Description
Step behind the kitchen doors and into the raw, unfiltered world of haute cuisine with this groundbreaking memoir from acclaimed chef Anthony Bourdain. Kitchen Confidential offers an unflinching look at the intense, chaotic, and often dangerous reality of professional restaurant kitchens—far removed from the glamorous image presented to diners. Through vivid storytelling and dark humor, Bourdain chronicles his journey through the culinary ranks while exploring the unique camaraderie forged among the misfits and rebels who populate these high-pressure environments. This New York Times bestseller reveals the gritty underbelly of fine dining, exposing the hazards, the passion, and the unrelenting demands that define life in a working kitchen. A candid and captivating exploration of ambition, survival, and the bonds formed in the crucible of Saturday night service.
Available Editions
paperback
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published Jun 4, 2001
320 pages
ISBN: 9780747553557
paperback
Harper Perennial
Published Jan 9, 2007
352 pages
ISBN: 9780060899226
Reviews
1 rating
Community Reviews(1)
While I enjoy watching Anthony Bourdain's television series <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2845786/" target="new"><i>Parts Unknown</i></a>, his book - <i><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Kitchen-Confidential-Anthony-Bourdain/9780747553557/?a_aid=theprivategirl" target="new">Kitchen Confidential</a></i> - falls flat. The "seedy underbelly" Bourdain promises to expose is neither seedy nor shocking (unless the revelation that kitchen staff curse and tell crude jokes comes as somewhat of a surprise to you); nothing new or novel is revealed and the reminiscent stories of Bourdain's past aren't all that interesting either. I found Bourdain's narration to be monotone without life nor passion (<i>even when</i> he recalls the memory that ignited his love affair with food). <i><a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Kitchen-Confidential-Anthony-Bourdain/9780747553557/?a_aid=theprivategirl" target="new">Kitchen Confidential</a></i> only served to make me realise the reason I like <i>seeing</i> the places Anthony Bourdain visits has nothing to do with Bourdain himself but the countries, food, and culture he experiences.
Details
First Published
2000
Language
eng
Featured in a Challenge
Content Warnings
Content and trigger warnings for Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain.