No Reservations: Vietnam

Every time Anthony Bourdain has gone to Vietnam, he's encountered the same problem: he doesn't want to leave. He has come to love Vietnam with the passion and fervor of a first love, and no matter where his trips take him he finds himself pulled back to this country.

Tomorrow night, Bourdain journeys again to Vietnam and rediscovers old haunts. Here's what Ingrid had to say about the episode:

The next episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations is quite different from any this season.

There is no food destination in the world like Vietnam. The country is a clash of cultures mixed with a hectic urban pace- where people are serious about eating. It is never a question of where to go eat when in Vietnam, but a question of what you will miss. Tony wanders the streets of Saigon, walking past food stands, sidewalk cafes and hawkers, enjoying sizzling seafood and vegetable crepes, fresh beer, and garlic sautéed seafood.

He also reunites with the current owner of Les Halles, Philippe Lajaunie, for some iconic food that blends French and Vietnamese cuisine, and for a stroll around a local fish market: a loud, smelly, bustling market run mainly by women. They also befriend a water taxi driver who invites them for a true family meal back at his home.

Could Tony handle living in Vietnam for a year to write the great Vietnamese novel?

This is the last episode of the season and we won't be getting new Bourdain until AUGUST (woe), so you bet I'm watching tomorrow night.The new episode airs Monday, March 9 at 10pm EST on the Travel Channel.

Bourdain posted about his trip to Vietnam on his blog, which you can read here. Below is an excerpt from that post:

It's no mystery to anyone who knows me, or has ever heard me speak publicly, or ever read my books that I'm utterly besotted with Viet Nam. And as I may also have mentioned, I plan to spend a year there sooner or later. This show coming up is a sentimental return to Saigon -- where I first touched ground in-country back in 2000, a settling up of business with a much loved, departed friend, a reunion with Philippe Lajaunie, my former boss at Les Halles and my sidekick on those first heady days of making television for "A Cook's Tour." It's also a trip to the historic village of Hoi An and surrounding countryside for purposes of acquainting myself with the area -- the housing market in particular. Can I live there? Will my family be happy? (My little girl-by then age three -- or three and a half -- most importantly.) Will she like the new neighborhood? That's what the show's about. Another episode in my continuing love affair with Viet Nam.

Everything I've seen about the country and heard about from Bourdain's show and his books leads me to believe I would love it just as much as he does. And you know my obsession with Taro Boba... ;-D

I hope you've enjoyed my posts on Anthony Bourdain and that you will check out tomorrow night's episode if you haven't yet had a chance to watch the show. Here is a sneak peek of tomorrow's show to whet your appetite: