Giles Coren and Julia Pileggi in “Million Dollar Critic”

He's been called Britain's most powerful food critic. His reviews for the London-based "The Times" can make or break a restaurant's reputation, and a positive word from him is said to be worth a million dollars.

That's one heck of a lot of power for a food critic to have, and now this man with the power to make or break a restaurant has headed across the pond to America.

Giles Coren's "Million Dollar Critic" premiered on BBC America on Jan. 22 and has been airing on Thursday nights ever since. He's been traveling across North America with researcher and food culture enthusiast Julia Pileggi to check out its restaurant scene, stopping in a different city in each episode to try out meals from five restaurants worthy of his golden palate.

He's always frank with his reviews of what's gone into his mouth, and at each stop he'll name a winning restaurant -- giving it one of his famous "million dollar reviews."

For the Feb. 12 episode, Coren and Pileggi swing by St. John's, Newfoundland, in frigid Canada. The city's economy has been booming, leading to an exploding culinary scene, but with Coren on "The Rock," its judgment day has come.

Newfoundland has its own distinct culinary heritage, and the five restaurants pull out all the stops to please this harsh critic. His stops include Raymond's, a restaurant that has been named one of Canada's best, but Coren tests that distinction with demands for a near-impossible tasting menu from the staff.

Coren's no stranger to the spotlight. Besides being a famous restaurant critic, he's also written a novel ("Winkler"), penned two works of non-fiction and contributed articles to a number of magazines.

"Million Dollar Critic" isn't his first time gracing the TV screen, either. He appeared alongside celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay in "The F Word" and has appeared in a number of TV specials in the U.K.

So despite not being so well known on this side of the pond, Coren's the real deal. The first season of "Million Dollar Critic" airs its next episode Thursday, Feb. 12, on BBC America.