Anthony Bourdain A Cook's Tour S01E18 French Laundry Experience

welcome to my world as a

cook

, the flavors and smells are my memories and now I'm looking for new ones, so I'm leaving New York City and I hope to have some epiphanies around the world and I'm willing to go somewhere All I can do is looking for extreme emotions in the

experience

. I'll try anything on the drive. All. I have nothing to lose before coming to San Francisco. I played with all the hippies and vegetarians. I came here because I'm on a mission I'm going to the top of the mountain I'm going to eat it at the world famous French Laundry in Napa Valley, about an hour north of here, who is my lifelong dream?

Try the food of Thomas Keller, the owner and chef of the French Laundry. man there's no one who can touch it I can't even describe how much I'm looking forward to this food stash it's until tomorrow so good I think she saw you you ate happiness guaranteed I have to eat I just want it to be simple light and anticipation of the meal morning, first stop at Swan oyster Depot for breakfast, a classic seafood hangout in a city famous for its excellent seafood, it tastes like brine meat from the deep ocean and there is something there that is just impossible for the texture, the sense is I live seconds before it came out of your mouth.

I'm a purist when it comes to oysters, but I can't help but wonder what Thomas Keller does with it. You don't have to wait to find out. Dungeness crabs, well, they never caught about the California-Oregon border until about Right now we should find some beautiful fresh New York seafood served up by a bunch of regular Joe's who are proud of what they do and have been showcasing for almost 100 years. Remember, keep it light, keep it simple. The next thing I'm going to do is go to the sunset where I heard that they are making some pretty strange ice cream in the Asian community, they have unusual ice cream flavors, they are all very good, but not strange enough, so I see that in Asia it is a floats with a very strong smell and Offensive airlines prohibit we need to get on the plane to leave the cheese of a corpse in the sun and you are in the same neighborhood as the smell of durian.

This is nice, almost like a smoked camembert in the regular flavor, it's actually these carvings. To top it off, that's an internal burp and you've practically destroyed the lives of innocent citizens around you, Charlie, thank you very much, wonderful. I'll be back, some ministers will come to town and they'll bring a Bible of Polly Ann's Follies and the Purity of Pigs. oysters, but I can't wait until tomorrow when I hit the anvil to meet my idol Thomas Keller and the day finally comes, not a moment too soon, you know, I see that you have absolutely the most exciting chef in America, you know, at the top of his game. game he is a notoriously motivated perfectionist if you read the recipe for the simple looking garlic chip garnish, it requires a level of skill, diligence and accuracy that one would expect from the neurologist this morning.

I am extremely fortunate that Thomas Keller has invited me to watch. one of the local organic farms, just one of dozens of Thomas Keller suppliers, works with cinnamon for the most exceptional products. The best thing about the relationship is that we are so close to the staff that people come and really harvest well. These guys were young people who were just out of school or doing an externship and they came here and realized where all this stuff was, so it brings a different kind of respect for food that doesn't normally happen in kitchens. It's a shame to sit down after a lifetime of

cook

ing. and hanging around kitchens, it's only in the last year that I've really started to see where food comes from.

You know, I've been heating up food over the phone. Maybe boxes. Yes, very good right now. Because anyone who knows me knows it. my indifference towards vegetables, but this guy has me drooling over the beans just the way they're cradled there, you know, the way nature activates in this cotton, it's cool, really cool, I can't tell you there was an electric shock to see it. You know a chef in a kitchen chef plucking vegetables right out of the ground, that's just mind-blowing to me. I have never done that in my life or even considered doing it on a path not taken.

I have to say yes. I deliberately made a guest list and a shameless attempt to compensate for my own shortcomings and prestige in the business these are people Keller has every reason to respect Michael Ruhlman cooperates with the French Laundry cookbook the writer I really admired never prepared is the chef from the four star restaurant the burner in New York is that Bryan chef/owner of Veritas maybe my favorite restaurant in New York do you think we're going to get the comb started is something you think about every time he just too well known a bunch of good types and a way to meet the boss only I'm the guy who gets hit in the first wheel at least I'll die in luxury memories I'm Kitty I'm nervous I'm excited like a 16 year old girl on the way to our first date.

I only hope I am up to the task of appreciating what I am about to

experience

on the menus for you, but there is no decision to be made at all tonight - the chef has been at the center of a great variety of dishes, it begins with its famous cornets with salmon tartar on top like an ice cream cone. Keller likes his food to evoke memories. You don't hear many chefs talk like that playing with magical forces like memories I didn't cool this bugle is so playful and so tasty I have to wonder what's next the four of us suddenly start playing detective we continue trying to solve a mystery there are four of us in the four of us at the table are getting a completely different experience Well, I instantly realize that I'm in another realm, this guy is thinking things that wouldn't occur to me if I dedicated my entire life there to creating just one of his dishes, what What kind of will must have complex you to come up with these intricate dishes from the stories I have heard, there is no extent to which he would not achieve his ideal if he thought of increasing the gastronomic pleasure by having one of the carvers on his staff carve the acropolis in each and every bean I could.

Well, do it, so beyond that, I promise to realize, take some time. I was warned that Keller told me before, don't eat, I obey, I am on board for the entire trip, I will eat what he sends as long as he sends it. Smoker, this embarrasses me to no end, but it was absolutely delicious. A nicotine effect is expected with Marga-infused coffee custard. I was hoping to wet the flavors down so they would be a little more timid. So they were there. You know they were safe. You know, maybe just not. It is not like this. the taste of the chocolate is so refined that God help us, this is a marathon event after three hours, they were only halfway through almost 20 courses and seven bottles of wine.

Kelly's tasting menu was many, many small plates of boldly flavored items, just enough to surprise and delight with each dish. arrives I'm almost dizzy in the light it's still fun to look cool for my chef Allison squealing at the table and clapping just wouldn't do I'm a New Yorker for God's sake I have a reputation for cynicism to live up to only a cynic at the French Laundry about anything I feel like Keller is really playing with our minds devilish salmon shot different cutlets on a fish has been a perfect example of the master at work just beautiful who would think this I want like one of each Of course it's an almost bittersweet experience.

I know I could never have done what Thomas talked about: experiencing each bite within my own limitations. Yukon Gold Potato Blini with Shiitake Mushrooms and Chive Butter. There's a mischievous humor running through this entire menu he's using. a lot of old heavy classic terms with very very new presentations, lobster is not present, never, in general, lamb shoulder, you are combining a lot of words with foods that are not traditionally made this way. Wow, this leg is a naked rolls-royce and mink underpants. By eating this magnificent foodie, you agree to focus on the ingredients. He lifts the shoulder and kidneys with a silane reduction sauce.

You can die after eating this because they just won't get better. The more luxurious you will get them for this choice because the seafood. the pasta the meat killer dazzles on every level physically and emotionally i almost feel like crying i'm not sure how much more of this i can take so wait, we're going so far, i'm just thinking about one thing, i can't eat a single bite further. and the waiter tells us, bring us dessert. I think we're all thinking the same thing, which is a problem because the kitchen is just putting the finishing touches on a whole fleet of desserts.

They start us easily from day one. but then they just go crazy with these bananas. I'm slandering a screen, but chocolates eat Cheban b-but we flew here and we're not missing a bicycle. I wanted the food to look like it did in the book and can we all agree that the experience is absolutely perfect? Well, we were all like little kids on Halloween looking outside for a moment. They're eating here and meeting Thomas Keller. He has changed the way I look at food. It's also bittersweet. It has made me a little sad thinking about all the things I have missed, but most of all I have learned what is possible with