Was it me or the Filipino American they had on was as enthusiastic as a melting ice cap. They could've picked someone with pep; Anthony was dissing him the whole time and he was just standing there with his bowl hair cut!... I felt like being a Filipino American and supposedly hungry to learn the culture and the food the dude was a yawn...Sounds like Tony was disappointed with that dude too! Hopefully Anthony gives the Philippines another try and next time through the eyes of someone who has more passion and more enthusiasm to learn. The crew did an awesome job and of course TONY was need I say it??? PIMP!!

I agree. The whole time I was watching it, I felt...if only I had brought him over to share the PI with my family!

They could have done a whole pancit tasting, for goodness sake...don't like palabok/malabon/lug lug? Then try pancit canton or bihon!

And no Halo-Halo?!?!?

When Agosto told Tony that he had only had lechon maybe once or twice in his life — I was flabbergasted. My American wife has had it many many times over the years. And my mixed-race kids who are just 11 and 8 have had it frequently as well. And I don't even speak Tagalog or Kapampangan!

Thank goodness they made that detour into Pampanga (where my family is from). Tony and producers, please please please, give me a call should you ever go back to the Philippines.

On another note, to answer the question "why isn't Filipino food as popular as other Asian food in the USA?"...my wife had this observation: because the food we most associate with home is food that is cooked in the home.

Sure there are a bazillion restaurants in the PI, and not all of them are imports...but when it comes to talking passionately about our food, I find it is the food made by our relatives (or ourselves) that really get us going. One might even be disappointed by a restaurant's version of a favorite dish because they did not make it "like my Lola did".

Well, yes Augusto was a bit boring. The family was a bit boring too. I was like "dude, most Filipino families are flamboyant and fun loving! this family was a zombie".

But that's what made this episode colorful is that the gist is this: Tony ended up being in the role of introducing Filipino food and culture to a Filipino American! That is profound, man! That was perfect.

We were talking about deep issues regarding Filipino Culture while enjoying the food. Tony definitely showed US the Filipino culture. Fantastic!

Our culture is fading. It is not our fault per se. We were programmed to adapt quickly to new environments and to assimilate. We were Spanish, we were Chinese, we were Malays, we were Indigenous, we were Indonesians, we were Americans. We were everyone in that archipelago.

We should embrace that! That's what makes us unique from other NATIONS in the world. That's probably why Tony Bourdain was so fascinated about us.

Augusto was the quintessential Fil Am and he had a purpose there. We get it.

Let's thank Augusto because HIS ENTRY allowed Anthony Bourdain to be more curious about Filipino food.

Peace to all and Mabuhay ang mga Filipino! Mabuhay ang Pinoy!

As like it wasn't enough for Augusto to be "dissed" on international TV, you guys beat him up some more. The truth is that there are more of him out there and the show did a good job of touching the subject. And like Tony has said, the cameras might have made things worse for him and his family. But like Archie has pointed out and Tony said it on TV, Augusto was the tipping point for Tony's trip to Pi. I for one am glad that he went to Cebu adn mind you had the "best pig ever". I was born and raised in Bohol and lives in the US and I can vouch for the lechon in that area.

What happened Tony Bourdain? Your Philippine show is probably the worst of all the shows you have done. You didn't really feature Filipino cuisine at its best! I find that you didn't go with what your show is all about when you went to the Philippines. We watch your show so we can be informed on where and how and what to eat and places to go in a country. Shame on you for not doing the Philippines justice by not showing us real gourmet and fantastic restaurants and places in the Philippines we can go. the food you featured, that's not even real Filipino food. for goodness sake! there is no such thing as a shrimp adobo! where in the world did that come from? and pampanga is not really the best place to go if you want real Filipino dishes. it's an overrated place! all they know is sinigang and the worst red district in southeast asia and what's that! the only thing you hit right was the lechon in Cebu and yet, did you know that we have a special sauce for lechon made out of the pig's liver that you did not feature? Oh Tony, please find a good Filipino guide if ever there will be a next time. we were so excited that you finally went to the Philippines, but what a great disappointment. Are you losing it? it seems you turned into just a beer drinking, cigarette smoking bum. so where's the beef?

for your information you can adobo anything and since you are Filipino you should be thankful that Anthony Bourdain showcased our country, I commend him for doing that, I commend that he did not show touristy places like Boracay which is now a prime example of tourism gone amuck. I really hoped that they showed more but due to time restraints I can understand why they showed what they showed. One thing is for sure I will be buying that episode on dvd. More power Anthony and keep up the good work

Rommil...yes, yes, it's easy to sit here and poke holes in the show, and Augusto. But alas, that is the nature of the internet and the two-way dialog that all the media outlets are trying to create.

I appreciate Archie's take that this show turned the table around and let Tony be the guide for a Fil-Am. I didn't really get that impression when I watched the show last night though.

My biggest gripe with this ep is that, unlike so many of his other episodes, it left me with very little desire to visit or even excitement about the country! Of course, I will visit again to show my kids the land of their Lolo and Lola...but as an "advertisement" for the PI, not the best job. And yes, Augusto and his family do share some of the burden.

I'm happy that through Augusto's efforts Tony visited our homeland...I'm just disappointed with the resulting show.

I'll say it again: NO HALO-HALO????

