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Anthony Bourdain: “Filipinos Love Feeding People

Anthony Bourdain
Food authority Anthony Bourdain samples halo-halo, a Filipino dessert.

By Ed Diokno

The seventh season of the CNN travel and food ­documentary series ­Anthony Bourdain: Parts ­Unknown ­begins tonight (April 24, 2016) with a trip to Manila, capital of the ­Philippines. The show follows the best-selling author and chef as he travels the globe to discover the cultures and cuisines of ­lesser-known destinations.

Bourdain visited Manila unannounced last December, catching his fans and the local media by surprise. Exploring the city during the Christmas season, he traveled through its festive streets to try out local dishes including adobo, sisig and kare-kare. He also indulged in the popular sweet and milky dessert halo-halo. The episode opens with Bourdain’s visit to Jollibee, which he describes as “a fast-food wonder.”

RELATED: Filipino food, the Rodney Dangerfield of ethnic cuisines

In an interview with CNN this week, Bourdain said he was looking forward to the latest season and “very excited particularly with the episode on Manila”.

 

“I’m very close to a lot of ­Filipinos here in America – I have a sort of extended Filipino family,” he said.

Hmmm, that’s an intriguing statement. Perhaps, he’ll expand on that topic in the show.

 

“In the episode we also explore the overseas Filipino worker phenomenon. We look at the caring and generous nature that is very much a part of Filipino culture.”

“I have long noticed in my travels to virtually all the continents the Filipino bands, singers and entertainers on luxury liners, in theaters, at Karaoke contests, on Broadway, in London, Australia, Germany; Filipinos are constantly winning at international talent searches,” he said in an interview with the Manila Bulletin.

“Filipinos like to eat and they like to cook – and they do it well.”

RELATED:Adobo and lumpia in the White House

While in Manila, Bourdain’s every movement was chronicled by the social media-savvy Filipinos. Pinoy foodies and celebrity seekers were everywhere, following every Twitter and Facebook tip. One showed him at a Jollibee outlet; a lucky couple posed with him inside a Malate Korean restaurant. Adriatico Street quickly filled up seconds after a photo of him and some young Filipinos at a sidewalk beer garden appeared on Facebook. His popularity is undeniable.

This is Bourdain’s second TV trip to the Philippines. In 2008, he visited Manila, Pampanga and Cebu to film an episode of his Travel Channel series No ­Reservations.

 

 

The eight-episode new season of Parts Unknown of will also feature trips to Chicago, the Greek Islands, Montana, Tbilisi, Senegal, ­Cologne and Buenos Aires.

 

The Manila episode of Parts Unknown will air on CNN on April 24, 9 pm ET.

 

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(Ed Diokno writes a blog :Views From The Edge: news and analysis from an Asian American perspective.)

(AsAmNews is an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. You can show your support by liking our Facebook page at  www.facebook.com/asamnews, following us on Twitter and sharing our stories).

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