Anthony Bourdain is an American chef and TV presenter. He recently released a cookbook, Appetites, and will launch an international food hall soon in New York. The culinary icon shares with SilverKris his go-to destinations for food, his favourite dishes around the world and more.
I grew up in New York, with Italian food, Jewish deli and Chinese as options outside the home. That’s as American as apple pie. In fact, it’s more American than apple pie. Who eats apple pie, anyway?
If you’re going to travel for food, Hong Kong (above) has everything. Chengdu is special for its spice and heat – for its mala (a spicy sauce of chilli peppers and Sichuan peppercorns). Anywhere in Mexico. And of course, Tokyo for sheer luxury. Spain is much loved by chefs, myself included. And Italy, always Italy.
Singapore’s char kway teow (above; fried flat rice noodles) is an example of unpretentious, delicious food that’s quick and undemanding of the eater. I also adore tacos de lengua (beef-tongue tacos) in Mexico, and laksa (rice noodles in a spicy broth) in Kuching.
The human side of cooking interests me most. Who is cooking and why? My TV show Parts Unknown is more about this and less about what is cooking.
A 10-course meal at a Michelin-star temple of haute cuisine has become more of an ordeal than a blessing. I’d generally prefer to be eating a bowl of pasta or noodles and drinking local wine.
Authentic country food is what Michelin-star chefs are most sentimental about. I’ve eaten pieds paquets (lamb’s feet stew) with Joel Robuchon and country sukiyaki (Japanese beef hotpot) with Masa Takayama.
I have a love-hate relationship with hotel rooms as I am almost always alone in them. Beautiful places are nice, but being alone in them is lonely. I am doomed to have the best job in the world.
— TEXT BY LUCY CLEEVE
PHOTOS: SUPPLIED, 123RF.COM
This article was originally published by Singapore Press Holdings.
