Food Fighters: AA Gill and Anthony Bourdain in conversation

AA Gill and Anthony Bourdain both love words almost as much as they love food, and neither hesitates to use them as weapons in their endless culinary quest for satisfaction, if not perfection. In this feisty conversation at the Sydney Writers’ Festival 2011, they talk to restauranteur Tony Bilson about trends in dining culture and the changes they’ve loved and loathed over their years.
Presented by Sydney Writers’ Festival 2011

[@jsrhedgehog9981]

"The same thing that makes Japanese P*rnography so disturbing makes their food so great." Truer words have never been spoken

[@jamesdooling4139]

This video demonstrates exactly why AB is a rare, American treasure; all he wants is for people to appreciate where food comes from and to appreciate those who create it.

[@corbelius6]

I am American, and The Vast Majority of the people I come into contact with think like Bourdain.

[@qiyanghuang6638]

@@corbelius6 q1qeeqeqeqeqqqwqqqqwqqqqqqewqqeqqqqqqqqqqqqqq1qeqqe1wqqqqqqqwqwqq1qqeqeq3qwqqqwwqqqqqqqwqqeqqeqqqqqqqeqqqqwqqqqq1qqqqqqqqqq1qqqqq1wqqqqqeqqqeqqqqqwqeqeqqqqqqqqqqqwwqqqqqeeqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqw1eeqqeqqqqqe1eqqeqq1qqqqqqqqqqqqqeqqqwwqqqqqqqeqwqqqqqqeqqqqwqqqqwqqwq1qeqqqqqqeqqqqqqqqqweqqqeqqeeqqqqqeqqqeqqeqqqqqqeqqqqqqqq1qqeqqq3qqqqqqqqq1eeeqqqqqqqqqqwqwqqqqqweqwq1qwqqe3qqeqqqqqeqqqqq31qqqq1qwqqqqqqqqqeweqeq3wwqwq3qq133qqwqqqqqq1qqqqq1qeeqwe1eqqqqqqeqqqqqwqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqeeq3qqqqqqqeeqqqqqwqeqqqqqqeqqqeqqqqqeqqqqqqq3qeqqqqqqqqwqeqqqeqqqqqqqqqqwqqqqqqqqqqeqqqqqqqqqqeqqqqqeqqqqq11qwqqqqqqqeqqqqqqqqeqqqqqqqeqqqqqeqqeqqqqqqeqeqqqeeqqqeqeq1eqe1wqqq1qqqqqqqeqqqqqqqqqqeeqqqwqqqeqqqqqqqwqqqqqq1qqw1qqq1qqwqqe11qq1qqq3eqqqqqqqq1qq1qqqqqq1qqqqqqqqqq1eqqeqqqqqqqqeqqqqqeqqwqqqqqqqq1qqqqqqqqqeqqqqqqqw1qqqwq11qqqqqqqqqqqq1qqqqwqqqq1wqe1q1weqqqqqqqqqq1qqeqq1e1qqqqqqqqq1qqqqqq1qwqqqq1qqq31q1qqqqqqq11qqqqwqqqq1q1qqqqqeqeqw1qqq3eqqqe1qqqeqewqqqqq1q1qqq1qq1qqqqqqqqqq1qeq3qqqqeeqqqqqqeeqqqeqw3eqqq3qqeqeq1wqqe3qqqqqqqq3qqqq1eqqqqeqqqq3qqqqqq1qqq1qqqwq111qqqqqeeeeq3qeqqqeeqqqeq3qewwqqqqqqeqqqq1eqqqqqeqeqeqeq33eqeqqqeq1qeqeq1qeqqqqqqqq3qeqqqqwqeqqqqeeqqqe1ee1eqqqqq3qqq1qq3qwqqqqeeqeqqeqeqeqee3eeqeeqqq1eewqqqqqeqeqqqqe1qeqqwqqeqqqqqqqqewqqqqqqeqeeqeqqqqq1qqeqrqqeeqwqqqqqqqqwqqqqeqeqqqqqqqeqqqqqq1qqqqqqqeqqqqqqqeqqqqqqqq3qeqqqeq3qeqrqqqqqqqwqwqqqwqqqqqqeeqqqqwq1qqqqqqqqqqqqwqqwqqeeeqqeqewe133qqqeqqqq3qqqqqqqqqeeqqqqqqq1qq1qw111qq1e1qqwwqqqewqwqqqqqeqqqqqq1qqqqqqq1qqqeqqqqeqqqe1eqqqqqeqqq31eqe1qqe1qqqqq1wqqqqqqweqqqq3qqqqeqqqqeeqqqqqe3qqeqqq1qwqe3q11qqqeq1q1wqqqqqqqq1q1qeqqeqqqqqeq1qq1qq1qqqq1q1qw1qqqqqe1113eq3qq1ewqqeqqqqqqqqewqqqe3qq3eqq31eq1e1eq1eqqqqwqqwqq1wqqqe3qw1eeqqqqwqqqqqqqwqeqqqewq3eeeeqeq1q33qeeqqqeqwqeqee1qqeqqwwqeqqqqeqqqqqq14qqeeqeeeqqqqeq33qeqe3qqqqqqe4qqeqqee31eq1q3qqeqqqqqqqw13qqqqqq3eeqewe3q1qqwqqqeq31q1qqqeqqeqqeq33w33333333qqq3qqq1qqeeqqeq1qqq1qqqqqe1qqq3q1qq3qqq1q3eqq1eqq1qqeqqqeqqqqqqeq1qe13343333333333333333333333333333333333333333334333333333333334333333333333333333w3333333333333333333333343343w33433333333333333333333334333333333333433343333333333333333333433w33333333333333333333333w33333333433333333333333333433333333333w333333433334333333334333343433333333334333333333333334334333343333333333333334w3333333333333333333333333w3333433w34333333w3w333333qeqqqqqeqq1qq3wq1qq3qqqqqwqwq3qqqqqq3q1qeqeqe1w133eqeqqq33qqqeeqq3eqqwq1e3q3qe3eqqqqwqqqwwqwqwqwqqwqqqqqwqqwqqqqqqqqqqwqq3qqqqwqqqqwq1wqewqqqq1qqqqqq3qqq3qeq3qqq1weqqwqqqeq1qeqqwqqqqeeqeewe3q3w3eqqwqqqeqwqqwqq3qqwqqqqqqqwq3qqwqqqqqqqwqwqqqqqeqqqeqqq3333333333333333333333333333333w3333 q3qqwqqqqqqqwqwqqqqqeqqqeqqq3333333333333333333333333333333w3333 q3qqwqqqqqqqwqwqqqqqeqqqeqqq3333333333333333333333333333333w3333 q3qqwqqqqqqqwqwqqqqqeqqqeqqq3333333333333333333333333333333w3333 q3qqwqqqqqqqwqwqqqqqeqqqeqqq3333333333333333333333333333333w3333 q3qqwqqqqqqqwqwqqqqqeqqqeqqq3333333333333333333333333333333w3333 q3qqwqqqqqqqwqwqqqqqeqqqeqqq3333333333333333333333333333333w3333 q3qqwqqqqqqqwqwqqqqqeqqqeqqq3333333333333333333333333333333w3333 q3qqwqqqqqqqwqwqqqqqeqqqeqqq3333333333333333333333333333333w3333 q3qqwqqqqqqqwqwqqqqqeqqqeqqq3333333333333333333333333333333w3333 and the kids have to go out of the house to do it all over 🙄 years old now I am going up for work 😑 and now I'm going back and I want you guys and you you know I am doing it for you the best thing thing to you and you can be the one ❤️ to be the only person ❤️ who has the right ❤️ for you ❤️ you will be able and you ❤️ to be a part time and in a few months and I am sure that you will have to go through this with me to make the most of your money to be a great addition for me and for your help time the next day I 332232 a few days 😀 and it 😀 ❤️ 😉 💙 😊 😄 and a great 👍 👌 of all of your friends 😀 ❤️ 💙 😊 😉 😄 😀 is one 😀 ❤️ 😊 💙 that is a great place 😀 to be the first time in your world to have an exciting opportunity 😀 ❤️ 😊 and you 😀 ❤️ to be able and be in a position where the person who will work 😀 ❤️ the best 👌 of a man 👨 😀 for all you 😀 ❤️ 💙 and all that you 😀 ❤️ do not have to do it with you 😀 ❤️ you can make 😀 with your life 😀 you are the most 😀 in life 😀 ❤️ you 😀 ❤️ the most 😀 ❤️ 💙 and a great 👍 👌 that 😀 is not a big 😀 for a man in a good 😀 of his mind to make 😀 ❤️ 💙 😊 😉 😄 😀 the way 😀 and I know 😀 are you 😀 and what is it 😀 ❤️ you can get 😀 in a day 😀 ❤️ and you 😀 ❤️ 😊 💙 the first 😀 ❤️ 😊 💙 😉 is the best way to make 😀 ❤️ 😊 💙 😉 😄 😀 ❤️ 😊 and a good 👍 for this 😀 😊 ❤️ 💙 😉 is the one 😀 😊 for your home 🏡 😀 😊 ❤️ 💙 😉 🏡 😀 and a small 😀 😊 ❤️ 😀 😊 ❤️ has the largest collection 😀 😊 ❤️ in the world

[@lounge_singer_live]

AA Gils and AB instructing Tony Brison on regurgitation… Love it.

