A COOK’S TOUR – Episode Descriptions
1.
A Taste of Tokyo
Country: Japan
Chef Tony Bourdain travels to Tokyo, Japan, where he discovers
what, for him, is a radically new attitude to food. A profound
source of inspiration is the delicate respect the Japanese have
for ingredients, regardless of the dish prepared. He is shown
around the Tsujiki fish market, Tokyo's largest fresh fish
market, by a celebrated edomae sushi chef, and then introduced
to the sophisticated techniques involved in preparing edomae
sushi. Finally, by way of contrast, he is introduced to the
splendidly robust properties of a stew called Chanko, when he
visits a sumo wrestlers’ training school. He learns that the
food these sumo wrestlers eat, though hefty in portion, still
maintains the exquisite balance inherent in Japanese cuisine.
2.
Dining with Geishas
Country: Japan
After sampling the many culinary delights of Japan's main city,
Tokyo, Tony decides to look for more relaxing, traditional
Japanese culinary experiences in the countryside. He takes the
ultra fast Shinkansan bullet train out of Tokyo, and with the
scenery whipping by at 150 mph, orders up a typical train snack,
a bento box of eel and rice. Arriving at the seaside resort town
of Atami, Tony makes his way to a ryokan. This is an old-style
Japanese inn that specializes in kaiseki cuisine, which grew up
around the ancient tea ceremony and uses ingredients exclusively
from the local hills and waters. With traditionally dressed
geishas on hand to navigate him through the meal, Tony samples
the many, small, jewel-like courses that comprise a kaiseki
dinner. The next morning, at an unscheduled stop at a service
station, he gets hot French fries and cold ice cream out of...
vending machines. Finally, Tony returns to Tokyo where he dares
to brave the poisonous blowfish served at Nibiki restaurant.
3.
Cobra Heart – Foods That Make You Manly
Country: Vietnam
Next stop Vietnam, and an introduction to the range of
Vietnamese cuisine, from everyday fare to the wildly exotic.
After taking a cyclo ride through Saigon and trying various
foods from roadside vendors and markets, Tony has dinner at Com
Nieu Saigon in a welcoming yet unique atmosphere - sizzling hot
rice cakes fly overhead from the kitchen to the waiters standing
out in the restaurant. Then he travels to La Bibliothèque and
meets Madame Dai, Vietnam’s first female lawyer who has turned
her law office into a café. After showing Tony photographs of
her distinguished friends, she treats him to a meal that is
capped with a few shots of snake wine. In this vein, Tony next
has a live cobra heart at Flavors of the Forest, along with the
rest of the snake, with mixed results.
4.
Eating on the Mekong
Country: Vietnam
Philippe LaJaunie, the co-owner of Les Halles, Tony’s New York
restaurant, joins him in Vietnam. The two friends soak up the
intoxicating beauty and flavors up river of Ho Chi Minh City as
they sample the wares of the Cai Rang floating market. In the
Mekong Delta, at Cantho Duck Farm, they are honored guests of
gentleman farmer Uncle Hai who treats them to a traditional
whole roast duck cooked in clay. The farmer’s boisterous family
who share laughs, songs, and a lot of Mekong moonshine enchant
Tony. Philippe leaves Vietnam the next day, and Tony travels
alone to the sleepy fishing village of Nha Trang. Here, he
literally picks his lobster lunch from the sea and is challenged
to a drink of vodka spiked with the lobster’s insides. Tony has
a night of repose at the summer retreat of the last Vietnamese
emperor, Bao Dai. He is not sure the royal dish ‘Bird’s Nest
Soup’ is all it’s cracked up to be, but he has been thoroughly
seduced by his Vietnam experience and relishes this window into
Vietnam’s culinary past.
5.
Wild Delicacies
Country: Cambodia
Once again joined by his friend and co-owner of Les Halles in
New York City, Philippe LaJaunie, Tony Bourdain travels to Phnom
Penh, Cambodia where he explores a food culture that is both
pleasing to the palette and a bit frightening.
Scouring the
local outdoor market for delicacies, they find everything from
deep-fried crickets to fluorescent jello-like substances and
steaming containers of tripe and tongues – a real sensory
overload. Tony is on a mission for Asia’s legendary king of
fruits – the revered and reviled Durian. It might smell like a
laundry bag of dirty socks but it tastes great – he’s hooked.
Tony and Philippe travel North to Siem Reap, where they climb
the ancient Khmer ruins of Angkor Wat, explore floating villages
and enjoy a home cooked pork and green chilli stir-fry.
