Anthony Bourdain traveled extensively, sampled unusual foods, and shared it all with the world. He introduced the masses to a completely different kind of travel, one that allows for genuine encounters with places and people in all their contradictions and truths.
Throughout his travels, Bourdain invariably connected deeply with the people and energy of diverse places, forging genuine connections and delving deeply into history and culture. You could find him dining with everyone from presidents to obscure local elders, often in ramshackle roadside establishments where Bourdain managed to find the best food in town.
As an avid traveler who shares Bourdain's views, I'm always surprised that I only truly became acquainted with his work and legacy after his death. But the more I read about his work and thoughts, the more I connect with his vision of places in all their richness and complexity.
Before his suicide in 2018, Bourdain was a restless soul, spending up to 250 days a year on the road. During this time, he visited many places around the world. But some places truly captured his heart, and he often returned there to film episodes of his television shows.« Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations» и «"Unknown Places".
Here are some places Bourdain had a special connection with, and some of my own thoughts on them.
- Hanoi, Vietnam
- Tokyo, Japan
- Granada, Spain
- Rome, Italy
- Paris, France
- New York, USA
- Beirut, Lebanon
Hanoi, Vietnam
Perhaps no image is more synonymous with Bourdain's legacy than the scene where he sits with then-President Barack Obama, eating a $6 bun cha dish on plastic chairs. This iconic moment took place in Hanoi, Vietnam, at a restaurant called Bún Chả Hương Liên.
Hanoi, located in the north of the country, is the capital of Vietnam. Renowned for its iconic architecture and blend of Vietnamese, French, and Chinese influences, it also boasts a thriving food and coffee culture, as well as numerous historical sites.
Bourdain has long had a special love for Hanoi and Vietnam. During his television career, he filmed eight episodes in Vietnam, and his work inspired a new generation of travelers to visit the country.
Ironically, I first became truly captivated by Bourdain's work during lunch with another traveler I met in Ho Chi Minh City. "Bourdain loved this place," he said as we sat on a rickety bench, and proceeded to tell me a bit about the chef's struggles and his life's journey.
I don't remember the name, but I remember him speaking of Bourdain with reverence and genuine sadness at his death. There, amid the bustle of a small restaurant, I began to understand how Bourdain had become a kind of Pied Piper, urging other travelers to follow in his footsteps and inspiring them to truly—and sometimes literally—"squeeze every last drop out of life," as Henry David Thoreau once wrote.
Bourdain has often spoken of his love for the country. "Vietnam: it grabs you and doesn't let go," he once said of the country. "Once you love it, you love it forever. I've been coming here since 2000, since I first set foot in this part of the world, and ever since, it's held a special place in my heart and imagination. I keep coming back; I have to.".
Vietnam made a strong impression on Bourdain from his very first visit. "My first trip to Vietnam definitely changed my life, perhaps because everything was so new and different from my life before and the world I grew up in," he said. Conde Nast Traveler . «"The food, the culture, the scenery, and the smells—all of them were inseparable. It felt like another planet; a fascinating planet that just kind of sucked me in and wouldn't let go." From the hospitality and resilience of the locals to the street food culture, Vietnam clearly captivated Bourdain and kept him coming back again and again.
During my time in Vietnam, I was constantly captivated by both the country's natural beauty and the incredible energy of its cities, with their endless streams of motorbikes whizzing past exquisite cafes serving the most delicious coffee I've ever tasted.
At the same time, the more I learned about the Vietnamese perspective on the Vietnam War, the more I realized how vast the gap was in my own understanding of this incomprehensible tragedy. In the American educational system and in culture at large, after all—at least in my experience—we tend to hear more about the fate of American soldiers than about the experiences of the Vietnamese themselves.
Listening to the sounds of gunshots ricocheting from the shooting range near the Cu Chi tunnels in the jungle outside Ho Chi Minh City, I couldn't help but feel uneasy that we were all a group of tourists, shooting guns for fun in a place so tainted by real blood. And yet, that evening, I found myself on the back of a motorcycle, searching for the best banh mi in town with my friend, a Bourdain fan.
These are the contradictions that can arise when you truly engage with the world in all its cruel shadows and bright lights—something Bourdain knew well and often wrestled with, not in an attempt to find an answer, but rather to share the discomfort associated with these questions.
Tokyo, Japan
Bourdain's love for Tokyo perhaps surpassed his affection for any other city in the world. He once said National Geographic , that if there is a city that «has everything,» it is Tokyo.
«"If I had to die mid-meal anywhere, it would be Tokyo," he said. "If you asked most chefs if they'd spend the rest of their lives under house arrest in one city and eat every meal there, almost everyone I know would choose Tokyo." When asked if he had to choose a specific dish to die in the middle of, he immediately replied that he'd choose Sukiyabashi Jiro, a ten-stall restaurant located in the basement of a building in Ginza and headed by chef Jiro Ono.
I must say, I felt the same way after my visit. That very first night, limping from a knee injury sustained in a bus accident in China a few days earlier, I ate the best sushi of my life at a tiny restaurant in Shinjuku that a local friend introduced me to. It was a small place, and we ate standing up, but roll after roll appeared, transporting me to different dimensions of taste. Needless to say, the knee pain, at least for a while, disappeared.
