Famed for his upfront style and macho gastronomic tendencies, international bestseller Anthony Bourdain’s thrill seeking cooking and writing-style has brought much attention to his New York City Brassserie, Les Halles.
First described in his memoir Kitchen Confidential, Anthony’s love of cooking stemmed from travels to France with his family as a child. This love of cooking, combined with a passion for writing, stayed with him and shaped his working life as a chef.
Born and raised in New York City, Anthony attended the Culinary Institute of America and has since spent more than two decades working in various professional kitchens around New York and later in Tokyo. Published in 2001 Kitchen Confidential came out of an article he had written for ‘The New Yorker’ magazine about life behind the scenes in a restaurant kitchen. The book went on to describe life in the kitchen in even more lurid detail, and became a surprise international bestseller.
Propelled by the success of this book, in 2000 Anthony proposed A Cook’s Tour – a combined book and TV series, commissioned by the Food Network in the US. The book and two part series follows him around the world as he samples exotic cuisine from California to Cambodia, including the infamous episode in which he eats the live beating heart of a cobra.
Bourdain is also the author of two satirical thrillers, Bone in The Throat and Gone Bamboo, as well as the historical novel, Typhoid Mary.
Anthony continues to be the Executive Chef at New York City’s Brasserie Les Halles restaurant, dividing his time among his three passions of cooking, writing and travelling. He lives in New York City with his wife, Nancy.
