Jonathan faces his toughest challenge yet as he enters a country that has been coming to grips in defining and understanding their own cuisine. Through the historical turmoil and harsh climate, Russia has lost it’s traditional way of cooking, and eating. But the country is reviving this culture; Jonathan ventures the far stretches of the country to learn about modern cooks, as well as ancient kitchens housing the one key tool that gave birth to true Russian cuisine, the Russian oven. He’ll learn their insights, understand their efforts, and work with traditional Russian ingredients to learn what the cuisine used to be, and where it’s headed today.

Jonathan enters Europe’s poorest country with a purpose: Enter the little know breakaway Soviet Republic of Transnistria with a “package.” for a friend. It’s a journey that will begin with urban exploration in the decay of Bucharest and end with close calls with secret police in Tiraspol. Along the way our host goes dog catching, swings trapeze in an old Soviet circus, aquires a classic Dacia car, races horse drawn carts with the Gypsies, and cycles through one of the largest wine cellars in the world.

A unique episode in it’s own right, this episode features a road trip through California, Island Hunter style; however, the focus this time around is not necessarily on luxury, it’s more about adventures and explorations on the road. Host Sophie Ashley tours around the Golden State, making stops in iconic destinations like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Monterey, and Santa Barbara. Her ride for the episode, true to the Island Hunter style is the iconic Aston Martin DB11 Volante; Whether it’s hiking around the Golden Gate, top down on Highway 1, exploring wineries or chowing down tacos at a food truck in Los Angeles, this is the ultimate road trip through California!

In the month of Movember Jonathan begins his first Balkan adventure. Growing a mustache for charity and exploring the concept of what it means to be a man. He begins in Albania, where strange bomb shelters dot the land. Was there a panic tantamount to America’s Cuban Missile Crisis? There he meets his first manly men.. rally race car drivers who take him on their beastly machines through gnarly back roads. Up North, in the controversial new nation of Kosovo Jonathan continues his masculine romp getting tossed by olympian hopeful wrestlers, sword dancing with mountain men, building a chopper with rebel mechanics, and patrolling the streets with the police. In a land rocked by recent war and simmering ethnic tension, is there a lesson to be glimpsed from men and their worst and best?

Puerto Rico is one of the most popular vacation destinations for Americans, and it’s easy to see why; everyone speaks English, it’s easy to get to, and of course, it’s still a part of the US! We explore all the hands-on activities such as riding horseback on the beach, riding ATV’s through the muddy swamps, and hiking through the super lush El Yunque rainforest. Luxurious resorts are only a stone's throw away - hopping islands, the ultra modern and chic El Blok located in Vieques. Between stays at all the luxury boutique resorts, a common trend starts to appear, and that is the island’s cuisine. Spanish influences, blended with American fine dining, get a taste of the eclectic but high end cuisine spanning from top resorts, to gas-station turned diners. This is an island that does food unlike any other and becomes the cornerstone of this Island Explorers adventure.

EPISODE 1: Hong Kong - Michelin Madness Big money, big city vibes; Hong Kong houses the world’s highest number of millionaires and it’s something that’s not lost on you as venture to Asia’s world city. In this episode, Sashi is on a quest to understand how Michelin rates and assesses the sheer depth of eateries in this metropolis. He will meet the top chefs of the city and understand their psyche, their trials and tribulations as they climbed their way to the top of the restaurant industry with 3 michelin stars. But it's not all high brow cuisine, Sashi will also dive deep into the old school neighborhoods, sampling the local fare and seek out how Michelin is rating Asia’s sheer depth of eateries.

The search for the most prized type of cacao, Crillo continues. Sashi and Chele head to the most mysterious frontier of the Philippines, Siquijor island to see if they can navigate through the land of shamans to find the heirloom variety of Crillo. This episode also highlights how Chele curates his menu specific to the cacao!

The Philippines is a country known for it's friendly locals, beautiful islands, but not exactly for it's cuisine. There is a deep story here of the food of the Gods, Cacao and how it was brought here by the Spanish, from South America. Maximum Foodie explores the story of cacao in the Philippines.