AANHPI Heritage Month: The famous meal when Obama met Bourdain

Totally comfortable in a working -lass restaurant, then-President Barack Obama and cultural
commentator Anthony Bourdain enjoy a simple meal in Hanoi.

The image remains etched in the collective memory of both Vietnam and America: Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain, two global icons sitting on low plastic stools in a cramped, fluorescent-lit noodle shop in Hanoi. 

When President Obama joined food writer Bourdain for a bowl of bún chả in 2016, it wasn’t just a staged photo op for CNN’s Parts Unknown. It was a masterclass in culinary diplomacy and a homecoming of sorts for a president whose palate was shaped far from the White House.

There is nothing to make the restaurant stand out from its surroundings. Located at 24 Lê Văn Hưu in Hanoi's Hai Ba Trung District, Bún Chả Hương Liên is a no-frills, family-run establishment. Up the stairs with other members of my small tour group to the small dining room there is a picture of Obama and Bourdain hanging over the table where they shared a simple Vietnamese meal on May 23, 2016. 

I sat there, trying to find a comfortable position on the low plastic stool.  There I enjoyed a steaming bowl of pho, perspiring a bit because there was no air-conditioning but the windows remained open to the warm tropical air letting the busy street noise filter into the cramped room. I noted the photograph of the President and the food writer/philosopher extraordinaire.

That original table, along with their plates and beer bottles, is now famously preserved in a glass case — a "museum piece" that Bourdain dryly admitted he wasn't sure how to feel about.

While the world marveled at the sight of a sitting US President navigating a crowded street stall, Bourdain noted that Obama didn’t need a tutorial. There was no fumbling with the chopsticks and no hesitation at the sight of the heap of fresh herbs. 

Bourdain later remarked on the President's effortless technique, stating, "He’s the only guest I’ve ever had on the show who enjoyed the food, handled the chopsticks, and drank the beer from the bottle."

This comfort wasn’t an act; it was muscle memory. Growing up in Hawaii and spending formative years in Indonesia, Obama didn’t just "eat" Asian food—he lived it. From the savory comfort of Hawaiian plate lunches to the spicy street stalls of Jakarta, the President was raised in the "umami" belt. 

Bourdain, reflecting on the meal, said, "I believe he had been looking forward to this for a long time. It was a bowl of cold rice noodles and grilled pork in a broth with some fermented fish sauce—all the things he grew up with." He famously added that Obama "handled the sticky, hard-to-separate noodles like a professional."

For the locals in Hanoi, seeing the leader of the free world treat their national dish with the respect of a regular was transformative. Obama wasn't there to colonize the menu; he was there to enjoy a meal he fundamentally understood. 

This moment signaled a seismic shift in U.S.-Vietnam relations. On May 23, 2016—the same day the meal was filmed—Obama officially announced the full lifting of the 50-year-old arms embargo on Vietnam. While the policy change was strategic, the meal was the emotional anchor that humanized the "former enemy" through the simple act of breaking bread.

Today, tourists and locals alike flock to the shop to order the "Combo Obama." For approximately 120,000 VND ($5.00 USD), you get the exact set they shared: a bowl of special bún chả, a fried seafood roll, and a cold Hanoi beer. It remains a testament to the idea that the best way to understand the world is to sit down, grab a blue plastic stool, and eat like a local.

Through the years, I've forgotten what kind of pho I ordered at Bún Chả Hương Liên except that it was hot and delicious. To the staff there, I was just another foreigner trying the local fare. It was about as close as I could get to Obama and Bourdain, two men I admired from afar. A simple meal with so much meaning.

Afterwards, I exited into the busy street -- scooters zooming by, car horns honking, dodging the traffic, both motorized and pedestrian, and the buzz of conversations of Vietnamese passers-by.  I boarded the small tour bus still trying to memorize the experience of my  tiny taste of history. 

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Bourdain's memory continues to provide inspiration for Asian American chefs

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Chef and TV host David Chang posted this photo

IT HAS BEEN over four weeks since TV host Anthony Bourdain took his life. On June 25 the TV host would have turned 62. Asian and Asian American chefs continue to lament the loss of a friend and champion of Asian cuisine.

Sitting on a boat in the strait between Hong Kong and Kowloon, Bourdain wistfully talks about falling in love with Asia. "To fall in love with Asia is one thing. To fall in love in Asia, is another...it's the best thing ... it's also the loneliest thing." He talked and wrote a lot about loneliness, perhaps foreshadowing his fate in a hotel room in France -- alone.

