Favorite Food at Anthony Bourdin Airport
If you want to know which airports in the world have the best food, ask someone who has been to almost all of them. This is chef and travel host Anthony Bourdain, who can’t wait to put on his mittens as he flies.
Most grocery offerings at airports, especially in the states, are nothing more than the slightly less teen-filled version of the food courts you’ll find at the mall. But some airports around the world offer delicacies in places you don’t normally visit.
Bourdain recently told The New York Times about his secrets of airport food and air travel. For one, he prefers airport food over airplane food, which should come as no surprise if you’ve ever tried to swallow the tasteless TV dinners they hand out. But which one has the best deals?
“Probably the best food at Changi Airport in Singapore; he has a staff peddler open to the public. There’s a sushi bar right at the gate to Tokyo serving flights to the States, which is unusually good for an airport sushi bar. Last but not least, it has a Lawson convenience store that has these essential egg salad sandwiches that defy logic and science with their deliciousness and seeming freshness. They sit there at about room temperature because I don’t know how long it is on white bread wrapped in plastic, and I don’t know why, but they’re ridiculously good. “
That’s all. According to Bourdin, he is “tragically familiar” with all the major airports in the world, and Changi and Narita are leaders. But his personal preference also sheds light on a big clue. Sometimes the best food ends up in a place you might not expect to see. For example, in convenience stores, you might think of endlessly cool hot dogs and burritos in plastic microwave wrapping, but they can also have real fresh food, especially if you’re in other parts of the world.
So, the next time you travel by plane, choose an airport kitchen instead of an in-flight meal, and don’t be afraid to leave the airport food court in search of a feast.