I was in the Philippines when I learned about Anthony Bourdain's passing. Bourdain loved this country for its delicious food and fascinating culture. The people of the Philippines loved him back. As did millions of fans everywhere. I'd flown in from Bali, where the world's most famous cook had just filmed one of the last episodes of Parts Unknown, Bourdain's groundbreaking show for CNN. In another life, I might have bumped into him. I never met Tony Bourdain, but his work profoundly influenced me
Bourdain was cool without trying. He was devastatingly funny in the most off-hand way. With equal ease, he conversed with refugees, political journalists, and the president of the United States.
He loved authentic food, traveled like a maniac, and was passionate about music. Anthony Bourdain was an ambassador for good, honest food.
I read his first book, Kitchen Confidential in 2000, weeks after it came out, and loved every page of it. There now existed a book about food that I could discuss with my friends in the pub. While his later books never quite reached the pinnacle of success of Kitchen Confidential, Bourdain continued to be a wonderful storyteller - a title he used for himself.
What was it about this man of contradictions that attracted people to him? It wasn't the fame. There are plenty of repulsive famous people. He was direct: "What, you don't like music? Okay, that's a showstopper". A self-proclaimed narcissist, Bourdain preferred to shoot scenes as raw as possible. No second takes, no fake earnestness. He preferred off-the-cuff interactions and didn't mind appearing hungover on camera for episodes of his prime-time shows.
A shy man according to his friend and chef José Andrés, Anthony Bourdain had an air of confidence, a swagger, and directness that betrayed this shyness.
A chef who claimed he couldn't cook anymore.
A man who ate his way around the world and avoided exercise like the plague but had the figure of a marathon runner in training.
A man who, in contrast to most other travel personalities, radiated an air of grump and indifference.
A man who appeared to have little patience but could share a meal and talk with the poorest people of the world. Bourdain laughed loudest at the jokes of the humble street vendors and smiled the widest at the dinner table songs of grandmothers.
A man who was relatively rich, but enjoyed eating cheap noodles while sitting on plastic chairs in Hanoi as much as scoffing lobster in an haute-cuisine French eatery in Lyon.
A man who seemed to have it all but tragically gave it all up.
He was an enigma. A grumpy, rich, white male that, in theory, nobody should like. But under the hard exterior, Tony was deeply sensitive. Anthony Bourdain wanted to be liked. He was also a giver. His long-time friend and chef Eric Ripert describes him as "an exceptional human being, so inspiring and generous".
Why did he end his own life? We'll never truly know. But let's not remember the man as someone who reached the top, only to end it all suddenly. We can only speculate that the pain of living was greater than the will to live. Anthony talked about his wildly popular food and travel TV shows as his legacy. He leaves behind something that many people will enjoy for years to come.
Years after his passing, the world still talks about Anthony Bourdain's achievements but I think they mostly talk about the man himself. He was a brilliant storyteller but gave a platform to others to tell their stories.
It's hard to think of a reluctant celebrity cook that will be missed as much.
Anthony Bourdain (1956-2018)Read more about Anthony Bourdain's work on the official website of Parts Unknown.
"Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life - and travel - leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks - on your body or on your heart - are beautiful. Often, though, they hurt."
Anthony Bourdain