Reality bites on isle of Sicily

He packed his own knives and some other tools of his trade, including a special toothpick.

After arriving in Taormina, Lin and the other guests were invited as guests of honor at a dinner hosted by the town's mayor. During the meal, Lin noticed the local people's love of tomatoes and eggplants. He later devised a cold tomato dish and a braised eggplant dish that incorporated local flavors and tastes.

"For instance, I found local people like to drink coffee, so I adapted the sauce for sweet-and-sour pork to carry more of a coffee flavor," he explains.

At one sitting, a diner with a gluten aversion came to the restaurant, and Lin designed a menu especially for him-fried rice and soup. "He ate all the food," says Lin, who regards an empty plate as the ultimate compliment for any chef.

One diner from the United Kingdom pleaded with the crew to shoot the next season of Chinese Restaurant in his hometown after he sampled Lin's dishes and even offered to wash the dishes if they did so.

Many diners became regular customers over the course of the 21 days, and Lin enjoyed talking with them about the flavors of Chinese cuisine.

"I told them that I was just a common chef in China, and that there are many better chefs than me, so they should come to China to try the food."

Lin also talked with the chefs at local Michelin-starred restaurants, teaching them how to make shrimp with tea leaves, fried rice, and pork with sweet-and-sour sauce.

Lin has formed the impression that people overseas still don't know enough about Chinese cuisine.

"We should encourage more young chefs to go abroad and open up Chinese restaurants," he says.