Never Eat This Kind Of Fish, According To Anthony Bourdain
Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain always had strong views on food. His passion took him to many places around the world as he dived into different cultures and explored them through exotic food items. In his iconic essay for The New Yorker in 1999, Bourdain made some interesting revelations about the restaurant industry.
He wrote that it's not the best idea to get yourself a plate of seafood on Monday because, in all likelihood, you will be served something that's not quite fresh. He wrote, "Many fish purveyors don't deliver on Saturday, so the chances are that the Monday-night tuna you want has been kicking around in the kitchen since Friday morning, under God knows what conditions." Yikes.
This does not mean that Bourdain didn't enjoy seafood, though. He simply chose to exercise caution. For example, he loved eating mussels, but was careful about where he ate them (via The Guardian). He explained, "I don't eat mussels in restaurants unless I know the chef, or have seen, with my own eyes, how they store and hold their mussels for service." He also cautioned against ordering swordfish in restaurants. Here's why.
Swordfish was one thing he stayed away from
According to The Travel, Anthony Bourdain was wary of swordfish despite the fact that it's often found on menus at many fine dining restaurants and is considered to be a popular food item. According to Bourdain, it's easy to fall sick from eating swordfish because all swordfish have a certain kind of bacteria. If the chef preparing your dish does not filet the fish correctly, you are likely to feel really unwell and maybe even have to spend some time recuperating.
Per The Guardian, Bourdain wrote about swordfish in his book "Kitchen Confidential" and explained, "My seafood purveyor, when he goes out to dinner, won't eat it. He's seen too many of those 3ft-long parasitic worms that riddle the fish's flesh. You see a few of these babies — and we all do — and you won't be tucking into swordfish anytime soon." Uh oh. Guess it's wiser to be safe than sorry, huh?
Bourdain had strong views on dining out
When it came to food, Anthony Bourdain didn't believe in holding back. At all. He had several thoughts on making dining out a more rewardable experience. As the BBC notes, Bourdain advised diners to be cautious while going for a well-done steak anywhere. Anthony Bourdain said, "People who order their meat well-done perform a valuable service for those of us in the business who are cost-conscious: they pay for the privilege of eating our garbage." Oh no. Basically, it is quite likely that you may not end up feasting on high-quality meat if you go down the well-done route.
He also said something quite unexpected: Don't judge the quality of a restaurant's food by its bathrooms. They may or may not be clean and that's alright. As the chef said, some of the best meals he devoured happened to be inside eateries with mediocre restrooms. These restaurants knew that the quality of their delicious food would keep their customers hooked and as far as Bourdain was concerned, that's a valid point.
Another nugget of wisdom from the chef? Well, he said that you should always pay close attention to where the locals go when they're searching for a scrumptious, satisfying meal. Bourdain was basically saying that it's good to leave your comfort zone behind and sit at a restaurant where there aren't glossy pictures of the food or fancy menus. All you'll see is plenty of locals enjoying the food.
Bourdain vouched for simplicity
According to a CNBC piece, Anthony Bourdain was a heavy supporter of restaurants that chose to go down the simple route. He explained, "My favorite restaurants are ones where they only do two or three things." Basically, he wanted to get the vibe that the eatery he was dining at really knew what it was doing and its chefs had mastered what they were serving their guests. Bourdain further added, "If they have a menu that's all over the place, if they have a hamburger or Asian fusion and it's not in Asia, these are all worrisome to me."
Anthony Bourdain also advised his fans to not be afraid of experimentation. He felt that trying something new every now and then would help most people in many ways and allow them to develop their taste buds. He said, "Without experimentation, a willingness to ask questions and try new things, we shall surely become static, repetitive, and moribund," according to CNBC. Of course, when it comes to experimentation, Bourdain was happy to skip the swordfish.