Leaving behind the Africa we've come to know in the news -- full of corruption, poverty and conflict -- Tony embraces the wild, untamed continent of mystery, adventure and exoticism during a visit to Tanzania.
On the next "Parts Unknown," Anthony Bourdain returns to one of his favorite places on Earth -- Vietnam. "A warm, deeply comforting, familiar bath," is how the CNN host describes the country he's loved since his first visit in 2000.
A South American country of 6 million, much of the oppressively hot landlocked nation of Paraguay is jungle terrain or desert known as "the Chaco." It also holds a Bourdain family mystery.
Anthony Bourdain explores the rich cultural diversity and unique variety of cuisines the Bronx has to offer. From the Bronx's role in the birth of hip-hop to traditional Jamaican tonics to deep fried pig parts, Tony unearths the energy, vibe and rhythm of this oft overlooked borough of New York City.
In the season 4 premiere of "Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown," Tony visits Shanghai, witnessing firsthand the effects of China's booming economy on the vast nation. He explores aspects of Chinese history and culture that still resonate today amid the modern city's flashing lights and newly-minted status as China's capitalist cornerstone. And in true Bourdain fashion, he seeks out the best street food.
Brazil is synonymous with paradise. Exotic beaches, scantily clad Carnival performers -- these icons are unavoidable. But what's really behind the smile on the postcard? All you have to do is go a step further, and what's revealed is something far more interesting.
Thais are sensualists when it comes to their cuisine. Food in Thailand is far more sophisticated, diverse and colorful than it gets credit for in the U.S. People forget that Thailand is made up of hundreds of ethnic groups, languages, and four distinct regions. In fact, food is taken so seriously in Thailand that Kings have written cookbooks. Thais like to drink almost as much as they like to eat. You'll rarely have one without the other.
We are in Mississippi -- not high cotton season, or tailgate college football season, or vegetable harvest, or blues festivals. It's winter. It's stark and yet we are here to unlock the many ghosts, stereotypes and tropes that prevail when we normally hear about Mississippi.
It's been nearly a decade since Tony has set foot in Russia with his longtime drinking buddy/travel partner Zamir Gotta. Vladimir Putin is more powerful than ever. On the eve of the Sochi Games, the country is on lockdown, but Tony and Zamir aren't known for keeping their mouths shut and following orders.
World-renowned French chef Daniel Boulud takes Tony back home to the food-obsessed city and farm where he was raised on a journey into the roots of gastronomy. In this food-centric episode, Bourdain accompanies world-renowned chef/restaurateur Daniel Boulud as they travel back to Boulud's hometown of Lyon, France for a "once-in-a-lifetime" pilgrimage to the so-called Mecca of French cuisine's rich food culture and legendary chefs, with a focus on Nouvelle Cuisine innovator Paul Bocuse.
Anthony Bourdain travels to Las Vegas, a city known for over-indulgence, with food author Michael Ruhlman and visits locales that include Huntridge Tavern (in the shadow of the strip), and famed restaurant é by Jose Andres. Also featured are Penn Jillette, and former mayor Oscar Goodman.
In the Season 3 premiere of "Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown," Tony explores Punjab -- one of the most beautiful and relatively unknown areas of India. Punjab is the Sikh Holy Land, and is also India's agricultural breadbasket.
Few cities have experienced such a dramatic economic rise and fall as Detroit. In this episode of Parts Unknown, Anthony Bourdain explores the past, present and future of the Motor City. Bourdain steps into the lives of Detroit natives and sees the glory days of the past at the famed Packard Plant, the current state of the city's urban decay, and the promise of the future in the citizens who are rebuilding their communities.
Japan is a paradox. The low birthrate, the dedication, the conformity, and the life of a salary man are well known. There is also a competitive and rigid culture that gives way to some unique subcultures. Bourdain has traveled to Tokyo countless times, but on this trip he is in search of the city's dark, extreme, and bizarrely fetishistic underside.
Once considered the most dangerous city in the world, Johannesburg now barely makes the top 50. But the end of the apartheid has led to vast changes in the city.
"Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown" explores the Sicilian way of life, which puts a premium on savoring family, life, and food. Bourdain travels in search of those foods as he eats his way around the island. He makes his home base at the Villa Monaci, on the outskirts of Catania with his enthusiastic, fast-talking sidekicks who counter the otherwise relaxed tempo and epic "food porn" of this episode.
This episode explores the food and natural beauty of Copenhagen, the economic and cultural center of Denmark.
"Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown" takes a close look at the mash-up of cultures that comprise this uniquely American state. Tony and crew sample New Mexico's food -- a combination of Spanish, Mediterranean, Mexican, Pueblo and even chuck-wagon influences. New Mexico is also a land of drugs, guns, monster vehicles, and possibly extraterrestrials. It may also be the perfect place to investigate the underside of the Western cowboy ideal.
On the next Emmy Award winning "Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown" airing Sunday, September 22, Anthony explores Andalucía during Semana Santa (Holy Week, leading up to Easter), a time filled with great pageantry and excitement. Featured in this episode is Bourdain's longtime Director of Photography Zach Zamboni, who lives part-time in Granada and shows the host sights off the beaten path and immerses them in tapas culture.
In the season premiere of "Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown," the host 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, writers and amateur foodies.
Tony visits Congo, the setting of one of his favorite books, Conrad's Heart of Darkness, and the basis for one of his favorite movies, the classic Apocalypse Now.
Tony and his friend, world-renowned chef Eric Ripert, explore the far reaches of indigenous Andes in search of a rare variety of wild cocoa that is said to be the "best" in the world. They move from hip, modern Lima back in time into pre-Colombian Peru.
Libyan hip-hop, Italian restaurants, tribal allegiances and post-war uncertainty in Libya. Bourdain looks at the country through personal stories, food--and the music of anti-Qaddafi rapper expats who returned to fight.
Tony explores the "Interzone", where artists like Burroughs, Bowles, and the Rolling Stones sought escape from Western moral prohibitions and the possibilities of great empty spaces. Does that "anything goes" attitude still exist?
Bourdain travels to remote areas within the province of Quebec where he samples local delicacies, explores ice fishing and beaver hunting and spends time with two of funniest and most brilliant chef/restauranteurs in Canada, Joe Beef's Dave McMillan and Fred Morin.
The public face of Colombia has changed immensely over the past ten years and is still changing for the better. Tony will explore several regions of the country from the mountains down to the Caribbean coast to the coca leaf growing inlands formerly controlled by drug cartels.
Tony takes Los Angeles--but with a twist. No Hollywood sign, no Beverly Hills. Instead, he zeroes in on a three square-mile area of the city known as Koreatown, where he finds a tight-knit community still marked by the 1992 Rodney King riots.
With the slight relaxation of control by the government of Myanmar, Tony is finally able to explore one of the most fabled and beautiful areas of Asia.
Renowned chef, bestselling author and Emmy winning TV host Anthony Bourdain is a trailblazer and outspoken commentator who provides unique insights into food, current events, and cultures around the world.
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