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No Reservations: Sri Lanka
By No Reservations Crew on March 2, 2009 1:17 PM | Permalink | 34 Comments
By Skiz Fernando, cultural attaché
- INTERIOR MOHAMMED'S EATERY, COLOMBO, SRI LANKA - DAY
One of the many eating houses in the Pettah, Colombo's main marketplace, provides the backdrop for mine and Tony's first Sri Lankan meal, a hearty breakfast of String Hoppers (steamed rice noodles); paripoo, or red lentils stewed in coconut milk; pol sambol, a spicy condiment of fresh shredded coconut laced with lime juice, salt and chili powder; chili fish curry, potato curry and sour fish curry. We have just slogged our way through the crowded and chaotic central fish market around the corner, and I, having prudently bypassed the lavish breakfast buffet at the stately Galle Face Hotel, our home away from home this week, have worked up a healthy appetite that neither the oppressive heat nor the condensed-milk tea we're sipping can kill.
Roll Cameras
In an instant the table is covered with a colorful, edible tapestry-the yellow-tinged potato curry, shaded with turmeric, contrasting against fiery red fish gravy and orange coconut sambol, black sour fish and white rice noodle nests. I waste no time, quickly using up all real estate on my plate, but when I peek at Tony's, it's looking pretty zen. As a fan of the show, my mind's eye flashes back to an episode like Montreal, where Bourdain was practically mainlining foie gras as the mischievous chef sent him a flurry of rich main courses, which Tony scooped down his pie-hole like a trooper. Was this the same Tony Bourdain, Mouth Almighty, The Walking Stomach, King of Street Food? Or did they cheat on TV, and just make it look like he eats a lot? That's certainly not what the producers told me when I signed on. Worse yet: What if he doesn't like the food? I considered it an honor and a pleasure to introduce a serious eater like Tony to the cuisine of my homeland, and if he just didn't dig it, I would have felt really bad. These thoughts were the subtext as we spoke casually about the meal for the cameras. Afterwards I asked him:
SKIZ
Tony, so how you feeling, man? Everything cool?
TONY
Yeah, man. But I've had this thing since before we left New York.
Some kind of bug or something.
SKIZ
Oh, no. For real?
TONY
Of course, it didn't help that the lady in the next seat was coughing all over me all the way from Kuwait City. But yeah, I can't seem to keep anything down.
It suddenly dawned on me that even a job as perfect as his-to travel the world and sample her exotic delights-had its own pitfalls. What if you were hot and jetlagged and afflicted with a serious head cold that impeded your olfactory senses? What if you were so sick you couldn't even keep any food down? What if you just didn't feel like eating and had to plow through three or four heavy meals in a day? Things to think about when you eat for a living. Nevertheless, this was a food and travel show, and with only six days of shooting, the show must go on.
Thankfully, it did, without a hitch. After Tony's stomach settled down, and we plied him with a few alcoholic beverages for good measure, the man I knew from the TV screen returned in fine form. Not only that, but he genuinely enjoyed each successive meal more than the one before it. In fact, I noticed that the whole crew-Producer Tom, Segment Producer Jared, and Jerry and Todd, the cameramen -- all loaded up on the Sri Lankan specialties every morning at the breakfast buffet, not to mention scarfing down all the food that Tony and I ate on camera, as well. And these guys can take the heat from all the chili-laden dishes, which I've never seen gringos handle so well. Of course, Tony gets extra points for making it through those first few meals, which probably went straight through him.
For more about the "No Reservations" Sri Lanka trip, check out my own blog at Riceandcurry.wordpress.com.
34 Comments
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hey all. I'm sorry i'm posting a comment here but, I tried to make a new discussion but, It just opened a blank page. i was wondering if anyone asked Anthony and the Crew ,since you have alot of episodes have you or the crew thought about doing
an episodes on your favorite bloopers created when you were filming keep up the great work the show is awesome.
thanks
william
i just wanted to say that i love the show. all the long hours and hard work everyone put in, makes the show a hit. so, if noone has told you already, THANKS! thanks for introducing me to other cultures!
