Inspirational Quotes
Words to motivate, inspire, and guide you.
Anthony Bourdain Quotes
Cultural NormsEthicsHumilityHypocrisySelf-awareness I try to very hard to avoid a situation where I would be eating cat or dog; I've managed to gracefully avoid that. It's hypocritical of me and an arbitrary line, but one that I have managed to avoid crossing.
CommunityConnectionCultural ExchangeOpennessTrust People are generally proud of their food. A willingness to eat and drink with people without fear and prejudice... they open up to you in ways that somebody visiting who is driven by a story may not get.
CookingFamilyFrench CuisineMemoriesTradition My mom had Julia Child and 'The Fannie Farmer Cookbook' on top of the refrigerator, and she had a small repertoire of French dishes.
CharacterGratitudeIntegrityOpportunityResilience An employer of mine back in the '80s was kind enough to take me on after a rough patch, and it made a big difference in my life that I knew I was the sort of person who showed up on time. It's a basic tell of character.
Cultural AppreciationCultural DifferencesEmbarrassmentHumorLearning I often look ridiculous in Japan. There's really no way to eat in Japan, particularly kaiseki in a traditional ryokan, without offending the Japanese horribly. Every gesture, every movement is just so atrociously wrong, and the more I try, the more hilarious it is.
AuthenticityCareerHumorLuckSelf-awareness I've been really fortunate in that I guess I was hired to do 'A Cook's Tour;' I was already a known quantity, meaning I had written a really obnoxious book and nobody expected me to be anyone that I wasn't already.
Breaking NormsCourageCreativityInnovationPride I'm very proud of the Rome episode of 'No Reservations' because it violated all the conventional wisdom about making television. You're never, ever supposed to do a food or travel show in black and white.
AffectionComfortCultureIdentityPlace Attachment I love New York. I'm a guy for whom a New York accent is a comforting thing.
AspirationCommunityGenerosityHopeSelf-Sufficiency I think that if all kids aspire to reach a point where they could feed themselves and a few of their friends, this would be good for the world surely.
CultureFoodLocationPreferenceTravel You'd have a hard time finding anything better than Barcelona for food, as far as being a hub. Given a choice between Barcelona and San Sebastian to die in, I'd probably want to die in San Sebastian.
CulinaryCultureFoodPreferenceTravel Tokyo would probably be the foreign city if I had to eat one city's food for the rest of my life, every day. It would have to be Tokyo, and I think the majority of chefs you ask that question would answer the same way.
Cultural ExplorationGastronomyPersonal GrowthSensory ExperienceTravel Going to Southeast Asia for the first time and tasting that spectrum of flavors - that certainly changed my whole palate, the kind of foods I crave. A lot of the dishes I used to love became boring to me.
AuthenticityConfidenceEaseGoalsWriting I'm a pretty decent writer. It comes easy to me. I don't agonize over sentences. I write like I talk. I try to make them good books.
DietDisciplineHealthLifestyleSelf-Control I don't snack. I don't generally eat sweets or drink soda. I never eat between meals or even before big ones.
Culinary DiversityFood CultureUrban Excellence You have an impeccable argument if you said that Singapore, Hong Kong, and Tokyo are food capitals. They have a maximum amount of great stuff to eat in the smallest areas.
CareerIdentityIgnorancePassionPlace I could do nothing but Brooklyn shows for the rest of my career, and I could die ignorant.
AestheticsCreativityProfessional SatisfactionTeamworkVisual Art I'm always secretly the most pleased when a show just really, really looks good and when my camera guys are really happy with the images they got.
Gender DifferencesHumor or observationParenting and caregivingPhysical effortStrength and endurance If you've ever hauled a 28-pound two-year-old around New York, you'll find that men fold at the knees a lot quicker than women.
AmericaConflictDangerPersonalityRisk The worst, most dangerous person to America is clearly Paula Deen.
AdaptabilityDiscoveryJoyPerseverance Sometimes the greatest meals on vacations are the ones you find when Plan A falls through.
CreativityDiversityEnjoymentPersonal PreferenceStorytelling I like telling stories, and I tell stories that interest me. It would be boring to have to go to nothing but the best restaurants. That would be a misery to me.
AdventureExplorationFulfillmentNostalgiaTravel Southeast Asia has a real grip on me. From the very first time I went there, it was a fulfillment of my childhood fantasies of the way travel should be.
CareGenerosityHappinessKindnessRelationships What nicer thing can you do for somebody than make them breakfast?
BalanceControlEnjoymentMindfulnessSelf-awareness I'm very type-A, and many things in my life are about control and domination, but eating should be a submissive experience, where you let down your guard and enjoy the ride.
CreativityHumilityPerseveranceSelf-awareness I wasn't that great a chef, and I don't think I'm that great a writer.
Career SatisfactionCreativityFreedomGratitudeHumor At the end of the day, the TV show is the best job in the world. I get to go anywhere I want, eat and drink whatever I want. As long as I just babble at the camera, other people will pay for it. It's a gift.
ExperienceMemoryNostalgiaReflectionSignificance Context and memory play powerful roles in all the truly great meals in one's life.
AuthenticityEnjoyment of FoodIndividualityPleasureSelf-Expression I don't have much patience for people who are self-conscious about the act of eating, and it irritates me when someone denies themselves the pleasure of a bloody hunk of steak or a pungent French cheese because of some outdated nonsense about what's appropriate or attractive.