(SPOT.ph) Chef, author, and host Anthony Bourdain made an unannounced and unceremonious visit to the Philippines early this December, and the Internet went wild (locally, at least). So far, he's been spotted at Korean restaurant Cafe Chosun, Japanese joint Tanabe, and a Jollibee branch—all in Malate—and Carlos Celdran's home. The cameras weren't rolling, so was he here for an episode of Parts Unknown?
We're not saying that Bourdain won't shoot another Philippine episode, but there could be another reason for his trip. According to an article on Time Out, Bourdain has recently been given the go-ahead to open a massive "international food marketplace" in New York's Pier 57. The 155,000-square foot project (the whole area is around 480,000 square feet) should be completed by 2018.
Bourdain has mentioned to the New York Times that it will be styled like an Asian food night market. “The way people eat has changed,” he says in the NYT feature. “They want to be at counters and communal tables. They want heat and funk and chicken wings that set their hair on fire. They’re as quick to brag about the greatest $3 bowl of laksa as a dinner at Ducasse. That’s what I want to create for New York, some place where I would want to eat. Right now, there is nothing like that.”
Though it will mainly go for Singapore's hawker style, Bourdain plans to feature many different types of cuisine. There's a likely chance that he was doing research as he traipsed along Malate.
Photo from Instagram @anthonybourdain
Also read: 10 Things We'd Feed Anthony Bourdain on His Next Trip to the Philippines
