A WOK IN PROGRESS is the third installment of a trilogy celebrating food and one man's journey to reconcile his Vietnamese cultural roots with his present-day American life. In 1995, Paul Kwan suffered a debilitating stroke during the making of the second film in the trilogy, PINS AND NOODLES. The stroke left Paul without memory, speech and the use of his right hand. Things that were once fundamental to his being--the ability to use a wok to make the delicious foods central to his life, to eat with chopsticks and to speak--were now gone.

In the third and final episode, Paul is convinced that the memories contained in food are the key to rebuilding his life. His sister Diana, a recent Vietnamese immigrant and struggling entrepreneur, sees food as the key to her economic survival in America. With Paul's help, Diana starts a small business to make and market a chili sauce based on a family recipe. Together, they embark on a journey that ultimately celebrates the power of food to heal and to teach. After Paul admits his frustration at not being able to use chopsticks, his sister responds, "See this one noodle? Very easy to break. But if you put a bunch together, it's hard to break. That's why we should stick together as a family to start a business."