They
end their journey at Siem Reap’s four-star hotel – the Angkor
Grand where they dine on Khmer haute cuisine, a style of cooking
which, in using aromatic herbs and spice, is both complex and
accessible.
6.
Eating on the Edge of Nowhere
Country: Cambodia
Taking his obsession with the film Apocalypse Now far too
seriously, Tony Bourdain sets out for Pailin on the Thai border
– reputed to be one of the most dangerous towns on earth and
home to Cambodia’s feared Khmer Rouge Army. While travelling up
a nameless river for 6 hours, the journey gets a little strange
when 3 uninvited guests in military fatigues join the cruise.
Hitting terra firma, Tony braves a 4 ½ hour overland jeep trip
on a ravaged dirt road that is lined with ominous landmine
warnings. He’s in the middle of nowhere, but food is never far
away as Cambodia’s version of a truck stop serves up a mean bowl
of rice noodle and pork soup. Arriving in Pailin, Tony realizes
that rumors of a frontier Las Vegas were misleading.
After a
Thai influenced dinner and a sleepless night in a windowless
room Tony heads to the outdoor Yakatori bar. Joining a group of
businessmen he samples specialities from grilled chicken
cartilage to sake - it is just the comfort he was looking for.
7.
Cod Crazy
Country: Portugal
Portugal holds a dear place in Chef Tony Bourdain’s culinary
heart. It's the homeland of his boss, Jose Meirelles, co-owner
of Les Halles, and it's the cuisine he first learned to love as
a young chef cooking in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where many
Portuguese immigrants originally settled. Tony meets Jose in
Porto, home of the famous Port wine. He's immediately exposed to
the codfish and the almost mythical place it holds in Portuguese
cuisine and culture. Since he's in a country of fishermen, much
of the food he eats is seafood. A lunch consists of head of
merluza (a white fish) and lightly batter-fried sardines. At
dinner, he has octopus in rice. Jose and Tony also go to Oporto
Vineyards, owned by Jerry Luper, where they eat more cod and
taste wonderful ports.
8.
San Sebastian: A Food Lover’s Town
Country: Spain
Chef Tony Bourdain travels to San Sebastian, Spain, to meet
local chefs and explore the most food crazy society of the
Iberian Peninsula, that of the Basques. Tony's guides to the
local specialties are food guru, Chef Luis Irizar, and his
daughter Virginia. Chef Irizar takes Tony into the exclusively
male underworld of Basque gastronomic societies. Likewise, Tony
gets to meet with one of Europe's most renowned chefs, Juan
Maria Arzak, and he eats at a special table in Arzak's
restaurant kitchen. Tony also learns that Basque cuisine can be
highly accessible yet delicious when Virginia takes him on a
tour of the many "pintxos" or tapas bars that reflect the city's
finest example of everyday Basque delights.
9.
Childhood Flavors
Country: France
Arcachon in France is the place where Tony Bourdain first
learned to love food as a child. His father was born there and
the family used to vacation there when he was a child. Now he
returns with his brother Chris. Their trip down memory lane is
full of sentimental reminisces about food and place, the
components of what he considers the most important influence on
his own food, "sense-memory." Tony enjoys many staples,
including steak frites, gaufres (waffles), and soupe de pecheur
(fisherman's soup). For Tony, the defining moment comes when he
goes to Arcachon Bay to harvest oysters. This shellfish was the
first eccentric food Tony ate as a young boy, and the experience
of shocking his family entirely changed his attitude to the
power of food. The show concludes with Tony and Chris on the
beach, remembering their father with a picnic of baguettes and
saucisson à l'ail (garlic sausage).
10.
Stuffed Like a Pig
Country: Portugal & France
Chef Tony Bourdain visits his boss Jose Meirelles in Portugal.
While there he goes to Jose's family farm, where they've been
fattening a pig all year long. They slaughter the pig and a
feast of pork ensues. A local even sings a song in honor of the
feisty pig. Having had enough port Tony then heads to France.
While in the town of Mugron, Tony stops off at a foie gras farm
for more rich delights. Then it's off to meet up with his
brother Chris in Arcachon, the seaside town where Tony and Chris
spent their summers along with their parents. In Arcachon, at
the restaurant Chez Yvette Tony decides he hasn't quite had
enough rich foods and orders tête du veau, veal head. After a
few bites, Tony realizes that all the pork, foie gras and veal
he's eaten is taking its toll. Tony is fearful of insulting the
chef and continues to eat but shortly before falling ill, Tony
scoops the remaining veal into a bag. He then compliments the
chef and leaves, clutching his belly.
