Ep 1. Houston, TX: Viet-Cajun Crawfish & Beef Pho

Roadfood season 1 episode 1 titled "Houston, TX: Viet-Cajun Crawfish & Beef Pho" is an adventurous culinary journey that explores the unique food culture of Houston, Texas. The episode takes viewers on a mouth-watering trip to some of the city's top-rated eateries and introduces them to a diverse array of flavors that represent Houston's multiculturalism.

The first destination on the agenda is Crawfish & Noodles, a popular restaurant that fuses Vietnamese and Cajun cuisine to create a unique dining experience. Hosts Jane and Michael Stern introduce the audience to traditional Cajun crawfish boil, a Louisiana-style preparation that has been adapted to Vietnamese cuisine. The restaurant's signature dish, the Viet-Cajun crawfish, is a fusion of two cultures that are worlds apart. The dish features crawfish, corn, sausage, and potatoes tossed in a spicy sauce that is a blend of Cajun spices and Vietnamese herbs.

The hosts then move on to Pho Binh Trailer, a food truck that has been serving delicious Vietnamese beef pho since 2010. Viewers can watch as the hosts marvel at the process of cooking the broth that takes over 24 hours to prepare. The beef pho is then assembled by adding sprouts, onions, and jalapenos to the broth to create a dish that is both flavorful and nutritious.

Moving on, the hosts take the audience to Tel-Wink Grill, a Houston institution that has been serving up mouth-watering burgers since 1940. The restaurant is known for its iconic "No. 5" burger, which consists of a beef patty, hot dogs, chili, cheese, onions, and mustard. The burger is massive in size, and the hosts struggle to hold the colossal creation in their hands.

Next, the show explores the flavors of the Gulf of Mexico with a stop at Goode Company Seafood, a seafood restaurant that has been serving Houston since 1977. The hosts sample the Galveston Bay oysters that are sourced fresh daily from the Gulf and are known for their briny flavor.

Finally, the episode visits an Old-World Italian street vendor named Jim Pappas, who operates Pappa Charlies Barbeque. Pappas shows the hosts the art of cooking perfect Texas-style brisket, a meat that requires a lot of patience and attention to detail.

Throughout the episode, the show paints a vivid picture of Houston's culinary diversity. From the fusion of Vietnamese and Cajun cuisine to the iconic Tex-Mex flavors that dominate the city's food scene, viewers can experience the city's unique flavors and vibrant food culture. The episode is a perfect introduction to the city's rich culinary landscape, and viewers will undoubtedly be left salivating for more.