Bourdain adored Tokyo's culinary culture and often spoke of its magic, calling it "the most amazing food city in the world, with an almost unimaginable variety of places, stacked one on top of the other, hidden on every level of densely packed streets." From tiny sushi bars serving the most delicious fish you've ever tasted, to all things matcha, from elegant temples and steaming onsen From high-speed trains to extensive intersections, Tokyo certainly offers a very tempting experience.
As is typical of Bourdain, he experienced the full spectrum of Tokyo culture during his visit and shared it with the world. in his book "Unknown Corners"« He reflected on the culture of overwork and loneliness that permeates Tokyo, while simultaneously praising the complexity and contrast that define its nightlife and culture as a whole.
«"What do you need to know about Tokyo? Deep, deep waters," he mused. "My first visit here was a turning point for me. It was a powerful and turbulent experience. It was like taking LSD for the first time—I mean, what am I going to do now? I see the whole world differently.".
After only a few days in the city, I realized I'd only scratched the surface and knew I needed to return. The city was strikingly clean and organized overall, everything perfectly ordered. Yet beneath it all lay the infinite complexity Bourdain described.
On my last evening, while dining with a new local friend who ordered dishes I'd never even considered, we exchanged thoughts on mental health and manifestation, realizing that despite growing up in different countries, we had many similarities. She was a private chef and dreamed of one day leading retreats where she would share local healing foods and tell their stories. I promised myself that I'd return one day to try them, and I kept my word. The next day, onsen With a group of elderly Japanese women, I briefly imagined that I would never leave.
Granada, Spain
«"Any sane person who looks at Spain, goes to Spain, eats in Spain, drinks in Spain, will fall in love with it," Bourdain once said. "Otherwise, there's something deeply wrong with you.".
The chef had a particular love for the city of Granada. This historic city is located in Andalusia, in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Rich in medieval architecture, it is also home to the sprawling Alhambra, a vast palace and fortress rich in Islamic art and stunning gardens.
«"Granada is one of the oldest, most complex, magically surreal places in Spain and one of the most beautiful," Bourdain said in in the film "Unknown Places" »"For Bourdain, who seemed perpetually unable to find peace, Granada represented some elusive, imagined tranquility. "It's the dream of the world. The dream is to live in Granada," he continued. "Work in the morning, take an hour's nap in the afternoon, and stroll in the evening. Go out, meet friends, eat tapas, drink red wine, and be in a beautiful place.".
I have to agree. Spain was my first independent travel destination, and it infected me with a passion that remains with me to this day—a boundless love of travel, exploring local literature, alleyways, and crumbling ruins, ideally in solitude, following signs and exploring my personal interests. My fascination with the poet Federico García Lorca led me to Granada, where I visited the house he once lived in and scribbled poems on my phone as we walked through its quiet rooms.
Granada, with its cobbled streets and small, dimly lit bars, also seemed like a place I could stay, perhaps for a long time. Although, of course, I couldn't stay in this fairytale place; then it would become real, and the petty annoyances of everyday life would begin to surface. Better to preserve Granada as an image of tapas and cobbled streets, poetry and memories.
Bourdain traveled extensively throughout Spain and was particularly drawn to Barcelona's culinary culture. "You'd be hard-pressed to find anything better than Barcelona in terms of gastronomy, a city renowned for its Antoni Gaudí landmarks, excellent museums, and, of course, its culinary delights.".
In Barcelona, immediately after arriving, I drank absinthe, ate paella and potatoes alla Bravas at a roadside cafe on an empty stomach, and then ran to the sea. It remains one of my favorite gastronomic experiences, one of those moments that is hard to replicate. I can still taste the alcohol and the potatoes.
Rome, Italy
Bourdain adored Rome and recommended many places there. "I love this place. I want to die here now—and maybe I will die here again," he said while enjoying a dinner of artichokes and prosciutto at Osteria dal 1931 during the season eight finale of Parts Unknown.
For Bourdain, Rome was a place "where the most extraordinary pleasures can be found in the most ordinary things," as he once said. In many ways, Rome needs no introduction. It's world-famous for its architectural wonders, like the Colosseum, the Vatican, and the Trevi Fountain, and, of course, beloved for its cuisine, from iconic pastas like cacio e pepe to countless thin-crust pizzas and scrocchiarella.
As soon as I arrived in Rome, I ate a superb slice of pizza, ordering it at three in the morning in a small restaurant and gobbling it down in the middle of the street, feeling the cheese dripping from my fingertips.
I admit, my impressions of the following days were somewhat clouded by the fact that I was exploring the city with a man from Rome whom I had met in a hostel and who absolutely hated the city; he expressed nothing but criticism and disdain for its food, coffee, and even ice cream.
However, we did end up sharing a bottle of delicious, warm, dark wine in the middle of the town square, listening to music from a nearby restaurant. At one point, after a few drinks, he secretly confessed his undying love for the musical. «The Greatest Showman, and I saw his sincerity behind his hatred of ice cream.
