Anthony Bourdain's food and travel docu-series, The Layover, has been off the air since 2013. However, the show's fun and unique premise, coupled with Bourdain's one-of-a-kind personality, make it an enjoyable experience even a decade later.
Traveling throughout the world, Anthony pops in and out of various cities with only a day or two to eat and explore. To maximize his time and get the most bang for his buck, he enlists the help of friends and colleagues to guide him through the city's diverse neighborhoods, ensuring the best experience possible. In this article, we'll look at the ten best episodes, according to IMDB.
Toronto (7.9)
In Season 2, Episode 5, Anthony visits Toronto, the largest city in Canada. He's got 30 hours to make the most of his stay, so he enlists the help of journalist David Sax, a Toronto native. Toronto isn't the prettiest of cities, so you have to dig deep to find the hidden gems, like Tosho Knife Shop in Palmerston or Hits and Misses record shop on Queen West.
Food-wise, Toronto is all over the map. You can find just about anything, although bacon seems to be a recurring theme. The weirdest stop Anthony makes is for dinner, where he meets up with local chefs for horse paté and bone luge shots.
Dublin (7.9)
In Season 2, Episode 6, Anthony gets in late, and the count down starts at 40 hours. First on the itinerary is, of course, a pint or two of Guinness and a bowl of Irish stew.
The only non-food related stop in this episode is a book store specializing in rare first editions. Later on, Anthony meets up with his friend and fellow Chef Joe Macken for, you guessed it, more pints. They also stop by a t called Roma's to feast on some late-night fish and chips.
Paris (7.9)
Paris is the destination in the 2nd episode of Season 2. Anthony chooses to skip the touristy things like Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower and, instead, heads right for the cafés. This episode features several acquaintances, more than usual, who all take Anthony to various eateries around the city.
L'Avant Comptoir, for example, features communal cheese and bread plates and only allows standing. Of course, the real star of the episode is the mime, dressed in the traditional red-striped shirt, that ambushes Bourdain in the park.
San Francisco (8.0)
In the 8th episode of the 1st season, Anthony is in San Francisco for 30 hours. The Bay Area food scene prides itself on allowing individuals to be themselves, and the episode does a fantastic job of highlighting this quality throughout Anthony's trip.
Meeting up with Danny Bowien, credited with inventing the "pop up" restaurant concept, Anthony bar-hops around the city, hitting several hot spots in San Francisco's China Town, which is the biggest in the country. Also featured is Caleb Zigas, the director of La Cocina, a nonprofit food incubator that helps low-income entrepreneurs realize their high-concept eateries.
Hong Kong (8.0)
Framed around Anthony's profound realization that layovers are lonely and depressing, his Season 1 trip to Hong Kong is filled with genuinely entertaining moments while also being informative. Throughout his stay, Anthony reminds us that it's currently the hottest time of the year in a city that, otherwise, is one of his favorite places in the world to visit.
A particularly fun scene shows Anthony trying a bizarre rendition on tomato soup. Elbow macaroni, processed meat, and a fried egg doused in a plain tomato broth, this soup does nothing but remind Anthony of the terrible food he ate in college.
Rome (8.0)
Another Season 1 classic, Anthony takes the red-eye flight to Rome, lands at 6 in the morning, and has 32 hours to pack in as much as possible. Tony eats a lot of classic Italian staples in this episode. From traditional porchetta, pizza, and everything in between, Anthony makes the most of his 32 hours.
Gabriele Bonci introduces Anthony to his restaurant, Pizzarium, which claims to have invented fifteen hundred different takes on pizza. Also featured is the return of an on-going gag where Tony reads from a humorous tour guide book that gives terrible advice.
New York (8.0)
The 2nd episode in season one technically doesn't feature a layover. Bourdain lives in New York City. Of course, as he notes, he travels so much that it may as well be a layover. Kitchen Arts and letters in the Upper East Side specializes in rare and hard-to-find books on all things food.
A pre-famous David Cheng, now one of the hottest celebrity chefs around, meets up with Anthony for the quintessential New York hot dog. The real star of the episode is the secret bar located behind an antique phone booth in the back of the hot dog t, only in New York City.
Singapore (8.0)
In the premiere episode of the series, Anthony lands in Singapore around 5 am, which leaves him 32 hours before departure. Singapore features a wide variety of Asian cuisines, so it's pretty hight on Anthony's list of cities that give you the most bang for your buck in the shortest time.
As a bonus, crime in Singapore is practically non-existent, which makes it one of the safest tourist destinations in Asia. Also featured is Anthony's long-time friend and food connoisseur, K.F. Seetoh. For dinner, K.F. picks up Anthony on a scooter for a night on the town.
Seattle (8.1)
In the series finale, Anthony heads to the port city of Seattle, Washington. Instead of relying on public transportation, Anthony rents a Tesla to get around "Seatown," which leads to a humorous interaction with a local on a moped.
After a trip to Melrose Market for some artisanal offerings, Anthony visits Archie Mhee, a sort of toy store for adults. Anthony, of course, buys a whoopie cushion for his daughter. Also featured is the Underground Tour in Pioneer Square, a museum that dives deep into the dark history of Seattle.
Taipei (8.1)
Anthony visits Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. Split into twelve districts, Taipei is quite inexpensive and easy to get around via public transportation. Taipei is chock-full of night markets, and Keelung is the largest in Taiwan. Food includes oyster omelets, pearl tea, and beef noodles, the latter, which is a Taiwan staple.
Aside from delicious food, Taipei also offers a few unique tourist attractions. For example, The Taipei 101 skyscraper located in the Xinyi district used to be the tallest in the world and features unique structural innovations.