I have watched the show since the begining and am now just writing a quick note to the crew. Tony will always be someone I will want to meet. What can I say, he's a character. However, it is you fine folks who make the show. I love the care and sincerity you put into every show. I like when I read Tony's blog and he says that the show turned out like crap or this shot was screwed up. It shows that you people care about your work and you are striving for greatness. The camera angles from Venice were amazing and the way you captured laos was breathtaking. Keep up the good work and give me a ring if the show looks to wisconsin for a possible destination...what can I say, we have beer and cheese. Thanks again guys,
Danny
Did the country seem scary or violent given it's Travel Warning state at the US State Dept and recent extremely violent history? I mean, not a lot of people have the balls to go here outside of purely humanitarian or business needs.
I'm sure I'd love the food though. Looking forward to the show tonight.
WOWWW!!!!!!!!!!
SPECTRE represents on my favorite show!!!!!
I'm pulling out all my wordsound records and cranking it too loud.....
Skiz-I had no idea......amazing surprise, seeing you on the Sri Lanka show :)
wait a minute--- is that Skiz-- the one who is a music producer??? Don't tell me he done wrote a book for Sri Lankan cuisine-- or is THAT just part of the show??
I was dissapointed originally to not see Tony in such fine form at the start of the show. Having flown into Colombo last year on Jan, 1st of 08'. I'm assuming that I just missed your crew. For all that wonder about safty concerns the country during this time was in a cease fire between the Tigers and government troops, that was brokered by Norway in 2002. The cease fire fell apart with a few bus bombings around January 17th of 2008. While I spent two weeks mainly in the centeral region near the city of Kandy, I agreeded with Tony that the further I got away from Colombo the more I liked Sri Lanka. The food was amazing with all of the differnet spices giving it unique flavors. A beautiful country with a rough history that I hope will become peaceful.
Yes, It is indeed, I. The Ill Saint has gotta eat too!
Please check out Rice & Curry: Sri Lankan Home Cooking at
www.blurb.com
Thanks for doing the crew's blog. It was great. Interesting, open, informative, etc. It certainly explained the beginning of the show with good detail. You write well and hopefully you get to join in again. Thanks again.
As a fan of the Travel Channel and Anthony Bourdain it was great that he was going to my homeland and I was eagerly waiting for it to air. As I was watching the show it hit me that it is my cousin that I haven't seen in what - since Sid's wedding? - 20-years - Great job. Is Sam Dora Aunty's son? I heard about the book - where can I get it?
Amal
I enjoyed Monday's episode, but those darn crows reminded me of Alfred Hitchcock's movie The Birds.
Sri Lankan food looks amazingly good and spicey.
Poor Tony he did not look so hot in the begining he looked like he was about to loose his cookies.
Great show, Sri Lanka was on of the countries that i missed during my travels in 2003. I will ensure that I have time to there on my next trip!
Nice to see Anthony go to Sri Lanka. I have been four times after marrying my husband who is from Sri Lanka. I love the food and love the country. I agree that Colombo is a big and hot city with too much going on. There is a need and things to get done in Colombo but it is best to avoid it most of the time if a tourist. We honeymooned in Hikkaduwa and loved the south of the Island. Galle is also a great place to visit. I miss Kottu Roti and Kos Curry the most. I also just love going to the spice district and purchasing spices to bring home for just a good price. I do have to comment that the Burgher section of the show was disappointing the too much time was spent on it. I felt that the women who introduced Anthony to Lamprey was bitter and not helpful to the general feeling I see every time I go that the general public really co-exist peacefully and get along and want to work together to make their country better, see how much the came together after the Tsunami (I visited to help a week after it happened). The civil war is devastating to the country and is unfortunate. That is another topic. I think that going to a country to seek out culinary delights is great for this show but to only take one perspective of a difficult situation is not great if you want to promote a countries tourism. In the end, thank you to Skiz and Anthony for showing the world a place I truly love, and the food makes it all happen for me.
