lbhreads 's review for:

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (Updated Edition) by Anthony Bourdain

4.5

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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.