FOOD NEWS
How Anthony Bourdain Really Felt About Cooking Competition Shows
BY NIKKI MUNOZ
From "Iron Chef" to "Hell's Kitchen" to "Chopped," competitive cooking shows are popular the world over, but Chef Anthony Bourdain wasn’t exactly a fan.
In a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" thread, Bourdain answered a question from a fan asking his thoughts on cooking contest shows, and Bourdain aired both criticisms and compliments.
Bourdain wrote, "There are good ones, there are bad ones […] 'Top Chef' is probably the best." He said he watched the shows with his daughter, Ariane, who loved the genre.
Bourdain went on to say that while he enjoys "Top Chef" because of the level of skill required, he worried about the impact the genre might have on the cooking industry.
He wrote these shows have "created an entire species of cook, who really doesn't want to work in a restaurant; they just want to be on TV. And that's always worrying."
That said, Bourdain wasn’t above acting as a judge on a few competitive cooking shows, and he even said, "I think a lot of these shows […] have been good for the industry."
While Bourdain said there will always be chefs mainly seeking fame, he also thought the shows were a good opportunity for many people to bond over food.