Anthony Bourdain - Malaysia Part 3 and Miami Ink

I find it strange to observe an Iban feast taking place inside a building with tiled flooring, where a rope of real, human skulls are strung up on a pole, as the local custom.

Nothing really wrong with this party, my expectations are just higher. I had expected this kind of tribal feastival, with all of it's flair, to be taking place around a large fire with Tony and company, tied to stakes waiting for the next part of the ritual to commence.

I am envious of Anthony Bourdain, on so many levels. He goes in for the experience, unashamed.

Tony is a philosopher at heart, he comes and he goes, and takes it all into him.

God bless you Tony for sharing this your Malaysia with us.

This clip is of Mr. Bourdian getting his next tattoo, since visiting Malaysia, on his other shoulder. It's a skull.

If Tony starts a ritual of getting a new tattoo every time a visits another place, he'll be quite the illustrated man.

Anthony Bourdain - Malaysia Part 2

When Tony's new tattoo is finished, Eddie hooks him up with a friend, who takes Bourdain, and crew, down river, for more local fare.

It's a family run restaurant, with local cusine, served up by Aunty Ain and her family.
The ambience is great and you can almost taste the food. I wish Aunty would open up another one of her cafe's down my street, in "Anytown", USA.

It's off and running, a two hour flight, to Kuching, on the island of Borneo. From here, Mr. Bourdain is ready to go up river, into the jungle and find the tribe of Iban.

It was not that long ago, the Iban were known as headhunters, not the type of headhunters that will help you find a job position to further your career, but help you end it.

Before the jungle, it's a hearty breakfast at the Choon Hui Cafe in Kuching, with David, the guide, leading the way.

Note: I have to wonder, as different in culture, as so many of these dishes seem to be to some of us; what would a local Malaysian think of a breakfast of, bacon and eggs?

It's a three hour boat ride, up river to Tony's destination. They make a pit stop to pick up some beer. David, explains, these local party stores are limited to basic necessities, like beer, cigarettes and rubber. Rubber?

As Bourdain gets closer to his destination, he clearly does not know what to expect, and is quietly, relieved to find the Iban tribe living in less rural surroundings than he might have expected.

Tony's journey is not over. It is a six hour hike into extreme, deep jungle, led by a guide, Etam that is very "old school", Iban.

Etam, used to be a serious headhunter. When he looks at that anglo-saxon, salt and pepper head on Mr. Bourdain's shoulders, I can't help but wonder; what kind of context is this guide seeing Tony in?

The Iban traveling with the group, get and fix lunch, right at the river, while Tony, David, the first guide, and crew, kick back and have a few beers.

Once the crew arrive at the rural village, it's the local custom for the visitor, to kill a pig for the feast.

Tony is, Tony, but he has a very hard time with this one. Killing a live pig, is not on Mr. Bourdain's agenda at all! This takes him by complete surprise.

Anthony Bourdain - Malaysia

Malaysian staple foods, are general to the region. Rice, noodles, fresh vegetables, chicken, beef, pork, fish, seafood and mutton; but not limited to this.

The world changes, and Malaysia is no exception. Just a generation, or two ago, most of the food was purchased from local farmers. Now, large companies have moved into the market and process the food in bulk, from huge farms, much like the western world has been doing.

Malaysia is a very mult-culture country, so there is a vast selection of food dishes available.

When Anthony Bourdain visits a particular region, you can be sure he will dig deep, to show us those "hidden gems", those food dishes that even some of the locals have never even tasted before. Malaysia is no except.

Tony is once again, going for the ultimate experience. It's bull's penis, with curry broth. The dish is supposed to enhance a man's particular organ.

The next day, Tony takes off looking for the "real" Malaysia, the local culture, minus the international flavor, that Bourdain really came to see.

Tony has a nose, for sniffing out local flair and finds himself at a local eating spot, way off beaten path.

It's a local, Borneo tribesman, Eddie, a tattoo artist with sunglasses, looking very westernly infused, that catches Mr. Bourdain's interest.

After a very lively discussion, with Bourdain's new found, friend about the local tattooing culture, guess what Tony has a taste for, besides lunch?

After a meal of fish heads and fish stomach, it's off to the local tattoo parlor, so Eddie can go to work on Tony's new tattoo.
Tony hooks up Malaysia's number one chef, Wan. A mega, superstar chef, with his own TV show. Together, they hit the streets for a tour.

