CNN Staff
3 minute read
Updated 10:28 AM EDT, Fri June 8, 2018
Take a trip around the world with some of the past seasons' greatest hits.
Myanmar —
Anthony Bourdain visits the Shwesandaw Pagoda in Old Bagan.
Myanmar —
At a festival in Myanmar, Bourdain spots a unique carnival ride: a Ferris wheel driven by human power. He describes it as an "insanely dangerous, closely choreographed process of first getting the giant, heavily laden wheel in motion and then getting it up to top speed and keeping it there."
Libya —
Bourdain stands atop the rubble that was once Moammar Gadhafi's compound in Tripoli.
Libya —
Camels hang out in Old Town, Tripoli.
Congo —
On the Congo River, it's not necessarily clear where your next meal is coming from. Bourdain fuels up on grilled chicken, ugali and piri piri pepper at Restaurant Village Fatima in Goma before setting out on his journey in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Congo —
The Wagenia dive from a precarious network of wooden poles into the treacherous rapids of what is still referred to as Stanley Falls. They then navigate downstream between baskets that need tending. The catch these days? Not much.
Jerusalem —
Men at a hookah bar in Jerusalem's Old City.
Jerusalem —
Bourdain and Israeli-born chef Yotam Ottolenghi enjoy a meal at Azura restaurant in Jerusalem.
Copenhagen —
Bourdain travels to Copenhagen, Denmark, to visit renowned chef Rene Redzepi. "By the way, it would be helpful to point out this show is not about Denmark. It's not about Copenhagen. I'm here for one man," Bourdain says of Redzepi, who is the chef of Noma.
Copenhagen —
Bourdain dines at Noma with Alessandro Porcelli, the founder and director of Cook it Raw, an annual gathering of the world's most progressive chefs.
Tokyo —
"Maybe the most important thing you need to know about Tokyo ... every high-end chef, from Spain, France, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles -- basically every chef I've ever met. If you asked them -- if you had to spend the rest of your life, in one country, eating one country's food for the rest of your life, where would that be? They're all gonna say the same thing. Japan. Tokyo. Period. For me, that's an argument ender," Bourdain said.
Tokyo —
In the Taito Ward of Tokyo, excellent izakayas are well-represented, places where a hardworking salary man can have a beer or some sake or many beers and many sakes, according to Bourdain.
Punjab —
Bourdain visits Kesar Da Dhaba, a roadside vegetarian food stall.
Punjab —
Two men are filmed outside the Golden Temple, a central place of worship for Sikhs in Amritsar, India.
Lyon —
Bourdain travels to the gastronomic capital of Lyon, France, to dine on "some of the greatest food on earth," like this pâté en croûte.
Lyon —
Place Bellecour in Lyon.
Shanghai —
Bourdain visits the booming city of Shanghai, China, along the Huangpu River.
Shanghai —
Bourdain stops in to Er Guang Wonton to sample wontons filled with minced pork, bok choy, ginger, rice wine and soy.
Iran —
A intense sandstorm engulfs Tehran, seen from the top of the Milad Tower.
Iran —
A series of beautiful restaurants is tucked up into the hillside of Darband, a mountainous neighborhood within Tehran's city limits.
Anthony Bourdain's top 10 episodes of 'Parts Unknown'
Story highlights
Anthony Bourdain picks his top 10 "Parts Unknown" episodes
Libya, Lyon and Myanmar are among his favorite shows
CNN —
Editor’s note: This article was first published in April 2015. It was last updated in November 2016.
Anthony Bourdain went to some of the world’s most fascinating places. They’re not all go-to destinations for the average traveler, and his magic was in unlocking those places through their people and food.
He was very proud of the shows he produced for “Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown.”
These are some of Bourdain’s favorite episodes:
Season 1: Myanmar
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Human-powered Ferris wheel
01:46 - Source: CNN
The series premiere episode offered an inside look at the fabled beauty and local cuisine of a country that had been, up until recently, off-limits to outsiders.
Season 1: Libya
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See what American food is a hit in Libya
01:24 - Source: CNN
Bourdain looks at the post-Gaddafi uncertainty of Libya through the lens of food and ex-freedom fighters.
The host ends the episode on this sentiment: “Everybody seems to be saying, you know, ‘in five, see us’ – look at us in five years. That is a pretty reasonable attitude,” he said.
“This is a place that’s filled with a lot of extraordinary people who have done an extraordinary thing on very short notice, under very difficult circumstances, and at a very difficult time – who are continuing to do the best they can, and I wish them well.”
Season 1: Congo
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Boat ride is Bourdain's dream come true
01:08 - Source: CNN
Bourdain visits the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the setting of one of his favorite books, Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness,” which itself was the basis for one of his favorite movies, the classic “Apocalypse Now.”
“It is the most relentlessly f***ed-over nation in the world, yet it has long been my dream to see Congo. And for my sins, I got my wish,” he wrote.
Season 2: Jerusalem
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Exploring Jerusalem's old city
00:54 - Source: CNN
Bourdain and crew make their first trip to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.
While the political situation is often tense between the people living in these areas, Bourdain concentrates on their rich history, food and culture, and spends time with local chefs, home cooks and writers.
Season 2: Copenhagen
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Bourdain: 'Let's have a bite of flowers'
00:52 - Source: CNN
This episode explores the food and natural beauty of Copenhagen, the economic and cultural center of Denmark. The city is home to famed chef Rene Redzepi and his brainchild, Noma, regarded by critics as one of the world’s best restaurants.
Bourdain delves into the city’s cuisine and the new Nordic creativity that infuses Redzepi’s work at his restaurant.
Season 2: Tokyo
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Anthony Bourdain: Tokyo after dark
01:11 - Source: CNN
Japan is a paradox. The low birthrate, the dedication, the conformity and the life of a salary man are well-known. It also has a competitive and rigid culture that gives way to some unique subcultures.
Bourdain has traveled to Tokyo countless times, but on this trip he’s in search of the city’s dark, extreme and bizarrely fetishistic underside.
Season 3: Punjab
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'Breathtaking' ride to the Himalayas
01:07 - Source: CNN
Bourdain dives into the ever-changing state of Punjab with a trip to Amritsar, sampling cuisine at the dhabas (roadside restaurants), a gurpurb festival (Sikh celebration) and a free community vegetarian restaurant.
Along the way, he meets with local residents who give their perspectives on life in this sometimes contentious region of India that borders Pakistan.
Season 3: Lyon
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Bourdain visits Daniel Boulud's family
01:20 - Source: CNN
In this food-centric episode, Bourdain accompanies world-renowned chef/restaurateur Daniel Boulud as they explore the culinary hub of Lyon, France, for a “once-in-a-lifetime” pilgrimage to the restaurant and home of nouvelle cuisine innovator Paul Bocuse.
Season 4: Shanghai
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Why China is most modern in the world
01:32 - Source: CNN
In spite of its nominally communist system, Shanghai is possibly the most go-go, unfettered, money and status-mad, materialistic place on Earth. Its skyline alone is confirmation that money talks loudest.
Season 4: Iran
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Bourdain on Iran: It's not what I expected (2014)
02:21 - Source: CNN
Bourdain and his crew take their long-awaited inaugural trip to Iran, exploring Tehran and Isfahan.
Local guides for this tour include Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian and his wife, Yeganeh Salehi, who were subsequently detained and eventually released by the Iranian government.
