Legendary Sushi Chef Fights Tears Remembering Anthony Bourdain

Masa Takayama appeared in a 2016 episode of Bourdain's show, "Parts Unknown."

The death of restaurateur and author Anthony Bourdain devastated many in the culinary world, including sushi legend Masa Takayama.

Takayama, renowned chef and owner of the Michelin three-star sushi restaurant Masa in Manhattan, talked through tears as he reflected on Bourdain’s life in an interview with BBC.

“He just started an amazing show, amazing stuff,” Takayama says in the video, weeping. “I’m so upset. He’s a great man. I will miss him very much.”

Wiping away tears, the chef added that he felt Bourdain went “more deep into a culture behind all the cuisine” and that the CNN host explored “real stuff in a real way.”

Bourdain featured Takayama in a 2016 episode of his show “Parts Unknown,” during which the pair toured outdoor food markets in Kanazawa, Japan, and enjoyed a meal cooked over an irori, a traditional Japanese sunken hearth.

Like Takayama, many others have lauded Bourdain for his respect for the cultures and food he featured. Many have pointed out how the TV host often helped introduce cuisines, like Filipino food, to Western audiences and made it a point to address the political and social climate in countries he visited.

“Bourdain never treated our food like he ‘discovered’ it,” comedian Jenny Yang tweeted. “He kicked it with grandma because he knew that HE was the one that needed to catch up to our brilliance.”

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