Taste For Something New

Anthony Bourdain (above, centre, as a judge on C4’s new primetime food show The Taste) has long been an advocate of street food. When I listened to his address to the World Street Food Congress (here’s my report about it for the Guardian) I was surprised at how in love he was with what he tasted in Singapore, where traders have been corralled into wipe-clean hawker centres. Health and Safety’s gain has been the  loss of the country’s authentic food culture. But Bourdain was making plans. He saw another way forward. It transpires that Bourdain is planning a hawker centre of his own. In New York City. No exact location has been confirmed as yet. And no opening date. But ‘the Anthony Bourdain World Market’ is the working title. Hmmmm. As he told Eater, “I am indeed working on this project—carefully assembling a dream list of chefs, operators, street food and hawker legends from around the world—in hopes of bringing them together in one New York City space … As the greatest city in the world, I’ve long felt that we should have the kind of delicious, diverse food centres that Singapore ( for instance) enjoys.” With his contacts, it will be worth checking out.