no reservations

Anthony Bourdain is one of my favorite hosts in the world of food. Between his vibrant personality and his ability to fit into and be accepted by other countries cultures he is able to really give the viewer or reader a feeling of being in an exotic destination. One of my favorite food related shows is bourdain’s No Reservations. In this show he travels around the world, usually meeting up with a local people and sampling some of the less well known native dishes from the surrounding area. What is so great about the show is that unlike some of the other food related shows he skips over the fancy tourist trap restraunts and heads out to the street markets and food stands. I recall one particular episode that I saw a few months ago where Bourdain traveled to Malaysia. Here he was greeted by his host, a local business woman and proceeded to show the viewer what people in that part of the world ate on a day to day basis. This was not only interesting, but also a bit refreshing after seeing every other show bring the viewer the standard tourist type foods. Seeing the real street markets and small roadside stands gives a much better depiction of the local cuisine, and how the people live. This along with Bourdain’s exuberant personality helps to add some flare to the show. The people who he meets along the way always create an interesting dialogue and help to keep the viewer interested. Though Anthony Bourdain may not be great role model for younger audiences with his drinking and chain smoking, he is however very personable not giving off the fake feeling of some other hosts. His presence on stage coupled with his knowledge of not only the finished food dish, but also the resource itself, really helps to inform the viewer. The great destinations and people that he encounters on the show paint a much more realistic picture of the local culture than that of most Travel or Food Network shows. Bourdain’s No Reservations is without doubt the best food related show on televisions.