Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations Seasons 1-5

[prasantrin]

I'm surprised to see TB did not showcase "Balut" a fermented duck egg. I also have fond remembrances of a beer called "Red Horse". Ah.. The good ol Marine Corps days..

←

He did the fetal duck egg on another episode--I think Vietnam way back on A Cook's Tour.

[CoffeeAddict]

Any thoughts on the Philippines episode?

I thought there might have been a bit too much focus on Augusto but overall I thought it was a good intro into a cuisine and culture I admittedly know very very little about. I think Tony really shines in episodes like this when he balances the food porn with what this culture is all about and his journey in trying to understand a foreign culture.

[Tess]

I was perplexed by the focus on Augusto. Did AB express some kind of disappointment with him-- like he turned out to be too laid back or something? I thought it was a good idea to use a runner-up from that fan contest, and the stuff with his family was great but I didn't get that other part.

[Florida]

My impression was that Augusto was to be a "fixer" and he bit off more than he could chew. Not to mention I think Augusto was realizing the reality of "you can never go home again."

AB made the best out of the situation, but then again, that whole roasted pig could make a lot of bad situations better.

[prasantrin]

On MarketMan's blog, you can read a defense of Augusto. FWIW, Augusto was born and raised in the US--first generation American. The Philippines had never been his home, but like many first generation Filipino-Americans, his family still has strong ties to the country. The trip was, as I read, and chance for Augusto to reconnect to the country, and perhaps that may explain some of his somberness (or lack of overt enthusiasm).

I'd love to see the episode before my trip in March, but that seems unlikely.

ETA--watched the episode online (comparing what I saw to the info on No Reservations' website, I think some parts were missing, though). After seeing it, I very much understood where Augusto's (and his family's) reticence was coming from.

Edited February 19, 2009 by prasantrin (log)

[prasantrin]

I was perplexed by the focus on Augusto. Did AB express some kind of disappointment with him-- like he turned out to be too laid back or something? I thought it was a good idea to use a runner-up from that fan contest, and the stuff with his family was great but I didn't get that other part.

←

Which other part? There were so many, it's difficult to understand to which part you are referring. I thought the part with Augusto's family was rather painful to watch--I could feel the discomfort through my computer screen. But I did like watching Augusto's uncle cook.

[CoffeeAddict]

Which other part?  There were so many, it's difficult to understand to which part you are referring.  I thought the part with Augusto's family was rather painful to watch--I could feel the discomfort through my computer screen.  But I did like watching Augusto's uncle cook.

←

Ditto i thought it felt uncomfortable and AB did ramble on quite a bit about how he was dissapointed with Augusto as a "fixer". I thought that was a bit unnecessary and maybe a bit cruel even on AB's part? The telling thing though is how it resonated with Market Man and with a LOT of Phillipino people on both the Market Man blog and on AB's blog.

Just goes to show whatever we think, the episode meant something to Philipino people and I think that's pretty cool! Means he's doing something right for sure!

I felt the same way with the South Korea episode a long time ago with Nari. He complained a bit and there were things that I thought could have been done better but I thought it was a reasonable representation of what I believe my culture is like as a Canadian-Korean.

Edited February 19, 2009 by CoffeeAddict (log)

[Tess]

I was perplexed by the focus on Augusto. Did AB express some kind of disappointment with him-- like he turned out to be too laid back or something? I thought it was a good idea to use a runner-up from that fan contest, and the stuff with his family was great but I didn't get that other part.

←

Which other part? There were so many, it's difficult to understand to which part you are referring. I thought the part with Augusto's family was rather painful to watch--I could feel the discomfort through my computer screen. But I did like watching Augusto's uncle cook.

←

Oh, I'm sorry. I meant the comments AB made about Augusto which seemed disparaging, suggesting that Augusto was not doing the job AB expected on the show or did not have the personality he expected. I can't paraphrase them that well; it was so weird to me-- sounded so weirdly personal-- that I kind of questioned whether I was really hearing it. This was right when the segment with Augusto began.

