NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 16:  Chef Marcus Samuelsson and Anthony Bourdain attend the  14th Annual Food For Thought Chef's Tasting Benefit at Gustavino's on March 16, 2016 in New York City.  (Photo by Bobby Bank/WireImage)
Food - Drink
Here's What Marcus Samuelsson Loved Most About Dining With Anthony Bourdain
By KAREN HART
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 15:  Chef Marcus Samuelsson visits at Linkedln at The Empire State Building on September 15, 2015 in New York City.  (Photo by Rommel Demano/Getty Images)
On the podcast “Travel That Matters,” the “No Passport Required” host Marcus Samuelsson nostalgically discussed what he loved most about dining with his peer Anthony Bourdain.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 15:  Chef Marcus Samuelsson visits at Linkedln at The Empire State Building on September 15, 2015 in New York City.  (Photo by Rommel Demano/Getty Images)
Samuelsson said, “One of my favorite dinners in L.A. was actually eating with Anthony Bourdain in San Gabriel Valley [...] going to a place where he had heard of.”
Sichuan Gong Bao chicken on a plate
Samuelsson, owner of the famed Red Rooster restaurant in Harlem, shared that the outing entailed eating Sichuan food for a taste of San Gabriel Valley’s incredible Asian cuisine.
Anthony Bourdain in mid-sentence while holding a beer
Whenever he would go out with Bourdain, Samuelsson was often very quiet so he could listen to the late chef’s captivating stories and take them all in.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 15:  Chef Marcus Samuelsson visits at Linkedln at The Empire State Building on September 15, 2015 in New York City.  (Photo by Rommel Demano/Getty Images)
Samuelsson told Metro, “Tony influenced me deeply by working and being around him many, many times, whether we were having a drink at a bar in New York or traveling to Ethiopia.”
Nigella Lawson and Anthony Bourdain exiting an establishment
Fellow stars of “The Taste” Nigella Lawson and Ludo Lefebvre would occasionally join as well, but Bourdain always had dibs on choosing the location.
Anthony Bourdain walking outside
It was always “greasy and grimy,” according to Samuelsson, but the group’s engaging conversation added to the fun discovery process.
Marcus Samuelsson sitting and smiling
Samuelsson shared that he and Lefebvre listened while Bourdain and Lawson talked about their favorite authors, saying, “I learned so much about storytellers they admired.”
(1/21/06, Boston) Marcus Samuelsson eats chinese food at King Fung Gardens, January 21, 2006 in Boston. (012106fungdm03 - staff photo by Douglas McFadd, saved in Adv Food) (Photo by MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)
According to People, some of the group’s favorite eateries to frequent while filming their show included Korean barbecue hot spot, Park's, and Ludo's restaurant, Petit Trois.