Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (Updated Edition)

Must read for anyone who has worked in the food business if they want to affirm the fact that every kitchen is equally as insane as theirs! Alright, maybe they aren't all completely crazy but there are definitely common adult themes in a lot of them. And Kitchen Confidential is FULL of adult themes. If you're squeamish about sex, drugs, cursing, or blood I recommend steering away from this. Granted if those are true, I'd avoid commercial kitchens in general.

I do also recommend this book to all those who have never worked in a kitchen and are at all curious about what goes on. Bourdain gives some interesting tips on what he will or will not eat depending on whether he knows the chef or not. Like which days you should or shouldn't order the fish.

I loved listening to Anthony Bourdain read this book himself even if it was a bit depressing at the same time. It was sad to hear that he overcame so much addiction and issues over the course of his life just for him to ultimately lose the battle with himself. There is a certain amount of self-deprecating humor that allows you to see some of where his head was at in hind sight.

Highly recommend this book (especially listening to Bourdain reading it)!! I did take off the smallest amount of star because he says "mise en place" Way. Too. Much. My (chef) Mom laughed when I said that and said clearly I didn't work with my Uncle much. Anyway, Read this!

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surefinewhatever_'s review against another edition

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challenging informative fast-paced

4.0

Oh man, me and Shane listened to this audiobook hours at a time in the car during our spring break road-trip to Baltimore (coincidentally, we drove out of Baltimore just as a chapter began with the line “Baltimore sucks.”)

This book affirmed much of what I already knew, and appreciated, about Bourdain. He was a complex, messy, imperfect, charming, and charismatic man. A take-no-bullshit straight shooter who certainly held what was likely some “leftist” viewpoints at the time that aged really poorly in a modern reading of this text. Being that this was published by a white middle aged rough & rowdy man in 2000, & as a longtime fan of Anthony’s, not much of this shocked me. He’s a man who has done immense good and how shown immense amounts of kindness & empathy, and that outweighed the old school thinking for me, here. (But I recognize that wont work for everybody, & that’s okay). An interesting, endearing, and at times disgusting portrayal of kitchen life. Anthony’s signature voice and narration were as compelling as ever.

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sylvestra's review against another edition

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emotional funny informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

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mlewis's review against another edition

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adventurous funny informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.5

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lorinew1's review against another edition

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adventurous informative fast-paced

3.5

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therainbowshelf's review against another edition

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funny informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

Anthony Bourdain describes the gritty experiences he had working in the food industry. His writing style is vivid and startling, and really sets the scene in the restaurant work Bourdain did in his lifetime. It was an interesting read, and I highly recommend checking out the deluxe edition because of his hand-written notes. Content warnings for crude content and language, sexual content, and other Bourdain-esque content.

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bparkinson31's review against another edition

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adventurous dark reflective

3.75

Witty and well-written, but wow does that sound like a stressful life. Hindsight can make parts of the read, the highs and the lows, a little sad, in light of Bourdain's death.

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