Anthony Bourdain's taste for local culture is consuming, and Malaysia is no exception to Tony's appetite. As expected he tastes everything.

The next morning, Mr. Bourdain is off and running to the local caves, for a hindu festival.

Bourdain, On Top Chef

Anthony Bourdain is not a stranger to cross-over tv shows. Here he is as a guest judge, on Top Chef.
Tony talks about his weird Thanksgiving

Anthony Bourdain meets Harvey Pekar

Many of you might wonder, just who Harvey Pekar is? Harvey writes underground, type comics, usually with Robert Crumb, doing the illustrating. He is also a jazz critic and author, living in Cleveland.

It was in the late 80s that America really got to know Pekar better. He started appearing on, David Letterman's late night show. David thought Harvey fit right into the show as an eccentric, so he kept bringing Harvey back on.

A lot like Bourdain, Pekar doesn't pull back on his punches and got banned from NBC for being overly critical of one of the sponsors.

This clip is short, but captures two peas in a pod. These two outspoken authors and critics have so much in common. I'm glad they had a chance to meet.

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations -- Office Space 2

I like the way Tony sets up his little "send up" vignettes. Tony, spoofing Tony is a talent, few are born too.

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations -- Office Space 3

I love his dry wit. You do have to wonder though, what Tony would order on a pizza, if you were to ask.

Bourdian Rips On Sandra Lee and Martha Stewart

It's hard to tell sometimes if Bourdain has real contempt for other, self proclaimed chefs, or if Tony just likes to poke at them, which he does, very liberally.

In this clip, Tony is in his element, in front of a crowd at a festival, taking shots at Sandra Lee, from the Food Network.

Sandra has her own show on the Food Network. She is best known for "recreating".

Before food was reinvented, Ms. Lee took her "semi-approach" to decorating. Her, recreate your own home approach, threw her into the media eye.

Nowadays, Sandra is helping us discover real cuisine, with her, "Semi" food techniques, and Tony can't resist, taking some real potshots at her.

And then, there is Martha Stewart. What can I say about Martha that you don't already know?

Martha is, more popular than Betty Crocker. By the way, Betty Crocker is not a real person, nor has she ever been. Betty was invented, a lot like Martha was.

After Martha did her prison stint, I actually had a grudging respect for her. She got right back on the bus, she was thrown under. That takes a lot of courage.

Anthony Bourdain - Fetal Duck Egg (Balut)

The Vietnamese culture has been established for centuries. You can throw western culture at them all you want, but in the end; it's their cuisine that will endure.

Vietnamese recipes, invariably, will call for many fresh vegetables, spices and herbs.

Pork, prawns, fish and beef, are the most common ingredients of meat, to their culture.

Then we have, "fetal duck eggs" (Balut). Leave it to Anthony Bourdain to discover what middle aged, Vietnamese men eat to stay fertile.

Not for weak stomachs.

Tony comments, the egg was very soft boiled and feathery. Although, there was a crunchiness to it, he found pleasing.

Bourdain's Beirut - Part 5

Tony compared the evacuation to a Metallica concert, gone horribly bad. I don't believe Mr. Bourdain was trying to be flip in this matter.

If you have seen the videos of Beirut, or watched it on TV, I think you would have to agree, that this experience changed the whole crew.

The US military takes a lot of grief. It is heartwarming to see the marines as something more than the gung-ho, fighting machines, that I'm sure they are.

In the clinch, it's good to see everyone trying to pull together. It's in these tough situations, we get to see people for who they really are.

Bourdain's Beirut - Part 4

Tony's learning how to sleep through the bombings.

The hotel pool seems to be the main "hang-out for everyone.

Bourdain's Beirut - Part 3

In the midst of not knowing what to expect, Tony takes refuge in the hotel kitchen, doing prep work on some veggies.

Tony Bourdain in Lebanon (Part 2)

Civil war has broken out in the city. The folks who live their are used to the bombings, as much as anyone can be.

The night clubs have back up generators, for when the electrical goes out. You get the impression, it happens enough.

Bourdain's Beirut - Part 1

If you are not aware of Beirut, it is the capital and largest city in Lebannon.

The city of Beirut, has to be both the "Yin" and "Yang" of the mideast, for several reasons. But, two good reasons would be, it is the cultural meca, a Paris, with it's western divergence; ready to accept the fashion, music, and higher education that dominates this city.

The other side of Beirut's history, is it's war torn past. For so long now, Beirut has been rebuilding itself from ashes. It has undergone so much reconstruction in recent years, that it has just recently been, "back on it's feet", as an international, metropolitan city, again.

Tony and crew were in Beirut, Lebanon, for the Travel Channel, shooting "No Reservations", last year, when a war broke out right in front of them.

After all was said and done, it won an Emmy. Why? Because it was the most powerful, captivating piece of reality TV, so far.

They are filming the Beirut piece, all seems well, then all hell breaks loose around them.

Later, Tony compares the evacuation of refugees, waiting on the beach as, "A Metallica concert, gone horribly bad."

Anthony Bourdain on Bollywood

Tony is in India, for his show, on the Travel Channel. In this clip, he is fascinated with the whole idea of "Bollywood". For those that do not know, India makes a lot of movies, thus, the phrase, Bollywood.

Mr. Bourdain sets up a casting office and screens a few women for his upcoming, Bollywood production, remake of "Die Hard".

It is an absurd send-up, only Tony could come up with.

Anthony Bourdain @ Barnes and Noble, June 18, 2006

Mr. Bourdain, the author. Tony loves hitting the bookstores to pump the audience.

This clip is at Barnes & Noble, where Tony holds court, with his "spoken word", from his latest novel.

Anthony Bourdain, the author, is a talent he worked at very hard. If it was not for his books, few people would be aware of this media icon.

Bourdain - The Author

It wasn't until Tony submitted an article to the "New Yorker", called, "Don't Eat Before Reading This", that the public and critics, began to take him seriously and then the tides began to turn for Anthony Bordain, the author.

Finally, Tony became a best seller, with his, "Kitchen Confidential", in 2000. It is at a level, Hunter Thompson, the "gonzo" journalist, would stamp his seal of approval too.It was true, "Gonzo Journalism".

You could say, the rest is history and call this enough, but it isn't.

Anthony Bourdain is, "the real deal". He is the genuine article, in this media crazed world of reality TV and hype, he stands out as real.

There is so much more to Anthony Michael, that you have to wonder, how one man can pack this much into one lifetime.

This is what this blog is about. The man, the living legend and everything in between, that makes Mr. Bourdain, one of the most colorful, interesting individuals to ever be alive, in the media, limelight, today.

Who Is Anthony Bourdain?

You can currently see Tony traveling the world. having a blast and eating the best food, right from the source, on Travel Channel's, "No Reservations".

Mr. Bourdain has a history of, calling his own shots, and it seems to be agreeable with everyone else.

Tony is, multi-talented. Chef, author, journalist, blogger, interviewer, TV star, world traveler, critic, and a family man.

Anthony Michael Bourdain is 51 years old, grew up in New Jersey, went to Vassar for a couple of years and worked restaurants in Mass and New York, helping to put himself through school.

Vasser College, was a womens' college, but in the 60s, had opened it doors to men. Mr. Bourdain, enrolled at Vasser, for no other reason, than to be near his high school sweetheart, Nancy Putkoski. And, yes, they got married, later.

Tony didn't do very much studying at Vasser. He was to busy doing homework for everyone else, who could afford him. It kept him in "drug money". Tony had a big taste for drugs.

Along the way, Tony discovered his taste for food, went above and beyond his sideline, and ended up transferring from Vasser, in his second year, to go to "Culinary Institute Of America", in Hyde Park, New York. Lucky for Tony, it just happened to be, the number one, culinary school in the US at the time.

After graduation, Tony worked at several of New York's finest restaurants, but his drugs got in the way and slowed him down on the path.

Through out the 80s, Mr. Bourdain became addicted to heroin and it took a toll. He didn't do much, but work the kitchens. He eventually got into rehab and kicked the heroin.

After Tony got control over his heroin, he didn't let ambition stand in his way any longer.

Enrolling in creative writing classes at a local college, Mr. Bourdain got bitten by the writing bug and started wearing another hat. The hat said, "Author", but Tony had to work at it.

Tony's journalistic passion began to take note in, "The New York Times", "The Times" and other local papers and magazines, in the New York, area.

In 1995, Tony had his first, ever, novel published, "Bone In The Throat". It got panned, along with all of his other efforts at the time.