I thought Augusto appeared like a lot of AB's other local guides, not especially used to being on TV but (aside from not being as familiar with the area as most) not a negative presence at all. I'm going to have to watch this again.

[jmolinari]

It did seem odd how AB kept saying that augusto was doing a poor job. Feel bad for augusto once he sees the episode.

[FoodMan]

I was perplexed by the focus on Augusto. Did AB express some kind of disappointment with him-- like he turned out to be too laid back or something? I thought it was a good idea to use a runner-up from that fan contest, and the stuff with his family was great but I didn't get that other part.

←

Which other part? There were so many, it's difficult to understand to which part you are referring. I thought the part with Augusto's family was rather painful to watch--I could feel the discomfort through my computer screen. But I did like watching Augusto's uncle cook.

←

Oh, I'm sorry. I meant the comments AB made about Augusto which seemed disparaging, suggesting that Augusto was not doing the job AB expected on the show or did not have the personality he expected. I can't paraphrase them that well; it was so weird to me-- sounded so weirdly personal-- that I kind of questioned whether I was really hearing it. This was right when the segment with Augusto began.

I thought Augusto appeared like a lot of AB's other local guides, not especially used to being on TV but (aside from not being as familiar with the area as most) not a negative presence at all. I'm going to have to watch this again.

←

Maybe it was a bit too much of Tony, but on the other hand, maybe not. Notice how short the dinner with family thing was. No one was talking and the whole scene took maybe 30 seconds!! That is way too short comapred to say the family dinner scene in the Saudi episode. All I could think of was how much was actually cut and not used simply because there was nothing in it to use. Augusto displayed so much enthusiasm in his audition that he maybe set the bar too high and promised what he -through no fault of his own- could not deliver, a fun and convivial family dinner.

[shengcai]

I think the episode used the awkwardness (to great effect) in order to evoke a sentiment shared among many second-generation [insert ethnicity here]-Americans. This sense of connection back to one's homeland while still feeling somewhat of a stranger is such a common theme among immigrant descendants, and I'm glad that AB highlighted this in this episode. It's a unique approach to the travel show that typically uses knowledgeable locals as guides. Rather, in this episode, we're brought along with Augusto as he himself experiences in the discovery. It was a bit of a risk, but I think the episode pulled it off, even if it was at the expense of Augusto.

[Florida]

AB makes a note about Augusto on his latest blog posting. Seems to recognize the show may not have shown Augusto and his family in the best light.

Last night's show was good. Not overly opinated, though who was that idiot who AB ate with at Keen's? If that's the type of people who frequent that place, I'd take a pass on it.

Love Katz's deli. I try to hit the place up whenever I'm in the city. Nothing like it here in Chicago.

[prasantrin]

Question about the Philippines episode. I've only watched it on YouTube, but when I compare the list of restaurants on the Travel Channel website to what I saw, they're different.

Restaurants

Café Ysabel

Anthony Bourdain sits down to a classic Spanish dinner with Judy Ann Santos and chef Gene Gonzales at Café Ysabel, which is the home of the Asian Center for Culinary Studies.

Address: 455 P Gereveua Street, San Juan, Manila, Philippines

Lumpia House

Ivan Man Dy takes Tony down an alley in Chinatown to Lumpia House, a hole in the wall that serves up the Filipino take on the classic spring roll.

Address: 637 Carvajal Streeet, Binondo, Manila, Philippines

Capitol Site Eatery

Tony meets Augusto, runner-up for the “No Reservations” FAN-atic Special casting call, at Capitol Site Eatery, a great spot to get beef bulalo the Philippines version of bone marrow soup.

Address: 1449 Villalon Drive, Capitol Site, Cebu City

Bale Dutung

Claude Tayag’s home and professional studio is the place where he treats visitors to classic Pampangan fare. Tony and Claude sit down for a meal of local favorites and talk about the history of Filipino cooking.

Address: Paul Cor Francis Street, Villa Gloria Subdivision, Angeles City, Philippines

Mila’s Kambignan

They only serve goat at this eatery and they only serve it four ways. Tony and Claude get to see the whole process and then sample each of the four preparations.

