Celebrity Chef Anthony Bourdain Found Dead At Age 61 of Suicide

Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain who has had his various food and travel shows come to South Korea multiple times was found dead of suicide in France:

“It is with extraordinary sadness we can confirm the death of our friend and colleague Anthony Bourdain,” CNN said in a statement Friday morning. “His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller. His talents never ceased to amaze us, and we will miss him very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with his daughter and family at this incredibly difficult time.”

President Trump also said he was shocked to hear of Bourdain’s death.

“That was very shocking when I woke up this morning,” Trump told reporters at the White House before heading to the G7 Summit. “I enjoyed his show. He was quite a character, I will say. But, so, I just want to extend my condolences and also to the family of Kate Spade.” Spade, the famed handbag designer, committed suicide earlier this week.  [Yahoo News]

You can read more at the link, but Bourdain really enjoyed Korean food.  Here is what he had to say about Korean chefs:

I have, for some time, believed that the chefs doing the most interesting work in America — chefs who are in fact redefining what “American food” means — are Korean.

When I go out for dinner with non-Korean chef friends, all they want these days is Korean food. They get excited by the deep, tangy, spicy funk of kimchi; thrilled by the little plates of pickles and snacks that accompany the main courses; intrigued by what is, to them, often a whole new spectrum of flavors.

Date night with my wife? Korean barbecue. And God help me, among a very small circle of friends — all of them sworn to secrecy, and on all of whom I possess horrifying and incriminating photographic evidence that ensures their eternal silence — I have, after much soju, actually gone to Korean karaoke.  [CNN]

One of my favorite episodes of Bourdain’s original show No Reservations was when he traveled to South Korea with a Korean-American who worked in his office.  They had a lot of fun in that episode.  You can view the episode at this link.

Finally condolences to Bourdain’s family and friends.