Bhutan

on 2022.01.10

6 Places

Anthony Bourdain travels to Bhutan, “a remote, relatively rarely visited kingdom in the Himalayas” that sits between India and Tibet. He finds a nation that has held onto its Buddhist cultural and religious practices in spite of a national effort to modernize. Alongside filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, Bourdain samples spicy and hearty fare, watches an archery competition, and learns about the country’s curious obsession with phallic imagery.

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Thimphu, Bhutan

Norzin Lam 1

Notable street · Thimphu

Tony and Darren Aronofsky ate chili-cheese momos (dumplings) and beer at Menzu Shiri Restaurant, just off this road in Thimphu.

Kawang, Bhutan

Folk heritage museum restaurant

Restaurant · Kawang

Tony tried yak hide sautéed with garlic, tomato, and peppercorns with Darren Aronofsky and environmentalist Dasho Benji Dorji

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Wangchang, Bhutan

Phallus Centre Shop

Handicrafts wholesaler · Wangchang

Tony and Darren visited this place about an hour outside of the city. They visited a town in this area that specialzes in Phallus Handicraft and bought a few phallic art pieces (wooden penis).

Dangchu, Bhutan

Pelela

Mountain pass · Dangchu

"The gateway to Central Bhutan," Tony describes. He met with Dr. Nawang Norbu and Darren Aronofsky to have yak butter tea, yak jerky with spiced greens, yak cheese, dried chilies, ara infused with Cordyceps, a fungus that kills its caterpillar-larva host.

Nubi, Bhutan

Trongsa

Nubi

Tony and Darren had yak butter tea. Tony tried braised pork, pork-bone soup, pepper soup, and rice. Darren tried betelnut which he said made him feel high.

Tang, Bhutan

Mebartsho མེ་འབར་མཚོ།

Place of worship · Tang

Also known as the "Burning Lake" although it is on a river, not a lake. There are clay offerings and incense burning.

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Parts Unknown