Asian Cookbook in the US in 2009 and second place for Best Asian Cookbook worldwide. In March 2012, he published his latest book, *Easy Thai Cooking - 75 Family-Style Dishes You Can Prepare at Home*.
Born and raised in the United States, he has a special love for Southeast Asian countries. He married a Malaysian woman and has since developed a particular passion for both photography and cuisine from the region. Interestingly, Robert Danhi was nicknamed "American country bumpkin" when he participated in the "Exploring Vietnam" program.
