Kitchen Confidential Updated Edition: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (P.S.) Paperback – January 9, 2007

The first time I read 'Kitchen Confidential,' I was a student at my alma mater, learning Culinary Arts to become a chef. At first read, I was intrigued, shocked, and in wonderment all at the same time. Bourdain's vivid and colorful details of his culinary adventures and misadventures scared me a bit. It made me slightly wonder if I truly knew of the potential fallout that could come from a career in this field. In addition, even though I believed him to be truthful, I also thought he was perhaps exaggerating a bit on some of the debauched and seemingly unreal goings on in the kitchens he had worked in.Now, after having been a chef myself, having worked in multiple kitchens of all caliber in all four coasts of the United States, having worked with multitudes of kitchen associates and many other chefs, I know first hand of Bourdain's perspective and insight. I can tell you with certainty that it's all true. Yes, all true: every sordid, scandalous, wonderful, funny, creative, and amazing bit of it. This book is the culinary life. It's the life we chose, the life we love, and it's also the life that leaves us with literal and figurative scars that will never heal. We love the kitchen and although it loves us back, it also instilled in us some painful, loaded, duplicitous lessons. Lessons which I myself is still finding useful to this day.After learning of Bourdain's shocking suicide three weeks ago on June 8th, I decided to get a new copy of 'Kitchen Confidential.' It had been some fifteen years since I last read it, and I wanted to remember him for the wonderful voice he gave to us certifiable crazy kitchen warriors and culinary ninjas. Us warriors who love food, and us ninjas who have accepted our punishing, culinary fates. I also decided to read it again because I had the pleasure of meeting Anthony Bourdain twice in my life - on the second occasion, I had the honor of cooking for him. Both times, he was as funny, charming, and brilliant as many know him to be from his culinary travel TV shows. Reading the book this second time around made me remember and reminisce how wonderful both of my encounters with him had been.If you're a chef, or a culinary student, I have a feeling I don't need to convince you to buy and read this book. Bourdain's account of his time in the kitchen is our reality, and you know it first hand so you'll relate. If you're a "foodie" (I truly despise this word) or someone who genuinely admires the art of culinary, you'll get a kick out of this book, because you'll feel the sweat, blood, and tears we suffer to creatively feed you and the masses. If you're an ordinary person who simply eats to live, or perhaps you once caught an episode of one of Anthony Bourdain's four television shows over the years, but you don’t really see the reason for all the fuss, you need this book more than anyone else. Unless you're squeamish, a prude, snobbish, or a pretentious person, you'll love 'Kitchen Confidential.' If you are indeed within the third category of people I described, and you open your mind, I guarantee you that you'll fall in love with Anthony Bourdain like we all have and see what all the fuss is that we keep lamenting about.Needless to say, I highly recommend this book. Read it once, read it twice, read it multiple times. You'll be wiser for it. Yes of course, some of the details such as the use of Fax machines to send resumes, the food ordering processes, hiring practices, food safety guidelines, and a couple other things are outdated and no longer relevant by today's Culinary Arts standards. Nevertheless, what remains, remains valid and rings true to this day. This memoir is a solid one. 5-Stars.

I interact with multiple chefs in my day job, and am often baffled as at some of their poor behavior and habits. This helped me understand a lot more about what it takes to be a great chef. And see how it is not exactly possible to fit in nicely.

This was the last book that I was supposed to read in a book club at work before I dropped out of the club. The idea of reading a book about a cook was totally uninteresting to me. I have worked as a waiter and a dishwasher and there was nothing fun or interesting about it. It was a way to make money, when I couldn't find anything better. I cook my own food every now and then, but I find chopping veggies, reducing sauces and boiling pasta necessary evils with nothing redeeming about the process--only the end result. Then there are the mounds of pans, dishes and utensils to wash.Recently on the recommendation of my son, I started viewing Anthony Bourdain's TV shows on the travel channel. I started with his shows on places I know well and I was amazed at how he found great places to eat that I had never hard of. But mostly I liked his lyrical descriptions of people and places and the food the locals make. That inspired me to read his last book--Medium Raw and then the book I passed up 10 years ago.I will say this about the author--he may not always be right, but he's never at a loss for words. He's arrogant and opinionated and probably obnoxious in person. I don't find anything inspiring about his drug abuse and sexual depredations with waitresses. I can say for sure there was none to little of that in any joint I worked in, and to the extent there was, it was with partners anyone with a brain would pass up. I suspect that this book probably needs a legend on the cover that says, "Inspired by real events." It reads like one of Norman Mailer's, nonfiction novels, with some interesting vignettes, breathlessly hyperbolized to make the author seems cool when he is really just wretched.One of my colleagues was married to a woman who in her middle age decided to go to cooking school. After cooking school, she found the chefs where she worked to be abusive and paranoid. They wouldn't teach anyone anything, because the chef was afraid they would leave and take the chef's secrets with them.I'm glad that Anthony Bourdain survived his self abuse. His book about his failures was a fun read, if you like to read about people trying to destroy themselves and somehow managing to rise above it. But there was also some good insight into the restaurant business. I now won't ever get fish on a Monday. I do like going out to dinner during the week, and now I know why that's a good idea. I'm glad to see that he has helped everyone understand how tough it is to work in a restaurant and put out hundreds of meals per day, exactly the same way in a hot, cramped environment. But then I knew that already. If you don't, this is the book for you.

I cook at home, enjoy food, and worked as a prep chef at a chowder house for two years. I have some foray into the world that Anthony Bourdain details in this book, but by no means am I a chef. Despite this, the book was highly entertaining and a good read. My eyes were glued to the pages.I found that my limited experience as a prep chef and dishwasher was highly relatable to what Bourdain details in this book. Mind you, I worked in a chowder house in 2017 so a lot that's in this book still applies today.Bourdain provides a shocking, raw outlook on his career in the kitchen. You don't have to be a chef to read this book and be captivated. Just like his other works, he proves to us that food is more than just fuel. Give it a shot.Also the book came in great quality/condition.

This is a must. Like a chaotic rollercoaster ride through the messy, wild, and brutally honest world of restaurant kitchens. It’s insane—just like the man himself, just like what I personally went through while donning the apron. It made me get into the culinary world when I was younger. Reading it again now, reminded me why I chose to go through all of it. Man was it worth it.

You can't help but hear it in his voice. It's a wonderfully written memoir, witty, sarcastic, and with the luxury of hindsight also bittersweet. Recommended reading if you ever saw or heard Anthony Bourdain speak.