Eat, curse, glug

MANILA, Philippines - KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL By Anthony Bourdain Available at National Book Store

Except for all the bad words and curses, the shocking revelations of Anthony Bourdain in Kitchen Confidential make this book a must read.

Looking at his picture on the cover of the book makes me cringe: definitely a former drug dependent and bad boy… quite unattractive at that. Amusingly, he has matured nicely. In fact, while visiting the Philippines for a shoot for one of his TV shows, No Reservations, it was publicized that at his hotel, swarms of well-heeled women hung around the lobby just to catch a glimpse of him. That’s because his face has rounded out a bit, become less gaunt, giving him a sweet, boyish look… add to that his salt and pepper hair, and his lithe movements as he walks the streets looking for the next food adventure, and I’m not surprised that the more mature Anthony  Bourdain has female fans hounding him. 

I’ve been following Anthony Bourdain on his shows that allow him to praise or criticize different tastes from all parts of the globe.  Because of him, the Travel & Living channel has become one of my favorite stops on the remote. I especially like his singsong way of talking when he narrates his thoughts while devouring dish after dish, favoring the meaty ones and glugging down endless bottles of the local libations. So as I read this book, I clearly could hear him in my head as if he were narrating chapter after chapter. Funny how I’d catch myself laughing at the way he reads the book to me.

I like how he writes, using unique metaphors and intriguing descriptions of everything from people to food to experiences. It’s like he doesn’t want to let your imagination flow freely; instead he wants to really zero in on the details so you won’t mistake them for anything else other than what he exactly wants you to think and feel at that moment. He doesn’t mince words, there’s no glossing over, he just tells his true-to-life, behind-the-kitchen-door stories with shocking (albeit refreshing, at least to me) honesty.   

Each page kept me smiling and shaking my head not in disgust, but in amusement. That’s how entertained I was by this book. With his current fame and stature as a celebrity chef, I can’t believe his dark history in the restaurant industry. But what’s great is that he is what he is today (a famous globe-trotting TV show foodie who gets to be on semi-vacation eight months in a year) because of what he went through.   

Now, on to his next book, Medium Raw.