Anthony Bourdain

The only thing "gonzo gastronome" and internationally bestselling author Anthony Bourdain loves as much as cooking is traveling. Inspired by the question, "What would be the perfect meal?," Tony sets out on a quest for his culinary holy grail, and in the process turns the notion of "perfection" inside out. From California to Cambodia, A Cooks' Tour chronicles the unpredictable adventures of America's boldest and bravest chef.

Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines

A Cook's Tour

Matthew Xu

I miss Anthony Bourdain :( Bottom line, I really did enjoy this book - but I'd mostly attribute this average rating to the pretty repetitive structure and clear adherence to its originating TV series. There are some really beautiful and insightful passages in almost every chapter, but I wish the broader structure stayed more focused on the core question raised in the intro - "what (and where, really) is the perfect meal?". Instead, most of the filler time in the book is spent just recapping what, I'm sure, was a very riveting show in the early 2000's.

Bourdain's strength as a writer lies not only in his intense self-awareness, but the way that he's able to invite in readers as equals rather than as the typical, patronizing "expert". That self-deprecation and humility is one of the reasons I love Parts Unknown so much, and it's one of the biggest things that A Cook's Tour has going for itself. Bourdain's authorial voice comes through so clearly, and it's really easy to close your eyes and imagine the sights, sounds, and tastes he lays out in each chapter. 

It was also really interesting to read through this book in the context of today's understanding of social justice, cultural appropriation, and how that all intersects with food. Despite his gonzo style and railing against "political correctness" in a few sections, I was really pleasantly surprised to see how well the vast majority (almost all) of this book still held up by today's standards. Maybe Bourdain has earned himself some leeway with the thoughtfulness and sensitivity he brought to his TV shows, but throughout this book I felt a real sense of curiosity and respect, rather than the sort of ogling, exoticizing tone that many travel books can take. Bourdain is constantly aware of his outsider status and how his very presence muddies "authentic experiences", which helps counteract the typical form of "othering" that may be tempting (if unintended) in other contexts. He's also unafraid to confront America's own dark history with many of the places he travels to - take the following passage, for example:

"Once you’ve been to Cambodia, you’ll never stop wanting to beat Henry Kissinger to death with your bare hands. You will never again be able to open a newspaper and read about that treacherous, prevaricating, murderous scumbag sitting down for a nice chat with Charlie Rose or attending some black-tie affair for a new glossy magazine without choking. Witness what Henry did in Cambodia – the fruits of his genius for statesmanship – and you will never understand why he’s not sitting in the dock at The Hague next to Milošević"

That paragraph certainly doesn't absolve some of the blunt, brutish ways that Bourdain describes the people and places he visits, but I think it gave me more tolerance of his writing tendencies. Once you get past the rough exterior, there's a tenderness and care that comes through in the book, reflecting the pretty great person behind it all.

In this text, Anthony Bourdain sets off to eat his way around the world. But this is no conventional culinary tour. Bourdain heads out to Saigon where he eats the still-beating heart of a live cobra, and travels deep into landmined Khmer Rouge territory to find the rumoured Wild West of Cambodia.

A Cook's Tour Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines

Reviews