11.
A Desert Feast
Country: Morocco
Chef Tony Bourdain arrives in Morocco, his only African
destination, with a mission: to eat a roasted sheep in the
desert. The entire show follows Tony's journey into the desert.
He first travels to the town of Risani on the edge of the
Northern Sahara, where he observes first hand the slaughtering
of his sheep. Once it's packed up, he jumps into a Landrover
that takes him to the edge of the Sahara Dunes. He's met by "the
Blue Men," Berbers dressed in blue robes who then lead Tony into
the desert on camelback. Along the way, they stop for a
traditional Berber meat pie baked in the sand. As night falls,
Tony arrives at camp. The sheep is roasted in a mud oven, and
it's accompanied by hrira, a traditional Muslim soup eaten on
special occasions.
12.
Traditional Tastes
Country: Morocco
The culinary landscape of Morocco is just as varied as the
country itself. Chef Tony Bourdain is invited by a British expatriot and her husband, Abdel Fettah, to experience Fes, the
culinary
heartland
of
Morocco,
and
in
particular
the
specialities of its ancient walled medina. The meals revolve
around the family's home kitchen, where Abdel's mother shows
Tony the preparation of the region's most beloved dishes such as
pigeon bastilla, cous-cous with steamed vegetables, and a
panoply of exquisite salads. Fired up with delight, Tony also
takes a trip to Moulay Idriss, a town outside of Fes, where he
partakes of the local kefta, beef meatballs.
13.
The Cook Who Came In From the Cold
Country: Russia
Having wanted to be a spy since childhood, Tony Bourdain gets
the chance to play out this fantasy on his assignment to Russia.
The Cold War is over but nonetheless he receives instructions to
seek out a man holding a torn newspaper in front of St. Isaac's
Cathedral. Once contact is made, Tony and his new partner Zamir
set off to locate the best blinis and borscht St. Petersburg has
to offer. But first Zamir takes Tony to a favorite spot for a
country lunch of pickled salads and braised reindeer while
listening to live music. The next day the two men set off on
their mission and Tony is pleased to locate the king of
breakfasts, pancakes filled with various fillings, at the
Blintzi Cafe. Then it's off to the St. Petersburg Market and
shopping with Ludmilla who, following her shopping and tough
negotiation, takes Tony home for a hearty home cooked meal of
borscht and pelmeny, meat filled dumplings. Naturally the meal
includes large amounts of vodka.
14.
So Much Vodka, So Little Time
Country: Russia
Chef Tony Bourdain’s Russian journey moves on to St. Petersburg.
His guide, Zamir, takes him on a tour of local working class
specialties. Tony's first stop is the frozen Neva River, where
he tries his hand at ice-fishing. The sport is an exercise in
stamina and vodka drinking and after indulging freely, Tony is
treated to a snack of peroshkis, a traditional turnover-style
stuffed bread. He also has the rare experience of seeing
koulibiak, a baked fish pie, formerly eaten by the Czars, made
from scratch. After so much food and vodka, Tony takes a break
at a Russian bath. He steams, eats smoked fish and ends the
outing with a dip in the outdoor cold pool. At this point, Tony
decides he's had enough of the working class, and goes for a
meal at one of St. Petersburg's finest restaurants, where he
samples the rarest of homemade vodka and rare caviars.
15.
Tamales & Iguana, Oaxacan Style
Country: Mexico
The indigenous zone of Mexico's Oaxaca holds a great deal of
mystery and intrigue for Chef Tony Bourdain. The foods are
exotic and colorful, as are the locals. Guided by local friend
Martin Vallejo, Tony is taken to a Oaxacan food market, where he
tastes toasted grasshoppers, tripe soup and the local sausage
which yields a flavorful red oil. He is also invited by a local
tamale maker to observe the making of the regional variation of
this treasured Mexican staple, a corn dumpling which, in this
case, is boiled in banana leaves rather than cornhusks. Tony
ends his visit in Oaxaca with Martin with a dinner on the
street, mariachi music and lots of tequila.
16.
Puebla, Where Good Cooks Are From
Country: Mexico
Chef Tony Bourdain travels to Mexico to see the places and taste
the foods that have most influenced the members of his kitchen
staff back in New York. According to Tony, the best line cooks
in NYC come from Mexico, and with this in mind, he meets up with
his sous-chef from Les Halles, Eddy Perez, who still has a home
outside of Puebla, Mexico. For many, Eddy included, Puebla State
is the heartland of Mexican cuisine, the place where many of
Mexico's favorite dishes originated. Eddy invites Tony to enjoy
numerous moles (sauces), toasted ant eggs, fried worms, and the
legendary pulque (a slightly hallucinogenic drink made from
cactus sap). Eddy also throws a big party for Tony. In honor of
their northern visitor, Eddy's family slaughters 4 goats, which
become various dishes such as goat head consomme and menudo
(tripe soup). The party ends in a whirlwind of mariachi music
performed at the house.
17.
Los Angeles: My Own Heart of Darkness
Country: USA
For Chef Tony Bourdain, Los Angeles is more of a concept than an
actual place. Because of this, much of the show revolves around
Tony's most deep-seated fears of image and fame. In order to
feel more at home, he tours LA's best hotdog joints, including
Pink's and Oki-Dog, using the hotdog as a way of discovering the
difference between his hometown NYC and the nemesis, LA. He also
experiences a giant doughnut. Tony's reason for visiting LA is
to guest chef at one of LA's most-loved dining establishments,
Campanile, owned by Mark Peel and Nancy Silverton. Mark takes
Tony on a tour of the Santa Monica Farmer's Market and Nancy
gives Tony a special tasting of the many breads Campanile is
famous for serving. The end of the guest chef experience leads
Tony and Mark to a late-night spot for hamburgers and idle
banter at Fred62. Here, Tony realizes that LA might not be his
favorite place, but like NYC, it has an underworld of chefs who
are friendly and embracing towards one of their own.
18.
San Francisco: “The French Laundry Experience”
Country: USA
Chef Tony Bourdain makes a pilgrimage to meet the man he
considers to be the finest chef in the western world: Thomas
Keller, chef and owner of The French Laundry in Yountville,
California, located in the Napa Valley outside of San Francisco.
Before meeting Keller, Tony finds himself marooned in the City
by the Bay for a few days, and decides to check out some
favourite spots recommended by the locals. The Swan Oyster Depot
specializes in West Coast shellfish and also make a mean clam
chowder. From there, he checks out an ice cream parlor on the
west side of the city, where he’s told he can taste a favorite
of his… durian ice cream. Then it is on to The French Laundry.
Thomas Keller invites Tony to meet one of the produce purveyors
of the restaurant. Tony has also invited several chef friends,
including Scott Bryan of NYC’s Veritas and Eric Ripert of NYC’s
Le Bernardin, to join him for a special menu prepared by Keller
himself. The high point in the meal comes when Keller sends Tony
a specially-crafted custard made from tobacco leaves and coffee.
19.
My Hometown Favorites
Country: USA
A passionate New Yorker, Tony Bourdain shows us the places in
New York he knows and loves best. First stop: Barney Greengrass,
a restaurant that specializes in smoked fish and other Eastern
European
delicacies.
Sturgeon
and
bagels
are
the
main
attractions
of
this
breakfast
hotspot.
Afterwards,
Tony
introduces us to his friend Scott Bryan, the head chef of one of
New York's premier restaurants, Veritas. Scott cooks Tony a
special menu dinner that includes fluke ceviche, pan-seared foie
gras, braised veal cheek with shaved truffles, along with
several wines which have been selected for their capacity to
uniquely enhance the flavors of the food. The final scenes of
the show include a trip to Murray's Cheese Shop, where Tony
hunts down the moldiest cheese; a hotdog at Papaya King
Frankfurters and Juices; and an encounter with a cab driver who
invites Tony to eat Middle Eastern favorites, such as falafel
and shawarma, at the driver's favorite late night taxi stop.
20.
My Life as a Cook
Country: USA
Loosely based on Chef Tony Bourdain's best-selling memoir,
Kitchen Confidential, this show reveals who Tony is and what
motivates him as a chef. Through the course of a day in the life
of Tony's normal workday at Les Halles Brasserie in New York
City, Tony takes us on a trip down memory lane to the most
formative moments of his chef career. He goes back to
Provincetown, Massachusetts, where he first discovered that he
wanted to be a chef working a summer job feeding tourists. He
also takes us to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), the
place that taught him all the basics of cooking. But as Tony
reveals, much of cooking is not about how well you can salt
something but about how well you can manage a kitchen. With this
in mind, Tony takes us to meet one of his mentors, a man he
identifies only as Bigfoot due to the larger-than-life place he
holds in Tony's imagination. Finally, the show ends at Bellevue
Bar, where Tony offers us a sneak peak of how folks in the
restaurant world gather and talk after hours.
21.
Highland Grub
Country: United Kingdom
No one ever considers the culinary delights of places like
Scotland, a remote northern region of the United Kingdom, but
Tony Bourdain insists that it's a place of extraordinary
cuisine. And he's right. The show starts Glasgow, where Tony's
friend Simon makes him experience the various reasons why the
Scottish have the highest rate of heart disease in the world:
deep fried pizza, deep fried mars bars, deep fried pickled eggs,
deep fried everything! Simon also takes Tony to enjoy a
traditional haggis, a meal of ground lung, liver and the like,
all steamed in a stomach lining wrap. From there, the show moves
further north, to the Scottish highlands, where Tony stays at
the Cawdor Estate. On the estate, Tony hunts and fishes for
everything he eats, which is all prepared by the estate's inhouse chef, Ruth. She shows the way traditional Scottish food
from the Highlands is prepared using only the freshest local
ingredients. The meals include pan-seared salmon with a scotch
whiskey cream sauce, nettle soup, rabbit and a raw venison stew.
22.
A Pleasing Palate!
Country: United Kingdom
Tony Bourdain lands in London to dispel the myth that all
English food is disgusting and over-boiled. According to Tony,
the
English
have
recently
developed
one
of
the
most
sophisticated cuisines in Europe. In the past ten years, the
culinary traditions of the English have been rescued, most
notably by chefs like Fergus Henderson, author of Nose to Tail
Eating. Fergus's restaurant St. John specializes in the odd bits
of animals. Tony enjoys a meal of kid liver salad, whole roasted
pig head, grilled ox heart, and breaded pigtails. Tony also
explores traditional fare that is quickly dying in London, like
meat pie and mashed potatoes, known as Pie and Mash Shoppes.
Though some traditions are dying, Tony also makes a point of
showing how the English reinvent their cuisine; he visits a
predominantly Indian community and indulges in a home-cooked
Punjab meal.
23.
Food Tastes Better with Sand Between your Toes
Country: St Martin
Chef Tony Bourdain goes to St. Martin to work on his book and
escape the stresses of his New York City life. He introduces us
to some of his favorite people and places on the island such as
the Freedom Fighter Ital shack where he eats a healthy
Rastafarian meal. The next stop is the homely Poulet D’Orleans
restaurant where Tony enjoys the specialty cuisine and chats to
the owner’s three sons. Back at the villa and close to a nervous
breakdown, Tony visits Johnny B Under the Tree for some ribs
where Tony appreciates Johnny’s sensibility to focus his menu on
a few signature dishes. The next day, making an early start,
Tony joins Hilma and her husband preparing food before opening
up the caravan she operates Hilma’s Windsor Castle restaurant
from. After his breakfast, Tony visits the French side of the
island and heads to Supermarche Dupont. He excitedly shows us
foods that people might not be able to find in an American
supermarket. Finally, after a bad flashback to his city life,
Tony visits his friend Gus at Gus’ Beach Bar & Grill, a location
he feels is paradise on earth.
24.
“No Beads, No Babes, No Bourbon Street”
Country: USA
In his first foray into the culinary world of New Orleans, Chef
Tony Bourdain finds an array of interesting, off-the-beatenpath, culinary establishments. Wandering into the bayou, he
meets Wild Bill, who takes him out on his boat in search of
alligators. Wild Bill’s mating calls attract many gators and in
no time Wild Bill is preparing spicy fried gator. Tony needs to
cool down and finds Hansen’s Sno Bliz, where the Hansen’s have
been serving unique sno cones for over 60 years. He then visits
Checkpoint Charlie’s, a bar slash Laundromat, which wets his
appetite for the authentic, down-home soul food served by The
Harbor restaurant. Tony’s tour of non-touristy eateries then
takes him to Jacques Imo’s where Tony samples alligator sausage
cheesecake, fried chicken and an aptly named dish called
Godzilla, all eaten in the VIP section – the back of a pick-up
truck. Tony is in trouble again, but luckily, his arresting
officer adores jambalaya and introduces him to talented, dancing
chef Tee-Eva, who’s known in those parts for her jambalaya. In
his hotel to avoid further scuffles with the law, Tony orders in
from Verti Marte, the kind of place where all of Tony’s vices
can be met, including his love of a greasy pile of meat and
cheese! Throwing caution to the wind, Tony ventures out to his
last New Orleans stop – Vaughn’s Lounge – to enjoy some jazz
music with locals.
25.
