Anthony Bourdain: 'Filipinos love feeding people'

'Parts Unknown' opens season in the Philippines

CNN

Food authority Anthony Bourdain samples halo-halo, a Filipino dessert.

THE SEVENTH SEASON of the CNN travel and food ­documentary series ­Anthony Bourdain: Parts ­Unknown ­begins Sunday (April 24, 2016) with a trip to Manila, capital of the ­Philippines. The show follows the best-selling author and chef as he travels the globe to discover the cultures and cuisines of ­lesser-known destinations.

Bourdain visited Manila unannounced last December, catching his fans and the local media by surprise. Exploring the city during the Christmas season, he travelled through its festive streets to try out local dishes including adobo, sisig and kare-kare. He also indulged in the popular sweet and milky dessert halo-halo. The episode opens with Bourdain’s visit to Jollibee, which he describes as “a fast-food wonder."

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In an interview with CNN this week, Bourdain said he was looking forward to the latest season and “very excited particularly with the episode on Manila".

“I’m very close to a lot of ­Filipinos here in America – I have a sort of extended Filipino family," he said. Hmmm, that's an intriguing statement. Perhaps, he'll expand on that topic in the show.

“In the episode we also explore the overseas Filipino worker phenomenon. We look at the caring and generous nature that is very much a part of Filipino culture."

“I have long noticed in my travels to virtually all the continents the Filipino bands, singers and entertainers on luxury liners, in theaters, at Karaoke contests, on Broadway, in London, Australia, Germany; Filipinos are constantly winning at international talent searches,” he said in an interview with the Manila Bulletin.

“Filipinos like to eat and they like to cook – and they do it well."

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While in Manila, Bourdain's every movement was chronicled by the social media-savvy Filipinos. Pinoy foodies and celebrity seekers were everywhere, following every Twitter and Facebook tip. One showed him at a Jollibee outlet; a lucky couple posed with him inside a Malate Korean restaurant. Adriatico Street quickly filled up seconds after a photo of him and some young Filipinos at a sidewalk beer garden appeared on Facebook. His popularity is undeniable.

This is Bourdain’s second TV trip to the Philippines. In 2008, he visited Manila, Pampanga and Cebu to film an episode of his Travel Channel series No ­Reservations.

RELATED: Filipino food gaining fans on opposite coasts

The eight-episode new season of Parts Unknown of will also feature trips to Chicago, the Greek Islands, Montana, Tbilisi, Senegal, ­Cologne and Buenos Aires.

The Manila episode of Parts Unknown will air on CNN on April 24, 9 pm ET. 

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For more news about Asian/Americans and Pacific Islanders, read AsAm News.

TGIF FEATURE: Filipino food or not?

THIS one is just for the fun of it. Thanks for Buzzfeed for continuing to bust stereotypes ... and for making us laugh.

And yeah, for those readers who wonder - damn right I'm Filipino/American. 

Have a great weekend!

Savor Filipino 2014 - August 30 in San Francisco

PRESENTED by the Filipino Food Movement, a nonprofit started by the Quesada's 2nd generation. Ramar Foods, owned and operated by the Quesada family and headquartered in Pittsburg, California, is the largest manufacturer of Filipino food in the U.S.

Go to Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco, August 30, 10 a.m to 6 p.m. Cooking demonstrations, food tasting and entertainment.

Savor Filipino is a unique venue intended to 
expose people outside of the Filipino-American

community to the under-appreciated cuisine of the Philippines. While the American public venturing beyond Chinese cuisine may be familiar with Vietnamese, Korean, Thai or Malaysian food, for some reason, Filipino cuisine has never really caught on. Savor Filipino believes that our food is the next big thing.

This is a must event for anybody who loves Filipino food or anybody who is curious, adventurous and eager to try a new world of tastes that come from Philippine cuisine, which is acknowledged to be a mix of Chinese, Malaysian, Spanish and American - just like the people of the Philippines - halo-halo. 

A word of caution to those Filipinos: don't compare the food here with the food that mom makes in her kitchen. It might smell the same and maybe even smell the same (who could resist the smell of adobo bubbling away?) but the traditional dishes will be prepared and presented as if it came from a 5-star restaurant. 

Go with an open mind and empty stomach. For more information, go to its website: www.savorfilipino.com