Great article! We don't think about the trouble you have to go through when eating is your job. I guess sometimes it's difficult to stuff it down when your body has posted signs to turn back. At least it all worked, and I have no doubt it was a great experience to be on the show. Good luck with everything, and maybe one day Tony can return!
Nice food and great show
I knew I smelled something like Kottu Rotti
I am trying to find out the name of the organization they visited in Sri Lanka that helped rebuild the fishing village and has since expanded to other locations. Maybe there is a website for this org? Many thanks.
ABM:
Please contact: Kushil@sri.lanka.net
www.unconditonalcompassion.com
Best,
Skiz Fernando
Woww :) realy funny.
Move over Burt Wolf...Anthony Bourdain is here to stay!!! What an incredible journey. I always feel like I'm there with you. The first time I saw the show I was in the hospital. I'm not much of a TV watcher, but I stopped because you have such presence and wonderful manner of narrating. I hope you'll be around a long time. If you ever want to visit Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, my company hosts wonderful potluck lunches, which are international! We offer the following variety cuisine: Mexican, Puerto Rican, Indian and Russian to name a few. Let us know when you want to visit. Bless you and your crew in all your journeys!
Great idea on the crew blog - gives us some insight into the "kitchen" so to speak.
I have loved Anthony's series and I just watched his "Beirut" episode... Anthony is amazing.. his sensitivity and his dialogue on the Beirut conflict.. phenomenal... Anthony, good job, mate, good job. Next time you are in Montreal, the smoked meat is on me.
They have to work harder like Danya to shine, it is true, but they are working on it. We have our share of oppressed litte mice right here in spite of our so-called freedoms. Go Danya!!!
Thank you for an unbiased attitude. I taught in Saudi Arabia in the women's medical college and it always annoys me that people think Saudi women are all opressed little mice.
Abbaya, cage to protect and restrict. Like a rare animal in a pretty zoo.
Do a little research and I think you will find that there is probably a higher percentage of women obsessed with their appearance and bodies and getting plastic surgeries in Saudi Arabia than the U.S.A.
Shireen and any others who share this delusion, "Most American women want to have a stick thin figure and look gorgeous all the time...Women starve themselves and undergo painful plastic surgeries just so their bodies get a little more attention from the opposite sex"
From the Sri Lanka Episode who composed the music....What artist?
PLEASE, GIVE ME THE NAME OF THE PHILANTROPHIST WHO SINGLE-HANDEDLY REBUILT A WHOLE COMMUNITY BY HIMSELF IN A TOWN NEAR COLOMBO. THAT COMMUNITY NOW HAS A SWIMMING POOL, A PHARMACY, A HOSPITAL, A COMPUTER SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN, ETC. THIS PROGRAM AIRED TODAY ON TRAVEL CHANNEL (SEPTEMBER 07, 2009). THIS MAN LOOKS VERY DARK-SKINNED, AND WELL-BUILT. WAITING TO HEAR FROM YOU.
THANK.
ADAM., STONEHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A.
im a vegan and havent eaten meat since i was 12 or 13 (im 25 now). ive never even tried any type of seafood. i love this show and since watching it i have started to rethink my tofu rich diet. i would love to travel with the crew and tony and pop my vegan cherry. is this something anyone would be interested in? i would love to try anything including bugs and balls :).
it is you fine folks who make the show. I love the care and sincerity you put into every show. I like when I read Tony's blog and he says that the show turned out like crap or this shot was screwed up. It shows that you people care about your work and you are striving for greatness.
ADAM:
Please contact: Kushil@sri.lanka.net
www.unconditonalcompassion.com
Best,
Skiz Fernando
That link you've given doesn't work, Skiz.
Here's the link for the foundation seen in the show:
www.unconditionalcompassion.org
AB I am a huge fan! I am Sri Lankan living now in Chicago, where there is no Sri Lankan restaurant. I really miss hoppers and kottu roti. I hope a good cook from Sri Lanka opens an authentic eating place here - soon!
AB - may your travels be many, may your plate always be full of amazing morsels and may you continue to help me see places and faces through your eyes! Bohoma isthuti