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Popular Culture Review
as belonging to a culinary system not one’s own” (Long 181). Long and others
suggest that when we engage with ethnic cuisine, it is done so in a way that
exoticizes the creators of foreign food while asserting and maintaining our own
dominance (Barbas; Ward). While there is nothing inherently wrong with eating
ethnic food, it must be noted that a simple interest in sampling ethnic food rarely
carries the potential for any power structures to be disrupted, or for the subjects
of fascination to demonstrate agency or resistance. An episode of No
Reservations that most vividly illustrates the ethical dilemmas of “eating the
Other” is the episode focusing on Laos.
Bourdain’s trip to Laos clearly reveals the tension inherent in traveling to a
faraway place for the purpose of a travel food show. The narrative of this
particular episode is that Bourdain wants to showcase the beauty of the country
and shed light on its complicated entangling with the U.S. military. Yet a
recurring theme throughout the show is that Laos is shrouded in mystery; as
Bourdain states, “It’s very romantic, very beautiful, very enchanted place that no
one knows about. I understand everyone who came here who became captivated
by this place. You look at these mountains with the mist in the morning and it’s
magical, there’s no place like it.” This sort of language is decidedly Orientalist
(Said), framing this Southeast Asian country as one that is mystical and exotic
and feminine—an alluring trap for Westerners because they just cannot fathom
its hidden depths. With this framework of Orientalism exists the idea that such
cultures are inherently inferior to the West; to be sure, Bourdain cannot help but
draw comparisons to the U.S. in his comments. He marvels at the fact that there
are “No KPCs, no McDonalds, no Burger Kings” and that it remains “uniquely
untouched” by Western influences—two facts that are posited as advantages for
travelers, but that inadvertently reinscribe the authority and dominance of the
U.S.
The most problematic moments from Bourdain’s trip to Laos come when he
starts eating meals in private homes. In his narrative he explains the history of
Laos becoming involved in World War II, which resulted