A Mystical World
Country: Brazil
Tony’s first stop in Salvador da Bahia is a local market, where
he acquaints himself with the cornerstones of Bahian cuisine:
fried shrimp, palm oil, chili peppers, and coconut. Switching to
a different plane, he takes part in a Candomble ceremony – a
trance-like ritual designed to initiate new devotees into this
traditional, animist religion. After a night sleeping off his
disorientation, Tony heads to Sorriso da Dada, run by Dada, one
of Bahia’s best and most successful chefs. Overseeing every
detail in person, she serves such standards as red fish wrapped
in banana leaf and moqueca, a seafood and coconut stew cooked in
fiery dende palm oil, infamous for wreaking gastro-intestinal
distress on unsuspecting tourists. The effects on Tony are
restricted to uncontrollable sweating, which he counters with
Dada’s huge variety of Caiparinhas, and then heads for the beach
for some sun, relaxation, and, of course, food! Toasted cheese,
sugar cane, shrimp, quail eggs – ah, Tony finds himself slipping
all too comfortably into Bahian life, if not necessarily into
its religion.
26.
How to be a Carioca
Country: Brazil
You may have heard them being eulogized in bossa nova or samba
songs, and you may have been seduced by their raffish charms,
but what exactly is a Carioca? A native of Rio, Brazil—a lovable
scamp who somehow finds a way to avoid work altogether,
preferring the beach, flirting and hanging out at restaurants
and bars. Tony Bourdain, under the tutelage of an exemplary
Carioca, is only too happy to give the lifestyle a try—minus the
Speedo. A savage tan, a Brazilian barbecue, and one too many
Caipirinhas later, our loveable Carioca has taught Tony a thing
or two about living the good life!
27.
Elements of a Great Bar
Country: USA
It’s a hard job, but somebody has to pin down what makes a great
bar and in this episode, Tony generously volunteers to start the
quest at his neighborhood bar, Desmond’s. Top of his list of
essential ingredients is a “maniacal bartender” – someone who
knows when you need the next drink AND can concoct it expertly.
To illustrate, Tony introduces us to the master of martinis,
Dale DeGroff, who with his own martini tools in tow (!) schools
him on the proper chemical makeup of this classic drink. In true
point/counterpoint style, Tony then stumbles through the dark
underworld of substandard establishments, including stops at: a
piano bar, a karaoke bar on Billy Joel night, a velvet rope line
outside a swanky club, and that scourge of the bar landscape,
the theme bar. Back on the positive, Tony touts the healing
properties of a good jukebox and the medicinal properties of
great bar food. This line of thinking makes Tony hungry - cue
hamburgers, weenies and tacos – and nostalgic for the delights
he has tasted in bars all over the world. But, as they say,
there is no place like home – and in Tony’s case, this is the
Bellevue Bar where we are introduced to the concept of the
“buyback”, where a bartender rewards you for your patronage by
giving you a drink (or two or three or four, in Tony’s case) on
the house. Tony settles in and assures us that somewhere in this
big city is a barstool with our name on it, just like the one
he’s sitting on at Bellevue.
28.
The Struggle for the Soul of America
Country: USA
Tony travels to Minneapolis, the towering capital of the grain
belt, to inspect a battlefield in the culinary wars raging in
America – the conflict between lone independent operators trying
to do new things and the generic uniformity of chains and
franchises. He begins in the very heart of the beast: the Mall
of America, more a candy colored nightmare than the realization
of the American Dream.
Tony knows that there’s good food in
Minneapolis, but in order to fully appreciate the peaks, he must
slog through the valleys of Cereal Adventure and Minnesota
Picnic, which take him to the verge of sell out and despair.
After nearly being trampled by a large walking Spam, Tony visits
The Sample Room, a locally owned and independently operated
restaurant, and then the Saigon Café which produces traditional
Vietnamese fare, rather than homogenized and standardized
fodder. His faith is somewhat restored, and in Aquavit, he finds
the perfect example of a successful restaurant that lures people
in a gentle and seductive way and gets them to experience food
that is foreign to them. It has taken a lot of perseverance and
a slow expansion of their menu, but Aquavit has been able to
establish itself as a major force in Minneapolis.
29.
