Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Barack Obama pays emotional tribute to Anthony Bourdain with photo of celebrated Hanoi lunch

'He taught us about food — but more importantly, about its ability to bring us together,' says former president

Andrew Buncombe
New York
,Chris Stevenson
Friday 08 June 2018 17:21 BST
Comments
Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain dies aged 61

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Barack Obama has paid his own, personal tribute to Anthony Bourdain, recalling their celebrated lunch in a Hanoi eatery, and praising the chef and boulevardier’s ability to “bring us together”.

In the spring of 2016, the then president ate a $6 lunch with Bourdain at Bun Cha Huong Lien, a traditional roadside joint where most local people had little idea who either man was. Bourdain was filming for Parts Unknown season 8 while Mr Obama was negotiating a deal with Vietnam that ended a ban on selling military equipment to the single-party nation.

“Low plastic stool, cheap but delicious noodles, cold Hanoi beer,” wrote the former president following the death of Bourdain, 61, in Kaysersberg, France.

“This is how I’ll remember Tony. He taught us about food — but more importantly, about its ability to bring us together. To make us a little less afraid of the unknown. We’ll miss him.”

Current President Donald Trump called Bourdain's death - which French prosecutors are treating as a suicide - as “very shocking.”

“I enjoyed his show, he was quite a character,” Mr Trump told reporters at the White House.

Bourdain worked his way up to become executive chef at a top New York restaurant, and would later talk extensively about his use of drugs and addiction to heroin earlier in his life.

But it was his writing that brought him global fame. In 1999 The New Yorker magazine published his article “Don't Eat Before Reading This,” about the secrets of kitchen life, which would eventually become the 2000 book, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly.

He went on to host television programme, first on the Food Network and the Travel Channel, before joining CNN in 2013. Bourdain was filming in France for his series "Part's Unkown" when he was found dead in his hotel room.

“His love of great adventure, new friends, fine food and drink and the remarkable stories of the world made him a unique storyteller,” CNN said in a statement. “His talents never ceased to amaze us.”

Reuters contributed to this report

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in