Cocaine, cracked oysters and secrets from the culinary underbelly. Kitchen Confidential, written in an almost Hunter S. Thompson style, goes behind the scenes of the restaurant industry. Anthony Bourdain’s chef career is recapped with vivid descriptions, brutally honest opinions and secrets of the craft.

RATING: 4.5/5

CHECK IT OUT: GOODREADS or AMAZON

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Never order fish on Monday. Most seafood on Monday is about 4 to 5 days old.

• Brunch menus are an open invitation to the cost-conscious chef, a dumping ground for the odd bits left over from Friday and Saturday night or from the scraps generated in the normal course of business.

• I won’t eat in a restaurant with filthy bathrooms. They let you see the bathrooms. If the restaurant can’t be bothered to replace the puck in the urinal or keep the toilets and floors clean, then just imagine what their refrigerators and workspaces look like. Bathrooms are relatively easy to clean. Kitchens are not.

• Chicken is boring. Chefs see it as a menu item for people who don’t know what they want to eat.

• Your body is not a temple, it’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.

• Character is far more important than skills or employment history. Character you either have or don’t have.

• There are two types of people in the world: those who do what they say they’re going to do— and everyone else.

• Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.

• Don’t lie about it. You made a mistake. Admit it and move on. Just don’t do it again. Ever.

• “Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.” -Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

• An ounce of sauce covers a multitude of sins.

RIP ANTHONY BOURDAIN.

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