Real Pasifik - Series Two

Episode One - Fiji (Ra Province)
For this debut episode, Robert Oliver returns to where he grew up: Fiji. In Ra Province, at the northern end of Viti Levu, he buys local and goes bush to source cress and prawns, then it's sea shopping for reef octopus and seaweed. With these mouth-watering local ingredients, he will help the Volivoli Beach Resort upgrade its menu from backpacker fare to upmarket local delicacies. 

Episode Two - Vanuatu
Robert Oliver visits the stunning Warwick Le Lagon Resort of Vanuatu on his latest taste mission. The culinary stars of this episode are Tanna soup - rich in greens and creamy coconut flavours - and the famous-in-Vanuatu Tuluk, made from the root vegetable called cassava and a succulent meat filling. The stakes are high this episode as the resort head chef Brian Topham makes for a discerning critic.   

Episode Three - Samoa
Robert Oliver is in Samoa on the island of Upolu and his job is to impress resort owner Lydia Sini Toomalatai with two authentically Samoan dishes that utilise local ingredients. He starts in the village of Poutasi where a small farm is growing its own fresh herbs and greens. Later he enjoys delicious mango smoked pork from a traditional umu. Oliver modifies the pork dish, marinating the meat with Samoan coco and coconut oil, hoping Toomalatai will be wowed by the pork and use the delicious, fresh Poutasi grown greens instead of imported lettuce. 

Episode Four- Niue
Niue proves a real challenge for Robert Oliver. The coral island has scant soil in which to grow food, so giving the menu at Matavai Resort a more Niuen slant means relying on a small list of sources. Oliver meets Niuen farmer Tony Aholima who shows him local plants kaluku and arrowroot, which is detoxified and dried to make a porridge. Oliver and chef Tanya Sionetuato use these vegetables plus fresh tuna, Niuen honey and lashings of coconut cream to fashion a main dish and dessert.

Episode Five- Fiji (Suva)
Robert Oliver returns to Fiji. This time he stays in the capital Suva, to revamp the breakfast buffet at the Holiday Inn. His culinary journey begins on nearby Beqa Island, where he tries a taste of honey fresh from the hive. He gets a lesson in preparing Taro leaves for a breakfast fritter at the beloved Old Mill Cottage Cafe, before heading to the Wainadoi Spice Gardens to explore the rich flavors of locally harvested spices, putting it all together for a uniquely Fijian breakfast.

Episode Six - French Polynesia (Tahiti and Marquesas Islands)
Robert Oliver travels to French Polynesia to help incorporate island cuisine into the high-end menu of Tahiti’s Le Méridien resort. Chef Aliex Tahiapuhe welcomes him into his home for a taste of Marquesan cooking, with a hearty goat curry. On the island of Moorea, near Tahiti, they harvest breadfruit to prepare the traditional dish ka'aku, and adapt the island flavours into dishes that seamlessly blend with the resort’s French menu.

Episode Seven - Aotearoa (Auckland)
Samoan-Tongan chef Maria Hunt joins Robert Oliver on a culinary journey of Auckland’s Pacific cuisine. They visit a Pasifika Festival, visit a taro greenhouse in Pukekohe and sample one-of-a-kind taro leaf pies, and discover the massive effort behind catering for a 300-guest Samoan wedding. Together, the chefs reimagine Pasifika flavours with a fine dining twist, presenting their creations to food critics Nadia Lim and Simon Wilson.