Tag Archives: Andrew O’Hagan

First published in 2000, Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain is the celebrity chef’s memoir of working in restaurants in New York City. In a loose collection of anecdotes, some drawn from magazine articles, Bourdain recounts how he started out as a line cook fresh from culinary school through to becoming executive chef at Brasserie Les Halles. Like other industries without human resources departments, the working culture is not for the faint-hearted, even if the details are less surprising today. A natural storyteller, Bourdain writes with charismatic force, as though he’s barking orders at the reader, capturing the intensity of the long amphetamine-driven hours in a professional kitchen. Although the graft is undoubtedly hard, the chapter about Tokyo is a highlight and Bourdain’s passion for discovering and appreciating new food is truly engaging. Kitchen Confidential is a modern classic both as a behind-the-scenes memoir and as a delicious slice of contemporary food writing. Continue reading →