In 2018, the world lost a gem when Anthony Bourdain committed suicide in France where he was shooting his hit CNN series, ‘Parts Unknown’. The storyteller, who would blend food and travel to enthrall people around the world have been an inspiration to many. Two years down the line, it is very difficult to limit him to just food and travel as he inspired people to not just travel and explore cultures, but to do it in a more human way. 

Anthony started his career as chef in New York but it was with his 2000 best-selling book, ‘Kitchen Confidential’, which exposed the harsh reality of the restaurant industry that Anthony rose to stardom. His television career spanning 16 years started with A Cook’s tour and ended with his last shoot of CNN’s Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. He travelled extensively around the globe for his shows, exposing people and cultures unknown to the mass, which reflects how realistic and apt his last series’ title was. 

None of his storytelling was surface information as he dwelled deep inside to discover the roots of the cultures he explored. He was known for his openness and respectful behavior, treating everyone with the same dignity, although he never shied away from heavily criticizing famous celebrity chefs. Anthony’s achievements can never be limited to his 10 Emmy Awards and dozens of other nominations. He was able to open the minds of people around the world and nurture knowledge through his extraordinary storytelling abilities. He was able to show a man sitting in his New York apartment, not just how to cook a fish curry on the backwaters of Kerala, India but how the fish was caught, and what it feels like to have a scrumptious fish curry with the same men who caught and cooked it.

Anthony had an extremely welcoming appetite which ranged from eating ‘Bun Cha’ with Barack Obama in a small eatery in Hanoi, Vietnam, to tasting silky hollandaise sauce on a freshly poached egg at the French Laundry. This vast range of appetite was complimented by immense travelling which he always recommended unapologetically, as he once said, “If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food. It’s a plus for everybody.”