He found bliss in Vietnam, writing: 

"I love Vietnam. I love it now. I loved it from the minute I arrived for the first time, a few years ago. A year from now, I plan to live here. I will move to a small fishing village in a coastal area of Vietnam near Hoi An. I have no idea what I’m going to do there, other than write about the experience. I plan only on being a visual curiosity, the lone westerner in a Vietnamese community; to rent a house, move in with few, if any, expectations and let the experience wash over me. Whatever happens, happens."

He proclaimed Filipino cuisine the "next big thing," and proclaimed the Filipino-style roasted pig (lechon) as the "best pig ever."

He said if he had to have one last meal, it would be sushi in Tokyo.

He redefined travel shows and used food as the doorway to a culture. Through his shows and his commentary, he made Asia, its people, its cuisines a little less strange, a little less unfamiliar, a lot more acceptable to his worldwide audience.

He would travel often to Asia and along the way, he would inspire, motivate, and mentor Asian chefs and uplift the regional cuisines of Asia. It's no wonder that Asian and Asian Americans considered him as one of their own.

Bourdain, a philosopher, traveler and raconteur also inspired and mentored Asian and Asian American chefs to pursue their culinary dreams.

* * *

About 8 years ago, chef and TV host Anthony Bourdain told this dynamic duo of old town restaurateurs to pursue their dream Filipino restaurant in the DC area.

“He said you should do it, because a lot of people don’t know this food, it was a little encouragement from Anthony Bourdain to do that,” said Meshelle Armstrong.

Meshelle’s husband, Chef Cathal Armstrong, is known for serving up the ultimate anniversary dinners for President Barack and Michelle Obama at their 4-star “Restaurant Eve.”

When their Eamonn’s Dublin chipper was featured on Travel Channel’s “No Reservations” – Cathal says Bourdain already knew the potential of the Filipino cuisine.

“That was at least 8 years ago that he had already seen that there was this new thing developing… new to this area and newly exposed to this area; that there’s something really elegant and stylish there.”

* * *

Sushi legend Masa Takayama. renowned chef and owner of the Michelin three-star sushi restaurant Masa in Manhattan, still tears up when talking about Bourdain.

t“He just started an amazing show, amazing stuff,” Takayama says in the video, weeping. “I’m so upset. He’s a great man. I will miss him very much.”

Wiping away tears, the chef added that he felt Bourdain went “more deep into a culture behind all the cuisine” and that the CNN host explored “real stuff in a real way.”

Bourdain featured Takayama in a 2016 episode of his show “Parts Unknown,” during which the pair toured outdoor food markets in Kanazawa, Japan, and enjoyed a meal cooked over an irori, a traditional Japanese sunken hearth.

* * *

Angela Dimayuga, formerly of Mission Chinese Food and currently the creative director of food and culture for the Standard International hotel group, recalls her last conversation with Bourdain.

"We talked about my new position at The Standard, and he said, “That’s a perfect job for you, and suits you. They are lucky to have you. It will be a place you can grow your vision.” He had noticed all the collaborative work I had been doing, and he said that my work with artists was especially intriguing to him. He told me that my intersectional approach to work and craft was necessary to the food industry, and that what I’m doing for the future of the food world is important. I felt so seen: I knew he was keeping on eye on me, but I never thought he was looking this closely. Then he offered to become my mentor. He said there weren’t many people he’d be happy to pick up a call from at any hour of the day, but that I could call him at 2 a.m. and he’d answer.

She regrets never making that call.

* * *

Immediately following Bourdain’s death, Xi’an Famous Foods, a small chain in New York City, announced that it would donate 100 percent of June 8’s net sales to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. And on Monday, CEO Jason Wang revealed that his restaurants raised $73,509.76 for the organization.

“With your heartfelt support, along with the hard work of our store staff, we were able to serve almost double the amount of dishes as usual during dinner on Friday 6/8/18, with some stores selling out of items towards the end of the night,” Wang wrote in an Instagram update. “Thank you for helping us with this tribute to our friend.”

* * *

On his last episode for his CNN show Parts Unknown, Bourdain returned once more to Asia. He focused on the people, food and culture of Bhutan, which is the only country in the world that measures its Gross National Happiness. During the hour-long program, one senses Bourdain's sadness as Bhutan moves towards modernity, it will no longer be the Bhutan that he had just visited and allowed us to travel with him.

