Reality bites on isle of Sicily

Since Colmar is located close to the French border with both Germany and Switzerland, and Taormina is visited by tourists from all around the world, the crew thought the region would be a good place for Chinese cuisine to reach the widest demographic.

The series is also helping to boost tourism in the host cities. According to Wang Tian, director of the show, tourism to Koh Chang and Colmar, particularly among Chinese travelers, has increased significantly since the program aired.

According to Wang, the lack of Chinese restaurants in Taormina presented a unique challenge in season three, and the nearest supermarket selling Asian ingredients and spices was over 60 kilometers away.

"Also," she notes, "the location of the restaurant was in the mountains this season, unlike in Colmar, where the restaurant sat at the entrance to the city, where it naturally attracted visitors," she says.

The shooting lasted 21 days and was nonstop, Wang says. "We merely documented their lives during this period. There was no script, and we would not interfere in the running of the restaurant."

The participation in the show of chef Lin, who used to cook for state banquets, is a highlight of the third series. Wang says that the crew wanted to present a higher-level of Chinese cuisine to the local people of Sicily, and Lin was selected from dozens of popular chefs from across China.

"Chef Lin's charm is not eclipsed by any star, and his dishes are delicious," says Wang.

Lin, 42, grew up in Xiamen, Fujian province, and joined the culinary world in 1991. He learned Cantonese cuisine, before focusing on Sichuan cuisine after moving to Chengdu, Sichuan province, nine years ago. Lin can also cook Huaiyang and Beijing cuisines thanks to his vast experience across China.

He currently works as the executive chef at a five-star hotel in Chengdu. Lin had to leave his kitchen for nearly a month to shoot the reality show. But the chance to teach a wider audience about Chinese food was too good to pass up.