This review is from: Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
I have watched "No Reservations" since it premiered on the Travel Channel. I have also read all of Bourdain's nonfiction books, and I recommend both this series and his books to anyone serious about different cultures and the foods they eat.
It is no Click links above for more surprise, then, that overall I give the material on this DVD set five stars, but have to take away a star for a couple of reasons. The first and most obvious problem with this set is that it isn't complete, as has been noted by others. It would certainly have been better (even if it was somewhat pricier) if it was complete; likewise some extras (outtakes, commentary, etc.) would have been a welcome, though not strictly necessary, addition. I do have a cautionary tale about my set specifically: mine came without the Iceland and Vietnam DVD, which happen to be, in my opinion, the best two shows of the series. In its place I got an additional copy of the Sicily and Las Vegas DVD, which is the weakest of the four discs in my opinion. Fortunately I had bought the Vietnam and Iceland episodes as separate (and much more expensive) single show DVD's, but it is an annoyance nonetheless.
Without question this is my favorite travel show. I think Bourdain better than other hosts goes out of his way to unearth the fundamental nature of the places he visits (most notably in the excellent Malaysia episode) and truly values and respects the people he meets, despite his acerbic and sarcastic nature. While there are views where we differ, I know that Tony Bourdain and the "No Reservations" staff are fundamentally straight shooters who excel off the beaten path of cuisine and culture. While there are things I would obviously change about this set, it is an excellent value, and any reservations I have are in no way related to the actual content of these four DVD's.