CNN / PARTS UNKNOWN

As he had done so many times before, Anthony Bourdain dived into local cuisine of Bhutan as an appreciative guest.

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Anthony Bourdain, RIP; he promoted Asian cuisines to western audiences

White House photographer took this shot with Anthony Bourdain and President Barack Obama in Hanoi.

TO CALL Anthony Bourdain a food critic is to miss the whole point of his television series traveling around the world to taste and experience the world. Food was both a gateway and the result of a people's culture.

TV host Bourdain committed suicide today in Paris, France. He was 61.

President Obama tweeted out the same picture above with his own condolences:

It's not often a U.S. President will tweet about a TV personality.

Whether he would have admit or not, Bourdain's influence on America's palate preferences were tremendous. He especially elevated Asian cuisines to a level at least equal to that of the better known cuisines of France, Italy and Spain.

“I’m not a critic." he said. "I was 30 years in the restaurant business. I don’t want to think about my food. I don’t want to evaluate it and write tasting notes and score them on a basis of one to ten… I want to experience food emotionally, like a child. I want to be lost in the moment. I want to take a bite of food and it takes me to another time or in another place, whether it’s my childhood or somebody else’s childhood. Anybody’s grandma’s food is preferable in my mind than a fine dining restaurant in almost every case.”

Comedian Jenny Yang appreciated the transcultural exchanges offered by Bourdain's programs.

Through his shows on the Food Channel and on CNN, Bourdain introduced an appreciation of Asian food and culture to geographically challenged Americans. He raised questions in Euro-centric America's mind that perhaps there is a world beyond Europe with people who just as creative, innovative, daring, brave or adventurous as someone from the countries of Europe.

He loved all cuisines. Food, after all, is the product of historical and environmental circumstances. To know a peoples' food is to learn something about their culture. Bourdain never looked down on the food offered to him, whether it be from a street vendor in Vietnam or a hold-in-the-wall ramen noodle shop in Tokyo. He lived -- and ate -- in the moment.

“There is nothing more political than food… The things that we eat are the direct reflection of our histories,” he said. “The ingredients, whether they are dried, they are pickled or preserved, these are reflections of long, often painful histories. That’s how we got to these dishes.”

“I often say wealthy cultures that are lucky and fortunate and prosperous generally don’t cook very well because they never had to,” he continued. “It’s the countries that struggle that make the most of what they have who, over time, learned to make wonderful things.”

He often said that if had a last meal, he would want it to be high grade sushi. If he had to move to a city and stay they forever, he said it would be Tokyo.

For me, I'll always remember him for his visits to the Philippines or when he went to Filipino/American restaurants in the U.S. 

SCREEN CAPTURE

Anthony Bourdain in the Phlippines.

In one visit, he said in one of his famous monologues that asks questions for the audience to ponder; question  to which he will find an answer to during the episode:

This episode is an attempt to address the question of why so many Filipinos are so damn caring. Why they care so much -- for each other -- for strangers. Because my experience is far from unusual. Hundreds of thousands -- maybe millions -- of children have been raised by Filipino nannies. Usually mothers of their own children who they were forced to leave behind in the Philippines.

Doctors, nurses, housekeepers, babysitters, in so many cases, people who you'd call "caregivers" but who, in every case I've ever heard of, actually care. Where does this kindness, this instinct for ... charity come from?

Along with fellow TV traveler/host Andrew Zimmern (Bizarre Foods), Bourdain was an advocate for Filipino food. He would tell U.S. food critics that the cuisine from the Philippines would become the "next big thing."

He told CNN that he thinks Filipino food will be the next big thing in America, naming the dish pork sisig as the gateway drug. Sisig, the sizzling, crispy pork dish, he said, is "perfectly positioned to win the hearts and minds of the world as a whole."

He believes that American palates weren’t ready for the sour notes of traditional Filipino dishes, but they’ve evolved in the last few years as evidenced by the popularity of D.C.’s Bad Saint and others and credit should be given to the numerous food truck entrepreneurs who have introducedd sisig, lumpia and adobo to adventurous foodies.

Bourdain's suicide shocked the culianary world and drew a reaction from fellow celebrity chefs. 

David Chang, founder of the Momofuku empire, tweeted a black box with the lyrics from songwriter Will Oldham. 

TV host and chef Ming (Tsai) tweeted ... "just so sad ..."