[@Horizon344]

None of them had any idea here that they'd all be dead within a decade of this.

[@Matthew-S75]

I went from disliking AA Gill to liking him in the span of watching this conversation.

[@degaulle30]

That host was like the anti-Gill

[@pacerodi]

Sometimes I eat lots of oregano, salt, pepper, soy oil, and lots of garlic. And I'm satisfied. Great interview!

[@PorcelainKilt]

Im 19 mins in; does the presenter get replaced at some point before the end, can anyone tell me?

[@sevans606]

I doubt it

[@danield2000]

All three have left us.

[@GR_BackingTracks]

Dear God... I thought it said "Foo Fighters with Anthony Bourdain" and I almost fainted.

[@leithsclaim4801]

i hope some beautifully poured Guinnesses were raised in Dublin to Anthony when it was announced he'd died. Bless him

[@djbethell]

I cheered.

[@corbelius6]

I'm Stoned After I saw this.

[@Matthew-S75]

I'm stoned watching it and lmao'ing

[@Desertfoxtrotter00]

I'm not one to comment either normally, but he seems nervous, obtuse and histrionic; whereas his written stuff is brilliant. I suspect the former fuels the latter

[@jasonandlynnechambers3420]

Which one?

[@andymatmar]

Old guy is like "tsujiki" 🤣🤣 later on Anthony Bourdain says Tsukiji.

Both dead and sorely missed!

[@revol148]

A.A.gill really - he hardly adds to this discussion - note that most of the questions weren't even addressed to him at the end !

@@revol148 Possibly, but A.A Gill wrote so well

[@revol148]

@ I agree - his memoirs of alcoholism "pour me" was superbly written - he just never came across as particularly erudite when confronted with a live audience as seen above !

[@mr.leprechaun4380]

Those who think.so highly of themselves should learn to put aside fine dining and just eat!

[@jonnysiddle4064]

Jesus AA Gill is an arse

[@JonniePolyester]

‘ ….there are French involved’ 😂😂…So great watching these two together, two of my favourite people of all time both sorely missed ❤️👍

[@JonniePolyester]

Peter Singer en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Singer?wprov=sfti1

[@flannerymonaghan-morris4825]

It’s so haunting to watch this, now knowing that both of them are gone. Also, is it me or does A.A. Hill sound more British than Scottish? Though I remember when watching a Parts Unknown episode where he was featured and he mentioned being sent to boarding school when he was younger, which could explain why there is a strange mix between Scottish lilt/vowels and cut RP.

[@stumbl1144]

Can't decipher what they're saying overtop of one another half the time, uhg

[@TsetsiStoyanova]

a rare treasure!

[@recreepy]

remarkable

[@raw5742]

Tony you came across as such a beautiful and unpretentious person who shoot through the bullshitt and pretentiousness of fine dinning. I hope up there you know how much you are missed down here.

[@pacerodi]

Talking about our last meal? Lol!

[@startervisions]

"Look what I can do"

[@highcopy]

Horrible, audio problems, fix the audio that guy in the center with his bowtie looks dopey

[@flipletape9706]

"I don't care if an animal suffer" -AA Gill

[@gabrielgolden4336]

I disagree with many comments here, host was pretentious and they rightly made mincemeat out of him.

[@barberman5822]

the difference between chefs and cooks or foodies if you want is that the latter are polite and well mannered and as far as chefs becoming up their own arse is rubbish........they have been that for centuries.

[@Sleepingugly69]

Both are legends, A.A Gill and ofc Anthony Bourdain, interviewer was so bad...

[@ferrarim5p75]

Tony Bilson is a terrible host here. He's not as well-read, has inadequate vocabulary, and he frequently ignore and interrupt Bourdain when he speaks. He also could not figure out the problem with his microphone. Stephen Fry would have been much better. Gill is the usually jerk.

[@brython2]

49 minutes and 53 seconds of utter guff

[@brython2]

@Harry Herman Au contraire, mon ami. I'm an ardent remainer.

[@saa82vik]

@Harry Herman what brexit has to do with a critical judgment of this interview? I don't consider this to be all guff, but I can see why someone who consider this largely a repetition of tropes and commonplace experiences (eater not a diner, traveling vs tourism, unrequited love for a place, Japanese, sushi bars and yakitori the fish markets, Japanese craft, sex/ food parallel, Scotland, French regional, Chateaubriad ) and name dropping (adria' Pierre white, the roux brothers, Ono, ) That said, I think both men did quite well, no surprises there unfortunately. They were quite in character. I find poor AA Gill more entertaining and witty. But I love dark humor and pointing at the elephant in the room kind of dialectics. Bourdain is much more bland, cautious like all American tv personalities or dinner party guests. Very careful in expressing any firm opinion on any real topic.