Paris, France
Bourdain had a deep personal connection to France. His father's parents were French, and his early love of food blossomed during a family vacation there. This followed two seminal experiences: tasting cold vichyssoise on a transatlantic ship voyage, which led him to understand that children could smoke on Sundays and drink wine with dinner. Then there was the raw oyster sandwich he ate on a beach in France. An oyster offered to him by a local fisherman one summer sparked in the young Bourdain a love of bold gastronomic experimentation.
France was in Bourdin's blood, literally and figuratively. He visited the country many times, but Paris held a special place in his heart. He also often advised travelers not to overload their itineraries with sightseeing, but instead, as he once said, "stop, find some attractive spot, and immerse yourself comfortably in the Parisian rhythm of life.".
I could talk a lot about my memories of Paris, with its poetic museums, vibrant palaces and gardens, crowded streets, and crêpes, but I'll just share my favorite memory of the country. Right after my ex and I broke up on the phone, my friends and I were sitting by the Seine, eating cheese and strawberries with honey from a local bakery. If there was a way to get over a broken heart, I thought, this is it—there, on these haunted banks of the City of Light.
New York, USA
New York City may not have been Bourdain's favorite place per se, and it certainly wasn't his favorite travel destination. It was his home, or at least as much of a home as it was for Bourdain, who was constantly traveling the world, and it was the city he always returned to. I feel the same way: after all my travels, somehow I always return to my old home—New York City.
The thing about New York is that it's a melting pot. Every cuisine from around the world is represented here, so it's not so much one culture as a multitude of cultures woven into a single whole. You could travel the world simply by walking from one street to another, and you'd see billionaires sitting next to beggars everywhere. It's a dizzying environment. Its intensity and complexity are inextricably linked to Bourdain's own experience.
One of Bourdain's favorite dishes in New York was yakitori, or Japanese chicken skewers. He also favored gourmet shops like Katz's Delicatessen and Russ & Daughters, and enjoyed everything from local Italian restaurants in Sheepshead Bay to hot dogs from Papaya King.
He loved the city's gritty spirit and often railed against gentrification, calling the Upper East Side a "food desert" and the Bronx "magical." He also once called the rundown Midtown bar Siberia his "favorite bar on Earth.".
«"You never know who might end up lounging on the couches or listening to live music in this dungeon-like basement: rockers, off-duty cops, drunk journalists, the cast and crew of 'Saturday Night Live,' drug-dealing fashionistas, after-hours cooks, politicians with perverted tendencies, unemployed bone-crackers, or nodding strippers," he said of the establishment. "It's paradise.".
And I agree—if you look at New York City the right way, if you love it for its endless complexity, its wild and restless soul, and the endless variety of food prepared by people from all over the world who come to the city of dreams and skyscrapers in search of a better life—it can be a kind of tilted paradise. Perhaps Bourdain's spirit still lingers in Siberia, basking in his own personal paradise, at the center of the human experience with all its bittersweet contradictions.
Beirut, Lebanon
Bourdain filmed three television episodes in Beirut: an episode of the program «No Reservations» in 2006, which took place against the backdrop of the war between Israel and Hezbollah, an episode in 2010 when he returned to the country, and an episode of the program «Parts Unknown» in 2015. The 2006 episode, filmed during the US bombing of the country, led Bourdain to reflect on his inability to separate his travel journalism from socio-political issues.
«"My experience in Beirut left me with no illusions about the profession of journalism. I simply saw that there were realities beyond what was on my plate, and these realities almost inevitably influenced what was—or wasn't—for dinner. Ignoring them began to seem monstrous," he said.
The city opened his mind and heart, changing the trajectory of his career. "I was already in love with Beirut," Bourdain shared of his first impressions of the country. "We all did—everyone on my film crew. As soon as we landed and headed into the city, there was a reaction I can only describe as pheromonic: the place simply smelled good. Like it was a place we would love. After years of traveling, you learn to trust those feelings," he wrote, continuing to praise the "wonderful people" and "fantastic food" while not shying away from the city's challenges and contradictions.
«"It's a beautiful city, with many scars that locals have stopped noticing. It's a place with a huge heart... That's a gross oversimplification. But it's also my way of telling you that you have to go there. It defies logic. It defies expectations. It's amazing," he concluded.
Beirut is a place I haven't been yet, but it remains on my list. The ongoing violence there tells its own story and would have horrified Bourdain. But at least Bourdain was able to visit and share the reality and wonder of this place with so many people.
Travel is a privilege, and the opportunity to sit somewhere and taste food grown and prepared by locals is a gift; Bourdain understood and appreciated this. I may never have the chance to share a meal with Bourdain, and I can't say I particularly want to; after all, we didn't know each other, and it's all too easy to idealize him, like distant lands. But despite all this, I hope to visit Beirut someday.
And I hope that one day, everyone in the world will be able to sit at the same table and break bread without violence. For me, this was the essence of Bourdain's work, though he would likely have despised such naive dreams. However, he embodied it in his sincere willingness to sit down with anyone, share a meal, and listen.