And Melindav...as a native of Tarlac, I take issue with your dissing of my peeps food! ;-P

quote:

Originally posted by flipmode squad:
Was it me or the Filipino American they had on was as enthusiastic as a melting ice cap. They could've picked someone with pep; Anthony was dissing him the whole time and he was just standing there with his bowl hair cut!... I felt like being a Filipino American and supposedly hungry to learn the culture and the food the dude was a yawn...Sounds like Tony was disappointed with that dude too! Hopefully Anthony gives the Philippines another try and next time through the eyes of someone who has more passion and more enthusiasm to learn. The crew did an awesome job and of course TONY was need I say it??? PIMP!!

ALL I'm saying is you know if Tony told you to get ready cause he's coming to see your country.. You know your whole family and your cousin's cousin will get a whole marching band to welcome them... That's all I'm saying.. gotta go ALL OUT!!! The whole world is watching and you better go big or go home....

I am sure Tony tried a lot more than what they cared to show in the episode (the show is just under an hour). Read the blogs and you will find out. We can nitpick every single detail and say Tony should have done this and that and that is true to any country he has been to. I choose to look at the bigger picture and remain thankful that Tony had great things to say about the food and also made us look into our people, our food and culture, of what is really "Filipino".

quote:

Originally posted by jayc1323:
for your information you can adobo anything and since you are Filipino you should be thankful that Anthony Bourdain showcased our country, I commend him for doing that, I commend that he did not show touristy places like Boracay which is now a prime example of tourism gone amuck. I really hoped that they showed more but due to time restraints I can understand why they showed what they showed. One thing is for sure I will be buying that episode on dvd. More power Anthony and keep up the good work

Jayc it's already on my iPod, got it from iTunes today.

ha..ha... just like I thought even before he went there-- Pinoys will not be happy.

well?? BE GRATEFUL HE EVEN WENT! Just like he said f rom the start of the show-- he was constantly being bombarded to go there... so ??


I'll say this-- this is one of the most contrived episodes i've ever seen with bourdain-- no sense of fun nor spontaneity.. NONE.. on the most part the BIG T-- LOOKED ILL AT EASE.. & trying to make the best of it.

no wonder, after Manila he returned to first love-- DIGON HUNGERING FOR HIS BOWL OF PHO & looking so giddy awaiting for his first bowl of ambrosia.

ps: geez man,. Manila still looks so filthy-- that central market ( comapre it to ones in Indonesia even samoa), chinatown, those cantinas . so sad..

hmm.. distracted..SAIGON.. HUNGERING ETC..
DID YOU ALL SEE HIM-- RED-FACED WITH ANTICIPATION FOR HIS PHO LAST WEEK ON FOOD PORN..

Rommil...I respectfully disagree. The Spain show made me want to save every penny so I can visit and eat at Mugaritz, El Bulli, etc. The recent Chicago show also made me want to investigate that city.

The NR show on the Philippines did not make me want to visit (and I have visited our homeland before!). I'm with flipmodesquad...if I told my family that I was coming home with A) my kids who have never been there and B) a television show — they would have thrown a fiesta!

FWIW, there is a relatively new book out entitled "A Taste of Home: Pinoy Expats and Food Memories" that Tony and company should read.

as for filipino restaurants here in US-- I can speak for Los Angeles-- once upon a time-- there were a few. but complaints I heard was-- too oily, & such small portions & expensive for what it is.

then the Thai opened theirs with a vengeance-- there's variety, good value.. it took off. now, most of these Phil restaurants have closed.

Same in Vancouver-- they have these chinese/Phil ones.

Alix...see my comment above regarding the paucity of Fil restaurants here in the US. I've been to Romy Dorotan's and it was good, but I like the Navarro family recipe better.

Admin, you may close this topic now. I think we are all spent.

Well, I think they did a decent job but as we all can see from the posts here, we all also think we can do a better job.

Honestly, I think there was more to the Philippines that wasn't shown or elaborated on.

I think we all would like to invite Tony to our own homes in the US to showcase what Filipinos are all about - FAMILY, FOOD, FUN, and being LOUD!

But glad he made the trip out there and didn't make the motherland look entirely too bad to visit!

ha..ha... just like I thought even before he went there-- Pinoys will not be happy.

well?? BE GRATEFUL HE EVEN WENT! Just like he said f rom the start of the show-- he was constantly being bombarded to go there... so ??


I'll say this-- this is one of the most contrived episodes i've ever seen with bourdain-- no sense of fun nor spontaneity.. NONE.. on the most part the BIG T-- LOOKED ILL AT EASE.. & trying to make the best of it.

no wonder, after Manila he returned to first love-- DIGON HUNGERING FOR HIS BOWL OF PHO & looking so giddy awaiting for his first bowl of ambrosia.

ps: geez man,. Manila still looks so filthy-- that central market ( comapre it to ones in Indonesia even samoa), chinatown, those cantinas . so sad..

ps Indonesia, Samoa? clean really now the only country in South East Asia I can say is clean is Singapore And the Brunei, if you read most of the comments it was very positive with the exception of the few people that kept wanting more including me. I for one look forward to my yearly visit to my grandfather and I cant wait to hop on that plane and spend sometime with him and savour the flavors of my childhood

BE GREATFUL HE EVEN WENT?? He was the one who begged to be picked so he can go to the Philippines AIR FARE PAID FOR!.. so I don't have to be GREATFUL that HE went..

And where are the ASKAL???.. LOL