The BBQ Triangle
Country: USA
It’s as mysterious and potentially dangerous as the Bermuda
triangle—Kansas City, Houston and North Carolina are locked in a
BBQ battle to the death. Ask 10 different people what is a good
BBQ and you’re going to get 10 very different and very
opinionated answers. Secret sauces, wood pits, slow smokers…
there’s no end to how to prepare your ribs, “burnt ends” and
brisket. So let the barbecueing begin: Carolyn Wells, executive
director of the Kansas City Barbecue Society at Oklahoma Joe’s,
opens up the whole barbecue controversy. Then the “Baron of
Barbecue”, Paul Kirk, takes him deeper into the ways of the
barbecue, pointing him towards Dave Klose, of Klose BBQ Pits, in
Houston, Texas. This pioneer has a wild obsession with turning
everything he sees into a BBQ pit – a guided tour of his factory
culminates in a feast of Tiger shrimp and stuffed quail fresh
off a Klose pit. Finally Klose introduces Tony to a living
legend in Houston barbecue – Roy Burns, proprietor of Burns B-BQ – who lives in a shack in the middle of nowhere. That only
leaves North Carolina, which throws up more arcane and highly
entertaining disputes which give new meaning to the expression
‘going the whole hog’.
30.
Mad Tony: The Food Warrior
Country: Australia
Tony embarks on a pilgrimage to Australia so he can indulge in a
meal made by one of the world’s best chefs, and a personal idol,
Tetsuya Wakuda.
And, like a true ‘food warrior’, it becomes
abundantly clear that he isn’t going to let anything stand in
his way. When his car breaks down in the outback, he is found
wandering about, hopelessly lost, by a veteran of the bush who
brings him back to camp and feeds him a slap-up meal of bush
tucker, including kangaroo and wattleseed-bush tomato. Next day
he hitches a lift to the one hundred and ninety-six thousand
acre Sturts Meadows Sheep Station, where he is treated to a
lunch of yabbies, Australian crayfish, freshly cooked and
cracked on the veranda.
Then he gets another lift, to
Silverton, finds his car and dog Max, and after a beer and meat
pie at the ‘famous’ Silverton Hotel, he sets off toward Sydney
and Tetsuya’s restaurant. As the meal arrives, Tony realizes
that the hours of flying and long walk across the desert have
all been worth it—the first course alone is made up of six
smaller courses, each as amazing as the one before. By the last
mouthful, he finds himself quite literally at a loss for words.
31.
Down Under: The Wild West of Cooking
Country: Australia
Just where is the food craze going? Maybe one day everywhere
will be like Melbourne, Australia, the food-craziest Englishspeaking city in the world. A bunch of hard living, good natured
eccentrics, these food lovers are Tony Bourdain’s kind of folk
and he meets a group of them at the chateau vineyard of Distasio
“Ronnie” Rinaldo. They discuss food, life and philosophy over an
amazing lunch in a beautiful setting, literally drinking the
house wine. In search of the outlaws of food, Tony meets up with
Richard Thomas who owns a cheese factory and prides himself in
making cheese the way it’s suppose to be made. He and Tony
express concern over the pasteurization of milk products and the
importance
in
letting
nature
take
it’s
course
in
the
fermentation process. In the same vein, Tony visits Angel
Cardoso who makes cured jamon the old fashion way. Angel is also
concerned with modern health codes conflicting with traditional
ways food was prepared. Next Tony goes to Ondine’s to meet the
owners
- cooking duo Donovan and Philippa Cooke. Both are
classically trained in Europe but felt the need to experiment
with food. The end results are classical dishes in nature with a
wonderful exotic finish. As Tony is heading out of town, he
decides he’s not ready to leave Melbourne yet and spends the day
at Donovan and Philippa’s house for a Barbie. Donovan grills
crayfish and steak and tells Tony all about his humble
beginnings. It’s a nice afternoon spent with friends.
32.
New York in Twenty Years
Country: Singapore
Tony introduces us to the “Old Singapore” by having high tea at
the Goodwood Park Hotel but quickly decides to find the real
Singapore with it’s multicultural restaurants and markets. He
visits a herbal doctor who has combined his medicinal practice
with a restaurant that specializes in prescription dishes made
from healthy and exotic herbs and ingredients. Dr. Li Lian Xing
says Tony is over tired and his yin and yang is out of whack and
gets his assistant to help Tony choose some dishes to help him.
Next Tony explores the markets and meets up with a Malaysian
woman named Sapiah who shows him around the Geyland Serai
Market. She walks and talks until Tony is starving, then takes
him to her favorite restaurant. At first, Tony is very
skeptical, but soon becomes a believer and gains new respect to
Sapiah and her choice in food. Tony takes the subway, which is
clean, fast, efficient and on time, to meet up with friend
Ilangoh in Little India, which represents one of the more
traditional and ethnically diverse sides to Singapore. At the
Tekka market, they see the many hawker stands that specialize in
certain dishes. As a special treat, Ilangoh takes Tony to meet
TV food host and critic K.F. Seetoh who takes them to Sin Huat
Eating House to experience the culinary genius of chef Danny
Lee, where each dish outdoes the one before.