Xi'an Famous Foods, a popular New York City restaurant chain that specializes in northwestern Chinese cuisine, announced that it's donating its net sales to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline today in honor of Anthony Bourdain.

Jason Wang, the company's CEO, credits Bourdain with much of their success. Their business has been booming since Bourdain's visit in 2007. Wang wrote a moving tribute to Bourdain in a series of tweets. Read it here.

In his book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, Bourdain wrote:

“[When I die], I will decidedly not be regretting missed opportunities for a good time. My regrets will be more along the lines of a sad list of people hurt, people let down, assets wasted and advantages squandered.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

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Anthony Bourdain: Sisig will open the door to Filipino cuisine

WIKIPEDIA

Sigsig, the Filipino bar food, is a favorite of chef Anthony Bourdain.

“SISIG is perfectly positioned to win the hearts and minds of the world,” celebrity chef and TV host Anthony Bourdain boldly stated in an interview with CNN Philippines on Monday (June 5).

Bourdain believes that sigsig, the quintessential Filipino bar food, will be the gateway dish to Filipino cuisine's rising international recognition.

"Americans and American palettes are just now starting to become seriously interested... I think certain Filipino dishes are more likely to take root and take hold more quickly than others," Bourdain told CNN.

Bourdain praised the sizzling, crispy pork dish, as "the brightest, best hope for a representational, advanced team."

He called sisig "casual, accessible, [and] exactly what you need after a few beers."

"I think it's the most likely (dish) to convince people abroad who have had no exposure to Filipino food to maybe look further and investigate further beyond sisig. I think that's the one that's gonna hook them," said Bourdain.

First introduced to the American food scene by Filipino-run food trucks in California such as Señor Sigsig and Hapa-SF, sigsig is being presented as the filling in tacos, burritos, and as a poutine, atop of french fries and topped with cheese. The more traditional dish on a sizzling hot platter is making its way onto the menus of brick-and-mortar restaurants that cater to adventurous foodies.

But, for the uninitiated: what the heck is sigsig?

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It is Filipino soul food. The dish was created by a people who don't have the luxury or the money to pay for the more expensive parts of the pig.

In the Filipino tradition to have no waste and use the entire hog, sigsig is made up of the snout, ears, face and cheeks, parts of the pig that are normally thrown out by U.S. butchers.

The meat is cut up into a style of hash, boiled, grilled and fried. It is usually served with a raw egg on the sizzling dish that is then mixed into the meat.

Bourdain's introduction to sigsig was what he called his "Come to Mama Moment" in the video below:

“Historically it first started in the Philippines when American GIs came in and were throwing out the cuts of pork they didn’t want. Filipinos would not let that go to waste, so they used every part of the pig,” explains Philippe Garcesto to Huffington Post. He is the manager of the Filipino restaurant Maharlika in NYC.  "That includes the face ― and of course, the snout."

Bourdain said Filipino food was "ascendant" and a "work in progress." He also called Filipino cuisine "underrated."

Bourdain, who as host of CNN's travel and food show "Parts Unknown,"has brought his show to the Philippines twice. He pointed out that Filipinos "were able to assimilate and Americanize very easily and very quickly."

"I think Filipinos embraced America and were embraced by America in a way that other cultures might not have been," said Bourdain. "I think Filipinos in America maybe underrated their own food. They used to be mocked for balut."

"A lot of traditional Filipino food has sour and bitter notes, which are very unfamiliar to American palettes of a few years ago. American palettes have changed drastically," he added. "I think there's a really bright future."

The celebrity chef said he expects Filipino cuisine is going to explode in the same way Americans flocked to Korean and Vietnamese eateries over the last decade.

Ube, a yam used in Filipino dishes that turns whatever you mix it with purple, has become a popular instagram trend. People love sending photos of the purple concoctions whether it be ice cream, cakes or donuts.

INSTAGRAM

An ube donut sprinkled with coconut.

Filipino dishes and restaurants are beginning to gain traction in the United States. One of the popular picks is Bad Saint in Washington D.C., a restaurant run by Filipino/American chef Tom Cunanan. It ranked second in Bon Apétit magazine's "America's Best New Restaurants" list last year.

Bourdain told CNN that sigsig will definitely be on the menu when he opens Bourdain Market, a street food center in New York that is projected to open in 2019. The project aims to gather different "chefs, operators, street food and hawker legends from around the world," according to Bourdain's statement on the market website.

"That's a necessity. I think that's absolutely gotta have it," said Bourdain, who pegs its price as below $10.

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