Address: 1116 A CP Rolmulo Drive, Clark Field, Angeles City, Philippines

Aling Lucing’s

Claude and Tony sample the famous Sisig of Pampanga, which is a dish of boiled and chopped pig face served on a sizzling plate.

Address: 9 Valdez Street, Aggartio Del Proper, Angeles City, Philippines

King Ginno’s Parres

Tony and Rich Alindogan sample the most famous Filipino breakfast at King Ginno’s Parres, a roadside joint in the center of Manila.

Address: 888 EDSA on Park Avenue, Pasay City, Manila Philippines

I don't recall seeing the first two spots (Café Ysabel and Lumpia House) or the last one (King Ginno's Parres). Does anyone remember if they were on the show as originally broadcasted? I'm wondering if maybe the YT version is missing parts.

[RAHiggins1]

Vietnam is one of the best episodes to date. It truly evoked my desire to go there.

[Kevin72]

I found this outing to Vietnam to be surprisingly touching and melancholy. He's been talking about doing the year in Vietnam for a long time, before even No Res, and I get the sense that he worries it's slipping away or that moment has passed and he's losing that country he loved so.

[Claudia Greco]

That's exactly what I got - he has a wife and little girl to think about , and the moment might have moved past him. Then, too, the Vietnamese family who had members forced to fight on opposite sides of the war - must've been just like the Civil War, when numerous American families had sons both on the Confederate and Union sides.

Lovely episode, though. The bahn mi and cao lau was making me crazy with hunger (!!)

[Claudia Greco]

Excellent list - and commentary. Of course, I'd have the list in reverse order, but that's just because I enjoy wit, snark and mojitos more than anything(!)

[Luna Calvados]

Personally, i think i may have actually shot too soon with Eric's Sea Urchin & Caviar pasta....

←

Speaking of this episode on "Food Porn," Eric Ripert prepared an intriguing dish with sea urchin roe and ossetra caviar on top of angel hair pasta. Does anyone recall the recipe for this dish?

[Kevin72]

Speaking of this episode on "Food Porn," Eric Ripert prepared an intriguing dish with sea urchin roe and ossetra caviar on top of angel hair pasta.  Does anyone recall the recipe for this dish?

←

If it's not online on the No Res site, I'm pretty sure it'd be in Rippert's new cookbook On the Line.

[Ce'nedra]

Yes, the Augusto was awkward but I think AB knew it, and used that to effect as he always tries to capture the essence of a human story in most, if not all, of his travels. I also sort of felt a connection to Augusto as a Westerner (me being Australian, him American) trying to make sense of my cultural heritage (which in itself is already confusing) and never quite 'getting' it. Food, however, is one of the central ways I'm able to do this (while exploring others as well). I feel like this was Augusto's means of connecting as well.

Ahem...back to Bourdain, he did a PERFECT job with the Vietnam ep! I've never had cao lau before so that was truly eye opening. And my! That banh mi with the fried egg looks sooooooooo *&^&*^ good! I wonder if they offer banh mi with eggs here -never seen it before.

What was the noodle soup he was having first off? Was it bun bo hue?

Ending of the ep was really touching...

[hungryCAT]

LOVED the Vietnam episode!!

[Jamon.Iberico]

It's a shame that they're done taping for a while. I need my No Reservations fix to function properly. Otherwise, I might just go crazy and brutally assault a fellow employee. It happens.

[violetfox]

LOVED the Vietnam episode!!   

←

Amen. I've made pho 3 times this week! The craving was unbearable!

[handmc]

I saw the Australia episode "on demand" to premiere July 20th. It was mind blowing food porn goodness. A real food centric episode Tony is in prime form. I can't wait till Monday!

[SallyHardesty]

So I was watching the Chile episode this evening.....and I thought I saw......Mr. Bourdain & some of the NR crew in a commercial for Bing.com. Did anyone else see this? Am I hallucinating? I've had a few drinks, but not that many. I was surprised, having been under the impression Mr. Boudain was so anti-shill (so to speak).