[@Silverwings1234]

Please, let it be a bad dream that he's gone. Little by little ..only the boring are left.

[@williamwells6089]

Adrian Gill is more than slightly repellant, like a good roast grouse

[@bullsantini]

Funny, you stole that line from him.

[@Hunter-sm8nd]

@@bullsantini I think that was the point.

[@skaterdude14b]

Gill doesn't care about animals suffering... that's rough

[@djbethell]

Neither did Bourdain. The world’s a far better place without both of them.

[@sineevsirk]

@@djbethell actually Bourdain talked at length about the ethics of if you do eat meat to know where it comes from and don’t disrespect the animal and use every part of it. He was quite the opposite of someone who disrespected animals. And he made a point most times on his shows when he visited no. Western cultures to highlight the fact that those cultures respect the animals they eat much more than we do. The world you want to reside in that’s ‘better off without him’ sounds terrible.

[@djbethell]

@@sineevsirk don't disrespect an animal by eating every part of it? Are you serious? You have no understanding about how warped that bullshit is? That's some torsion you've got going on there. Do you tell all abusers, murderers, rapists, paedophiles, etc, to make sure they respect their victims by using all of them up? Have a word with yourself.

[@rossbonesteel6913]

worse than 8th grade English, can't let Anthony finish a thought never mind a sentence

[@bborud]

This would have been so much better without the host. He is unable to do his job on absolutely every level.

[@DCM30]

As an Edinburgher - I have never heard a born bred Edinburgher sound like A.A Gill - must have been the private school education which I`m sure informed his pretentious crap!

[@simiholst9370]

This is wonderful but really hard to watch, Anthony Bourdain is dead. Fuck.

[@CC-dd6fm]

Haha the host had a real thing against the English.

[@rustyp5810]

AA GILL IS ARROGANT AND NOT HONEST.. I LIKE ANTHONY AND FEEL SORRY FOR THE HOST..HE IS OBVIOUSLY DISREPECTED BY AA GILL.ANTHONY IS GRACIOYS..

[@franklee6746]

I like everyone else don't care about AA Gill.

[@phoenixzappa7366]

or grammar clearly

[@IndependentGeorge76]

Or grammar, clearly.

[@phoenixzappa7366]

Very true, obviously

[@phoenixzappa7366]

.

[@phoenixzappa7366]

Why are you independent, George?

[@startervisions]

Dead

[@Booyamakashi]

english blabbermouth is annoying and gets precious time off from AB

[@SuperZooon]

Gill is a psykopath

[@vaughngaminghd]

AA Gill trying to be provocative, but just being incredibly annoying… Miss you Tony! RIP

[@Theman26642]

The British guy is terrible awkward in his annoyingness.

[@owood2288]

American bloke on animal welfare: 'They (animals), I think, are provably taste less delicious if they're mistreated' - a point of view so savage and irredeemable you could actually see him physically retreat from himself as he was saying it.

[@dwightcurrie8316]

As a heathen, uncivilized, and unapologetic meat Farmer and consumer, I can tell you from personal experience, from both hunting and farm butchering, that an animal that is killed, quickly and with a minimal of stress and suffering, produces a much better quality of meat. You can literally, and easily taste the difference. I never prolong the killing process any more than necessary, and freely submit that no person who truly appreciates, hunting, or raises good quality meat animals, is oblivious to unnecessarily torturing an animal that someone will eat. In order to raise or harvest a quality meat carcass, it is imperative that they "Care" about their animals and treat them well, and dispatched in a quick, and as painlessly as possible. The ones I eat are dispatched while they are calmly eating tasty grain, with a bullet to the brain. They are dead before they hit the ground. Game animals are shot behind the front leg with the projectile entering the heart, lungs, vital organs and are then dispatched, if necessary, with the same bullet to the brain.

[@jasonmalice]

Yes, stressed animals do not taste as well. But non-stressed taste amazing. I would only kill an animal, if I was going to eat it.

[@revol148]

I'd forgotten just how completely forgettable A.A.Gill is....

[@djbethell]

Two dead dinosaurs.

[@startervisions]

djbethell two dead humans, I needed Anthony Bourdain, so fuck you lol

[@rashahassan7626]

djbethell We are all going to die...show some respect.

[@keithcroissant5640]

You are a bellend, djbethell.

[@djbethell]

@@keithcroissant5640 yes you are.

[@djbethell]

@@rashahassan7626 I don’t respect animal abusers. Next.