A Cook's Tour

The Japanese have a healthy respect for food, which Tony can definitely appreciate; a trip through a market with a sushi chef prepares Tony for his dinner; he also eats a meal with sumo wrestlers.

Tony decides to go in search of a more relaxed and traditional Japanese culinary experience in the countryside; he travels to an old-fashioned Japanese inn that specializes in kaiseki cuisine, the ancient tea ceremony and using local ingredients.

On the Mekong River in Vietnam, Tony drinks Mekong moonshine with the welcoming owners of a duck farm; although Tony finds his Vietnam experience fascinating, he's not sure that the royal dish "Bird's Nest Soup" is all it's cracked up to be.

Tony travels to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, with a friend; there he explores a unique food culture which is both pleasing to the palette and yet slightly frightening.

In Arcachon, France, Tony first learned to love food as a child; in a nostalgic trip down memory lane, he enjoys the food of his childhood including steak frites, gaufres (waffles), soupe de pêcheur (fisherman's soup) and fresh oysters.

Tony revisits his first job, the culinary institute that taught him the basics, a normal working day at Les Halles Brasserie, and his mysterious mentor, Bigfoot, in this culinary reflection on his own career.

Tony's favorite kitchen comrades all seem to come from Mexico, and he wants to know why; Eddy takes him on a tour of his home and town for some great meals of ant eggs, worms and more.

Tony's friend Zamir shows him around St. Petersburg; Tony makes his way through round after round of blinis, borscht, reindeer, pickled salads and dumplings.

Tony has one objective in Morocco: to eat a roast sheep: he travels by camel with Berbers before he finally reaches the sheep roast in the mud of the Sahara.

Anthony Bourdain travels to Ho Chi Minh for their famous fetal duck egg in a bed of feathers; "flavors of the forest" which includes cobra's heart in blood which will enhance manly qualities.

Tony floats on the heart of darkness river in Cambodia; three soldiers commandeer his boat, but a tasty dinner makes it all fine.

Tony has always been interested in the Oaxacan tradition in food; a friend leads Tony through a local market in Oaxaca, Mexico, where they taste a variety of interesting foods including tripe, grasshoppers and tequila.

Tony and his friend explore St. Petersburg; Tony is especially interested in the working class foods of the people; ice fishing, smoked fish and high luxury caviar are a few of the stops.

Anthony samples kids' liver salad, roasted pig's head, grilled ox heart and breaded pigtail, then a traditional pie and mashed potatoes, and afterward takes a tour of the local Indian community.

Tony travels to Napa to eat at the restaurant of the chef he believes is the best at French cuisine, Thomas Keller, who designs a menu superficially for him.

In Morocco, Tony learns about the country's rich culinary traditions and home cooking from a British immigrant.

Tony samples bacalao, a dried cod that's Portugal's national dish; he stops in Oporto, where port wine was created.

The Basque food culture in Spain has a rich history and tradition; Tony and Luis Irizar visit gastronomic societies and tapas bars to try and experience all the tastes.

Tony joins Jose at the family farm to enjoy a fattened pig at the village feast, and then travels to a destination from his childhood where he debates eating a calf's head.

Anthony Bourdain travels to Scotland for the traditional hearty breakfast, a deep-fried pizza, eggs and a Mars Bar.