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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
informative
medium-paced
kitchen confidential is a considered a non-fiction classic, but what made me finally want to read it was patrick radden keefe’s profile of bourdain from his book rogues, which i read earlier this year.
kitchen confidential is a blend of memoir and industry commentary, in which bourdain divulges his career journey and the realities of professional restaurant kitchens.
obviously there are parts that haven’t aged well, but denying that for years the culinary industry has been a site of patriarchal machismo would just be naive. if you’ve ever worked in a restaurant, you won’t be surprised by much of what you read in here.
i didn’t know exactly what to expect from this, but what i found was a brilliant read that’s just as gripping as any fiction book. bourdain’s writing is sordidly candid, funny, and his true passion for food shines throughout.
I didn’t know what to expect from this book, but I was definitely blown away. The restaurant business is definitely a messy one, and the author did not try to hide it. I loved how the book takes you through the authors day in the life, talks about his coworkers, and also what kitchen essentials are necessary at home. i hope to read more of his books, and will definitely be buying a real copy!
funny
informative
fast-paced
funny
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
challenging
informative
medium-paced
It honestly pains me to give this book only 3 stars because I genuinely love Anthony Bourdain. His shows inspired me to embrace travel, food, and adventure outside my comfort zone. His death hit me hard, and the world feels a little dimmer without him in it.
When "Kitchen Confidential" was first released in 2000, it was revolutionary. Bourdain exposed the gritty, chaotic, and often shocking reality of restaurant kitchens. I can see why it had such a massive cultural impact at the time. Many parts of the book remain fascinating and eye-opening; you will not view restaurant dining in the same way after reading it.
That said, reading it now, more than 2 decades later, some of the shock value has worn off. With shows like "The Bear" and more mainstream exposure to the underbelly of the restaurant world, this kind of content feels more familiar. Some sections dragged for me, especially the long lists of names and restaurants I didn’t recognize, which made it hard to stay engaged.
The structure also felt a bit chaotic. It reads more like a series of loosely connected anecdotes than a cohesive narrative. The storytelling can get repetitive toward the end, and I found myself skimming some parts.
I do wonder if I would have enjoyed it more as an audiobook narrated by Bourdain himself. His voice and personality added so much charm and insight to his TV work that it might have brought more life and pacing to the text.
When "Kitchen Confidential" was first released in 2000, it was revolutionary. Bourdain exposed the gritty, chaotic, and often shocking reality of restaurant kitchens. I can see why it had such a massive cultural impact at the time. Many parts of the book remain fascinating and eye-opening; you will not view restaurant dining in the same way after reading it.
That said, reading it now, more than 2 decades later, some of the shock value has worn off. With shows like "The Bear" and more mainstream exposure to the underbelly of the restaurant world, this kind of content feels more familiar. Some sections dragged for me, especially the long lists of names and restaurants I didn’t recognize, which made it hard to stay engaged.
The structure also felt a bit chaotic. It reads more like a series of loosely connected anecdotes than a cohesive narrative. The storytelling can get repetitive toward the end, and I found myself skimming some parts.
I do wonder if I would have enjoyed it more as an audiobook narrated by Bourdain himself. His voice and personality added so much charm and insight to his TV work that it might have brought more life and pacing to the text.
dark
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use
Moderate: Suicide
Incredible writing. Engaging, interesting, and altogether inspiring.