The great Anthony Bourdain left his mark everywhere he went. When his death was announced to the world in June 2018, media throughout the globe chimed in and listed all the great things he had done for their respective country. Whereas before, tourists would shy away from exotic foods, thanks to him, travellers now go the extra mile to find and try local bites. With this in mind, here are all the restaurants Bourdain visited and the dishes he tasted when he shot Anthony Bourdain Japan for his show, Parts Unknown Season 8 Episode 7 (originally aired November 13, 2016):
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Kimoyaki on a stick – photo by City Foodsters under CC BY 2.0
DISH – Uni, Kano-gani, Kimoyaki and Kaki
WHAT IS IT?
Uni – edible parts of sea urchins; Kano-gani – male snow crab; Kimoyaki – grilled eel livers on a stick; Kaki – oysters (that Anthony Bourdain described to be “as big as a clown’s shoes”).
WHERE IS IT?
Omico Market
５０ Kamiomicho
Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
ANTHONY BOURDAIN JAPAN NOTES
Omicho Market is also called “Kanazawa’s Kitchen”.
DISH – Kaiseki
WHAT IS IT?
Kaiseki refers to the traditional multi-course meal in Japan. For Anthony Bourdain, it was Sea Bream served Chimaki style over rice slightly sweetened by vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and sesame. He also had Grilled Rockfish made Horaku style, steamed in smoking wormwood. Bamboo Shoots and Wagyu Beef with Soy Sauce and Mirin were prepared tableside. His Sashimi Course was of cod, salted and pressed between leaves of kelp for 2 hours, coated with sake-cured codfish roe, and flounder, with the skin gently rubbed with grilled tomato the day before. Then there was Clam Hot Pot – rice steamed with clam and Bonito broth, topped with plump torigai and manju clams, creamy sea urchins and Japanese broccolini blossoms.
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WHERE IS IT?
Yamanoo
1 Chome-31-25 Higashiyama
Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
ANTHONY BOURDAIN JAPAN NOTES
Yamanoo is a traditional kaiseki restaurant that dates back to 1890. It presents an entirely new menu ever few weeks, as Anthony Bourdain puts it: “in response to the changing seasons and the seasonality of the products available in the region”.
Aji Tataki – photo by kslee under CC BY 2.0 
Maguro Zuke – photo by takaokun under CC BY 2.0 Hirame Sashimi – photo by T.Tseng under CC BY 2.0 
Shima-aji – photo by Dale Cruse under CC BY 2.0 
Anago Sushi – photo by David Jackmanson under CC BY 2.0 Tamagoyaki – photo by Asacyan under CC-BY-SA-3.0
DISH – Aji Tataki, Maguro Zuke, Hirame Sashimi, Shima-aji, Anago Sushi, and Tamagoyaki
WHAT IS IT?
Aji Tataki – seared horse mackerel over green onion and ginger, seasoned with house-made soy; Maguro Zuke – Bluefin tuna prepared in classic Zuke style, Hirame Sashimi – Japanese tiger prawn, octopus and fluke sashimi; Shima-aji – striped jack brushed with soy sauce and sake; Anago Sushi – sea eel, hand-rolled in fresh, crackling seaweed; Tamagoyaki – Japanese omelet made through rolling several layers of egg.
WHERE IS IT?
Ginza Sushi Ko
6 Chome-3-8 Ginza
Chuo City, Tokyo, Japan
ANTHONY BOURDAIN JAPAN NOTES
For more than 130 years, Ginza Sushi Ko has been serving its guests traditional sushi bar fare, such as its tamagoyaki that follows the same recipe for more than a century.
