Kitchen Confidential

I've always been a little confused by the term “rock star chef”. I can understand chefs who are celebrities, your Bobby Flays, Nigella Lawsons, and whatnot. But the term “rock star”, for me, carries a little more to it than just being a celebrity - there's a certain lifestyle and personality that have to be involved.

Anthony Bourdain is a rock star chef. He's a drug addicted, uncouth, dangerous man who comes across, at times, as a bit of a douche. He's also, apparently, a pretty damn good cook. That's where the rock star metaphor breaks down a little, though. If someone says, for example, that The Clash's London Calling is the greatest album of all time, someone can easily listen to that and either agree or disagree. But if I get told Bourdain (or any other chef) is a great chef, there's no way for me to actually know that - I just have to take it on the authority of the person telling me, which is odd.

Purely as a memoir, though, this was an excellent read. Bourdain's a great storyteller, and is able to infuse a lot of humour into the story of his life. He's also not afraid to tell the more lurid parts of his life, but manages to maintain an attitude of “yeah, it was fun, but it probably wasn't the wisest choices to make”.