Mammootty and Anthony Bourdain

Funny story:

In an exclusive interview, Anthony Bourdain shares his culinary experiences in Kerala and his lunch with Mammootty

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Malayalam superstar Mammootty had an unexpected guest—Anthony Bourdain—on the sets of his new film Pokkiri Raja last week. “This was unexpected and I wasn’t prepared to have lunch with him. I served him whatever I had on the sets—meen curry (fish cooked in coconut milk), grilled fish, puttu (a rice dish) and some other vegetarian dishes made with coconut,” recalls Mammootty. And what left Mammootty further amused was, “He ate with his hands. What a modest man.” It’s such simple and local fare that the host of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations was looking for during his latest visit to India.

“In the West, people want to know more about Kerala and its cuisine. When it comes to spices and variety, Kerala is right up there in my alley,” says Bourdain, who landed in Kochi on March 21. The episode he shot with the Malayalam actor will soon be aired on the Travel Channel in the US in the sixth season of No Reservations. However, Indians will have to patiently wait for it to be aired on Discovery Travel and Living later.

This may be Bourdain’s first visit to Kerala, but he has visited other Indian states like West Bengal and Rajasthan in the past. In fact, Bourdain has been visiting numerous cities worldwide to experience local culture and cuisine for years now. And his repeated visits to India are an indication of the growing interest in the varied local Indian cuisine across the world that goes beyond curry. “Indian food has been under-appreciated in certain parts of the world. I would love to come back again to explore other towns and cities,” says the chef, who loves the spices and the complex flavours of the various Indian cuisines.

Though the Kerala episode features the food of Kochi and nearby areas, Bourdain’s lunch with Mammootty remains its highlight. “I am always fascinated by Bollywood, in this case Mollywood,” admits Bourdain, generously praising the actor’s hospitality. “He was very warm. He served me a variety of fish and vegetarian dishes. But first, we shared knowledge of various types of world cuisines and then we shot the sequence where we were having lunch together,” says the chef-turned-celebrity anchor.

Mammootty too is thrilled to be part of the show. “We discussed various cuisines like Meditarranean, Continental and Portuguese and the Western influences in Indian cuisine. I told him about how Kerala delicacies like Idiyappam, Puttu and Stew are influenced by Portuguese cuisine,” says the actor, who was gifted a book written by Bourdain, A Cook’s Tour—In Search of the Perfect Meal.

While Bourdain has been mainly stationed in Kochi for the shoot, his gourmet hunt took him to nearby villages. He shot with restaurateur and Kerala’s culinary ambassador Das Sreedharan in Thrikkariyoor, a tiny village in Ernakulam. “Das Sreedharan, who is originally from Thrikkariyoor, owns 11 restaurants in London. We shot a major chunk of the episode with him in his village,” says Bourdain. He had another lip-smacking experience at Alleppey in Shibu Danadhan’s houseboat, where he was served some homemade delicacies. His culinary expedition didn’t end there. “I also visited a fish market and a toddy shop in Kochi,” Bourdain smiles.

The 53-year-old will soon be heading to New York to spend time with his wife and daughter, after which he will continue his exploration in Dubai and Beirut. “The last time we were in Beirut, the Israel-Lebanon war broke out. I feel I have some unfinished business there,” he says of his itinerary. In June, another of his books, Medium Raw, the sequel to Kitchen Confidential will be out on the stands.