This week’s Parts Unknown saw Anthony Bourdain travel from his home in Manhattan to the far away hamlet of Queens, showing what a difference 30 minutes on the ⑦ train can make. Bourdain is a pro at imbuing local spots with his trademark sense of discovery and this episode was no exception. With the famed host at the helm, Queens is revealed as a classic American melting pot — diverse, eclectic, and full of unique influences.
More than any episode this season, Bourdain’s Queens adventure reveals that he still believes in America. He reminds us of this in his narration, “It’s America—when America was still seen and believed to be an idea: a place for people from all over the world to be free, to better their lives, to build a new future.” That, the chef hopes, is the America we should all be striving for.
Let’s take a dive into the visually stunning meals and scenes from this week’s episode — which reminds us that you don’t need to cross continents to explore.
YU GARDEN DUMPLING HOUSE
Bourdain dipped into Yu Garden with half of the hip hop duo Swet Shop Boys. Heems schooled Bourdain on the finer points of growing up Hindu in America over Tsingtao beers, soup dumplings, and plenty of pork offal.
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GEO SI GI
Moving from Chinese dumplings to Korean delights is pretty easy in Queens. Bourdain hit some sweet pork short ribs, some pork neck bone soup, and washed it all down with plenty of soju.
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LHASA FAST FOOD
Bourdain’s next stop was this famed Tibetan hole-in-the-wall joint for some Thentuk (hand-pulled noodle soup), momos (Himalayan dumplings), and shapta (spicy, fried beef). Bourdain and Heems were joined by community organizer Ali Najmi who espoused the values and benefits of the multiculturalism that’s on display across Queens.
AFRICANA RESTAURANT
It’s all in the name here. Africana offers up pan-African dishes that are infused with plenty of authenticity.
BRISAS DEL MAR SPANISH RESTAURANT
Bourdain dips into this utilitarian joint for some great Latin food. Brisas is celebrated for cheap and delicious takes on rice, beans, and stewed or grilled meats.
AQUEDUCT RACETRACK
Bourdain also hit up some great street vendors across Queens, but that’s a little too unspecific to cover here. So here’s the racetrack Bourdain hit up with his cookbook co-author Laurie Woolever. Bets were placed. Light beer was drunk. Money was lost. And an entertaining day at the races was enjoyed by all.
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NEIR’S TAVERN
Lastly, Bourdain hit up one of the oldest bars in the country, Neir’s Tavern. All though this dive is old, it’s probably best known for being the location that the crew from Goodfellas hangs out in. Besides its illustrious history, this just a flat out great bar with good burgers and a chilled out local atmosphere.
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