Chasing Anthony Bourdain In Paris

I’m lucky to have visited the same restaurants Anthony Bourdain visited in Paris, 20 years ago from his episode of No Reservations. My little love letter to man who’s inspired me to just try things.

🎥 Anthony Bourdain’s Episode “Why the French Don’t Suck” : https://tinyurl.com/4nrvs669

🇫🇷 The Spots I Visited:
Les Royale – https://tinyurl.com/4fh8d593
Les Caves – https://tinyurl.com/yc6vhcws
Chez Denise – https://tinyurl.com/mrnb72jh
Pâtisserie Pinaud Pascal – https://tinyurl.com/2n74yt7m

🥖 The Tours I Did:
Baguette Baking – https://tinyurl.com/4wr79v78
Foodie Tour w/ Silvia (well worth it) – https://tinyurl.com/n68un2f5

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📚 Chapters
00:00 – Chasing Anthony Bourdain: Paris
00:49 – 1st Stop: Les Royale
03:34 – 2nd Stop: Les Caves
05:03 – 3rd Stop: THE Les Halles + Chez Denise
06:50 – Last Stop: Pâtisserie Pinaud Pascal

#anthonybourdain #paris #frenchfood #foodvlog

– I am in Paris, France for the first time with my mother, who is lovingly supporting me. I’m going to visit the same restaurants Anthony Bourdain visited 20 years ago on his first episode of “No Reservations,” lovingly titled “Why The French Don’t Suck.” In addition to trying some things impulsively

That I’m so very good at. I’ll say the thing, welcome back to “Bourdain.” – [Tony] Everybody should know how to use a knife. Use everything, waste nothing. Let’s start at the beginning. It ain’t that hard, okay? – Welcome to my channel. If you’re new, my name is Mitch Mai. I am usually just cooking up French recipes in my kitchen in New Jersey but today is a little different. I’m curious what’s changed in these restaurants if they’ve gotten a little touristy?

Just the French way of living, hanging out, vibing out, and most importantly, hopefully they let me record. (camera beeping) So let’s go. Our first stop takes us to Le Royal where Bourdain reminds us to just take things in. – [Tony] The most important thing to do

The instant you arrive in Paris is stop. Find someplace inviting and slip comfortably into the Parisian pace of life. S’il vous plaît, un café crème, jus d’orange, et un croissant. – D’accord. (worker chuckling) – [Mitch] Really, that’s just a kick-ass omelet and the fries are good as well. And slipping into the kind of chill lifestyle, it’s something I could get behind. It’s something that requires practice for me for sure

Because I’m always thinking about the next shots, what to do next, where to go next. And I don’t even know how Bourdain did this. Like just talking in public, bringing the camera and stuff. – [Tony] How come the French aren’t huge? I mean, how come they’re still in possession by

In large of necks, something in short supply in my country. – I feel awkward as hell doing it but it’s kind of my little love letter to the man. I think it may be like a little more touristy but overall you still get the classic kinda like French vibe experience.

It got a little downsize now but very cool. – [Tony] All right, now be careful. Since you slowed down, you’ll start to notice all sorts of things around you. Once you allow your senses to guide you and not your itinerary, you may begin to find pleasure in many things you would ordinarily overlook.

Like the many sights, smells, and tastes on the streets of Paris. Do try not to get run over while gawking at things. It’s a dead giveaway you’re an American. You are now ready to begin to graze through the wondrous sensual feast that elude so many of us when we take trips here.

But first, you’ll need a base of operations, like a cool hotel haunted by the ghost of the dead writer who drank too much absinthe. – Well, this ain’t exactly the same hotel that may or may not be haunted by Oscar Wilde but this is the Airbnb I’m at. Pretty quaint, pretty cute.

Nice view, a real life Parisian, mother. I never had a scarf before. It makes my neck hot. – What? – This makes my neck hot. – That’s good, right? – I don’t know. Next I went on some tours, which I realize is the exact same thing Bourdain would roll his eyes at.

However, I kept an open mind and they were pretty fun. I’ll have links down below in the description of everything I did. If you haven’t been to France, I would give them a try. For me personally, they’re like a nice little crash course. I get to see the sites, try some food,

And then go wander to places that you wouldn’t really find on TripAdvisor. We wrapped up that night having some pasta at the Airbnb that my mom made. And next Bourdain goes to experience the nightlife. – [Tony] I feel not unusually for me a natural compulsion to seek out the dark side, the forbid,

Which is to say the good stuff. (Anthony exhaling deeply) I need a drink. – [Mitch] Now, unfortunately this bar is closed, but that doesn’t stop me from going out a little bit. So Saturday night, go to a bar, I’m gonna drink, talk to some random people and see what happens.

Thinking about this, I should have done some research on how to order a beer. This area is littered with bars. I hit up a couple, grabbed a few drinks at each one and then unfortunately got a nice dose of reality. So I’ve learned an unfortunate truth in particular,

This bar, they asked me for 25 euros to enter. And after three American girls walked by, they were granted free access. It’s the world we live in. They’re taking advantage and there’s nothing I can do except talk to my therapist about it. And next up, trying to hit up a a cool,

Gothic underground joint called Les Caves. Here, it was a completely different story. Everyone was very nice and polite but at the same time great partiers like nothing I’ve ever experienced compared to my journeys into Philadelphia. That will about ratted it up, woo, gosh. Well, that will about wrap it up for the day. – [Mother] Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. Get a table cloth for the dining room table. – Yeah, next Bourdain visits the Les Halles, the name of what was his restaurant in New York City and the cookbook I’m currently working through. – [Tony] I decided to visit what I humbly consider

To be one of the most historically significant spots in all of Western civilization. So here we are, all that’s left of Les Halles. – And here we are, what’s left of what’s left of Les Halles. It’s a mall, it’s a freaking mall now. It is called Westfield Forum des Halles. If you’re not familiar, Bourdain talks about it. It was the central marketplace of Paris,

The belly of Paris as they say. As you can see, it still maintains some of its traditional roots with Krispy Kreme. Crème maybe. Maybe get a nice, something unique there. From here Bourdain visits a restaurant that is just a two minute walk away. – [Tony] So small bistros sprang up

All around Les Halles. Bistros like the 100 year-old Chez Denise. I love my job. I’ll drink a whole bottle and then we’ll go terrorize Johnny Depp. – [Mitch] I had to start out with the snails because I’ve made them in the past. And I don’t know if there is anything

More French on the planet. Plus I said I need to try comparing them to a real bistro. Next up, I had my eyes on Blanquette de Veau much as Bourdain ordered and as I made at home in Jersey but they unfortunately did not have it on the menu.

So instead I got veal liver cooked medium rare. Hands down, the best freaking liver I’ve had. There’s like a saucy sweetness to it, super tender. I don’t know if I could get close to making this. My mom got chicken, which she said was some of the best she’s ever had.

And we followed this up with a simple chocolate mousse that was airy, delicious, baked. It’s not really baked, it was phenomenal. Now we end up visiting a spot in which I have a deep, deep respect for. – I smell fresh bread baking. – Artisserie Pinaud Pascal. This is the bakery. I freaking love the scenes of the bread flying out, the care this dude takes just to make the dishes. I’ve always had kind of a reverence for bakers, for butchers, for craftsmen ’cause these things just take time.

And in my pursuit with trying to bake during COVID, it’s a hard thing to do. – [Tony] Is there anything more emblematic, more central to Francis greatness than the appreciation of long, thin, crusty loaves of brilliantly made bread, the baguette? Now, there’s only two things wrong with bakers.

One, I can’t do what they do. And two, they get up too damn early in the morning. – [Mother] That’s a crispy end there, isn’t it? – I’ve seen these made all the time but I’ve never actually tried them before. – It looks like a madeleine. – It does have like a deep, rich, caramelly flavor. Everything has like a certain amazing flavor to it

That is I think in part too butter. Like everything just tastes delicious. And I think they load it with butter. – Probably and eggs, butter and eggs ’cause everything is like light. – I am beyond grateful to have this experience trying real French food with my mother in the process.

Somewhat spoiling the food I know in the United States, everything is still sinking in. And I’m happy I could have Bourdain as my guide and as my inspiration for this journey and share this with you. And with that I’ll have the man himself close us out.

– Eating is and should be a joyous occasion as should the use of all your senses. So America, perhaps you should try it. Maybe duck out of the office when the boss isn’t looking or call in sick for that boring meeting. Pull up a chair at a local joint,

Grab a tasty beverage, and eat a ham sandwich. Really, eat a ham sandwich. You just may find you not only love the French again but you may also love life and ultimately the world. – [Mother] So here we, last day.