33.
Lets Get Lost
Country: Thailand
In order to really experience a foreign culture you must go out
on your own and get lost. Wanting to find the real tastes and
smells of Chiang Mai city, Tony Bourdain jumps in a tuk tuk and
goes to Aroon Rai where everything is supposed to be good. After
an very spicy meal Tony heads to the Chiang Mai night bazaar to
cool off with a few nice deserts.
Tony wakes up in his
American-style hotel room, but avoiding his room service western
breakfast, looks to see where the locals are eating. Jog Somphet
looks a good choice, and after his refreshingly different
breakfast, Tony meets up with a local woman, Napa, who takes him
shopping at the market and cooks him a meal. Tony decides to
leave the city and really get lost.
He pops into a farmer’s
house 65 miles from Chiang Mai and finds a welcoming family who
treat him to a traditional kan-tok dinner. On a recommendation,
Tony goes to Huen Phen for a papaya salad. Not much a lover of
salad, Tony is really surprised. In fact it may be the best
salad Tony has ever eaten. Back in town, Tony seeks to answer
one last question: “Is it truly the case that transportation
sector employees possess a qualitatively superior culinary
insight?”. Tony asks his tuk tuk driver to take him to a good
place to eat, then asks him and some friends to join him at Rot
Nueng, a local noodle shop.
After another wonderfully spicy
meal it is evident that Tony finds the answer to be yes.
34.
My Friend Linh
Country: Vietnam
Vietnam is one of Tony’s favorite places on earth, and he’s back
to visit Linh his friend and translator in Hanoi. His visit
coincides with the Tet holiday, the Vietnamese lunar new year
when indulging in food reaches a fever pitch in Vietnam. Tony is
very excited that Linh has invited him to his house for Tet.
While Linh goes to the pagoda to make offerings and pray for his
ancestors Tony has snail soup for breakfast. Afterwards he and
Linh go eating from stall to stall treating themselves to good
food from vendors beaming with pride.
At Linh’s home, the ice
is broken with Hanoi vodka mixed with bear bile.
Meanwhile,
Linh’s sisters, wife and mother in law are preparing the Tet
meal.
There is a keen reliance on simple ingredients, but the
key is how different colors and flavors and textures work
together.
After Tet is over, Tony travels to Madame Tuyet’s
home.
According to Linh, she is one of the most celebrated
chefs in Vietnam running a medal winning family operation. Here
Tony dines on snakehead fish, Madame Tuyet’s famous wild honey
chicken and Tony’s favorite, Vietnamese coffee. In one of
Hanoi’s busiest restaurant districts that Tony jokes is the
Vietnamese equivalent of a food court, he and Linh go for
Chinese chicken in herbs at Thai Hung Lau. As Tony’s visit to
Vietnam comes to an end, Linh takes him to an out of the way
restaurant located down an alley.
Called the “Eel Shop” it
should be no surprise that Tony has eel, cooked in bamboo.
35.
One Night In Bangkok
Country: Vietnam
Tony has some spontaneous layover adventures in Bangkok when he
decides to venture into the city, rather than duty free shop for
eight hours. His first stop takes him to Bane Lao Restaurant,
where he meets Jerry Hopkins, the author of Strange Foods. Here
he tries and enjoys some pretty strange foods such as deep fried
frog skins and pla rah, a fish paste that has fermented for
three month to a year.
On Jerry’s recommendation Tony goes to
Seafood Market and Restaurant, a gigantic establishment where
you shop for your food then decide how you want it cooked. Out
on the streets, the snacking possibilities are endless.
After
deciding on a bag of crispy fried bugs with chili sauce Tony
runs into A Cook’s Tour fan in the red-light district.
Tony’s
last stop in Bangkok is Nefertiti Restaurant, a small Egyptian
café, where he unwinds with a strong cup of coffee and a bowl of
apple tobacco with desert. It’s back to the skies as Tony heads
for Singapore.
Here Tony meets his book editor Ilangoh for a
meal in Little India and some crazy business ideas.
Tony once
made the mistake of telling Ilangoh he likes spicy foods, and
now it’s time to pay the price.
Tony is also invited to
Ilangoh’s aunt, Mrs. Gopal’s house for a traditional Indian
meal. Yet again Tony’s belief that home cooked meals are the
best meals is proved right.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND SCREENING CASSETTES PLEASE CONTACT:
Lynda Harriss
ENTERTAINMENT IN MOTION
Tel: (310) 305 2882
lynda@skyfilms.com